The first ever episode of Kitchen Revolutions from Bydgoszcz is behind us! Magda Gessler helped the owners of Gusto by turning it into a Wilderness. We check what was shown on TV and how the restaurant is doing a few months following the program was recorded.
The wilderness in Bydgoszcz operated as Gusto Kuchnia & Wino until autumn. And it was the place with this name that Magda Gessler visited in the first episode of the new season of Kitchen Revolutions. When the famous restaurateur came to Bydgoszcz, the restaurant operated at ul. Fredry for 4 months. Previously, it operated as a bistro at ul. Gdańsk.
What happened in the episode of Kitchen Revolutions from Bydgoszcz?
– We started to feel cramped in the old location and we mightn’t develop. We were looking for a larger place and we found this one – said the owners, Kuba and Anna, talking regarding the restaurant. They carried out a major renovation, which turned out to be a pit without a day. He absorbed huge funds from loans and borrowings from friends.
– We were sure that if we did it properly, it would last for years and work. Unfortunately, instead of stabilization, we are going downhill – admitted the owners. The last month before Magda Gessler’s visit brought a loss of PLN 27,000.
Upon arrival, the famous restaurateur first assessed the interior, which – although prepared by a designer – did not impress her. It was similar with the dishes. The meat in the steak tartare was good, but poorly presented. The herring turned out to be stiff, and the broth smelled of a dirty stove. The cutlet, fried personally by the boss, was underseasoned and fatty.
After hearing the owners’ stories, Magda Gessler started a revolution. As she explained, the menu of most restaurants in Bydgoszcz is quite poor and very similar. That’s why she made Gusto Wilderness and added many plants, greenery and oak to the interior, without destroying what was created during the expensive renovation.
– Bydgoszcz should like it, because it is something completely different – said Mrs. Anna, who performed best during the specialized training on game, which Magda Gessler organized for the owners and employees of the restaurant.
As part of the promotion of the place, the owner and her employee served Bydgoszcz residents with sandwiches with homemade venison sausages. For this purpose, the ladies went to Mostowa and the Old Market Square. After a successful dinner, Magda Gessler announced that the restaurant might become an embassy of game in Poland.
What did Magda Gessler find following returning to Dzikowisko?
After four weeks, the restaurateur visited Dzikowisko once more. The restaurant was full.
According to Magda Gessler, the vegetable salad turned out to be delicious, and the pancakes in broth were brilliant, although the soup was not intense enough. The meat in bigos was also rated as very good. The Dzikowisko salad also delighted the author of Kuchenne Rewolucje, who confirmed that this place deserved to be called the Polish embassy of game. The owners said that following the revolution, their place was very popular.
Dzikowisko in Bydgoszcz – menu and our review
Kitchen Revolutions, which we watched in episode 1 of the new season, were carried out in mid-October. Less than five months have passed since then, and the restaurant is still open and very successful. The menu includes proposals signed by Magda Gessler, as well as other dishes.
Magda Gessler’s menu includes wild broth with mushroom pancakes (PLN 28). It is not fatty, but clearly aromatic, and the pancake is an unusual but good substitute for traditional pasta.
YOU CAN READ OUR OCTOBER REVIEW OF THE WILDLAND HERE [ZDJĘCIA POTRAW]
Venison is associated with hard meat and a pungent smell, but in Dzikowisko it is soft and the taste is truly delicate. The cutlet was served with soft and delicate potato puree and – once once more – very expressive and characteristic, crunchy cracklings. The potato pancakes (PLN 38) topped with porcini mushrooms in cream were a revelation. Crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, melting in your mouth. Unfortunately, they are no longer on the menu.
Magda Gessler’s menu also includes vegetable salad with home-baked bread (PLN 21), venison bigos (PLN 42) and Dzikowisko salad (PLN 32).
The Kitchen Revolutions menu includes one dessert. It’s a meringue with plums with mogul, chestnut mousse, Armagnac and maple syrup. It costs PLN 36.
Is Dzikowisko still operating?
We visited the wild area once more in February. The tables were mostly occupied and the menu had not changed much since the revolution.
The restaurant is currently open from Tuesday to Thursday from 1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., on Friday and Saturday from 1:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. It is worth booking a table before your visit.
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