The Artistry of Dining: Kurt Gutenbrunner
To witness Chef Kurt Gutenbrunner in action is to see a masterful artisan operate with calculated clarity of purpose. Originally of Austrian heritage, he was raised in a scenic village named Wallsee, situated right on the Danube. As a kid, he naturally gravitated towards cooking, and that passion for food combined with his love for traveling led him to NYC. He was sous chef at Windows of the World at the World Trade Center during the late 80’s, and followed that with a tenure at David Bouley in Tribeca.
Chef Kurt opened his critically acclaimed restaurant, Wallsé, in the West Village about 15 years ago. Since its unveiling, it has consistently been praised as one of the best European restaurants in NYC. Over the years, his empire has grown to include 3 other establishments: Café Sabarsky in the Neue Galerie on the Upper East Side, Blaue Gans in Tribeca, and The Upholstery Store, also in the West Village.
For our Art Issue, we focused on Chef Kurt’s flagship, Wallsé, where it all started. On the walls of this welcoming space are massive paintings from Chef Gutenbrunner’s artist friends: striking paintings from Julian Schnabel & Martin Kippenberger and towering mixed media works from Albert Oehlen. You will also see prominent pieces by Herman Nitsch, Virginia Martinson and Dennis Hopper.
In the interview below, we chat with Chef Kurt about his love for the arts, as well as his other life inspirations and pursuits.
When you were first opening Wallsé, what kind of dining experience did you envision creating for your guests?
In the German language, we use the term ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’ which means; a total work of art. This was my intention when creating Wallsé. I wanted to create a menu which has Austrian roots that is executed in a very personal and modern way, while surrounded by Viennese chairs, and straight architectural lines.
“In German, we use the term ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’ which means; a total work of art.”
The marriage of fine art and fine dining is a perfect one indeed. How did you go about selecting the bold artwork (& artists) on display at Wallsé?
I am in total agreement with this statement, therefore, it was fun to pick all kinds of artwork with my friend Julian Schnabel, and then integrate them into the overall dining experience.
What is your overall relationship with the arts – would you consider yourself an avid art collector?
When I was growing up, I always found an interest in art and architecture. I have met many wonderful artists. I was fortunate to meet Renée Price and Ronald Lauder who gave me the chance to operate Café Sabarsky at the Neue Galerie in New York City. I’ve also become a contemporary art collector.
Can you tell us a little bit more about your relationship with Julian Schnabel and the stories behind the pieces he created for you at Wallsé?
I met Julian Schnabel and his family when I was in the process of building Wallsé; we became very good friends. One day, he simply called me up and offered to paint a portrait of me. This same portrait has been showcased in Wallsé since (see below).
Switching to food, can you describe the overall cuisine direction at Wallsé?
As chefs, we always have to understand that we are the hands that construct the food whereas the farmers provide us with wonderful ingredients. My view on food is: classics first with a fun twist of my own.
We’ve also read great reviews about the wine list at Wallsé. What would you say are the special treats that wine lovers can expect?
Not only do we pay great respect to Austrian food, we also have a very extensive wine list which focuses on Austria and Germany. I am very proud of our wine director, Leopold Schneeman, who makes a habit of always finding new interesting wines.
Also, we have to mention the unique watch you were wearing during our shoot – What kind of watch is that and where did you find it?
The name of the watch is Normalzeit. This watch is inspired by the famous city cube clock from 1907. There are only 1,907 pieces made, mine is number 333.
Apart for Art & cuisine, what are some of your other major interests?
I love my 1971 Volkswagen convertible named Bebe. I also collect Thonet chairs from Vienna. I love Lou Reed music and doing Kundalami Yoga with my wife Angelika. I also really enjoyed wearing O.N.S fashion.
You’ve lived and worked in many cities around the world, where would you say is your favorite city and why?
Living in the moment is a lot of fun, so as of now I enjoy living in New York City.
Shop The Look
To view the exemplary art on display at Wallsé and sample the tasty Austrian cuisine, make a reservation here.
All clothing shown from the O.N.S SS16 Collection currently available at our 71 Greene Flagship, Soho.
If you liked this story, check out more in our Urban Transplants issue.
