J. Betski’s
J. Betski’s
10 West Franklin St. Suite 120, Raleigh, NC
919-833-7999
Friday night. Date night.
19 June 2009
My beautiful wife decided we should savor one my favorite cuisines. She chose J. Betski’s Polish and German styled restaurant knowing that I have a soft spot for sausages. That soft spot is directly attributable to my larger soft spot. Sorry Honey, I do love the food.
J. Betski’s is located in a trendy part of Raleigh surrounded by other restaurants and knick knack shops. The building is modern and has patio seating. This being June and North Carolina (and me from Michigan) I opted to dine in, avoiding the swelter. I don’t know how the Carolinians do it.
J. Betski's
We were greeted at the door and were seated with a reservation for two at 6:00 pm. There is no booth seating and it is a small restaurant, presenting few tables. Parties greater than 8 would be difficult to seat. The floor plan is cozy but not the euphemistic version for cramped. The décor is simple, classy, and does well to set the tone for the evening. It has high ceilings and a hard floor which makes for a slightly noisy night. This is the norm at most restaurants nowadays. Betski’s sets its sights on 30 or 40 somethings with disposable income who are apt to seek out high energy dining experiences. I can’t blame them, having waited tables and witnessed the old timers coming in coupon in tow at 4:30 sharp ordering hot water to drink and splitting a lunch portion of poached salmon with no butter, salt, spices or flavor whilst complaining about price, service, and portion size knowing full well they will be back tomorrow and every day, same time, same meal, same complaint.
They had a sausage and pierogi sampler platter on special that evening. Apparently they saw me coming or the gods were shining upon me as these items happen to be separate food groups for me. I am a bit of a connoisseur of sausages and dabble in piergoi’s. I meant to take a picture of the plate before we dug in but as you can see my weakness overcame me. The sausages were moist and bursting with distinct flavor. These were some of the best I have EVER had!
Sasage and Perogi
Most pierogis are heavy and can get doughy as they are sauteed in butter. These, while still a pierogi, were lighter than normal with a delightfully semi-crisp outside and silky smooth potato filling inside. I make these at home and can attest that they are a pain in the ass to make. Betski’s pierogis were the best I EVER had! I know what you are saying – “this guy is throwing softballs.” Not at all…they were just that good! This washed down with a golden kraut beer made for a happily satiated man. Bring on the schnitzel. While not the most interesting item on the menu it is a timeless classic and hey what can I say I was in the mood. Schnitzel is a food that is hard to screw up but equally difficult to make stand out. This one definitely stood out. Crisp golden brown outside and buttery pork inside, seasoned perfectly. The sides of warm potatoes and cucumber salad were a perfect complement to the dish. We were full and skipped desert but I took the opportunity to take a picture of some other goodies on the table next to us. The beer list is primarily German and Polish and they have a well selected wine list – the wife enjoyed the Huber gruner veltliner very much.
Schnitzel
The entrees are a bit expensive as compared to most mom and pop German restaurants. The portion sizes are small as compared to a dump like AppleCHEESE but you walk away full without be uncomfortable. Face it – places like Applecheese and TGIF serve up piles of food mostly edible but always slathered with a pound of cheese on top. I have nothing against cheese but I don’t want it on every menu item.
Conclusion
Dining here will not disappoint or at least won’t disappoint most people. There is always someone at a table that hates everything and tries hard to get you to hate what you are having. Try not to dine with them if you can. I am going to give Betski’s a solid 9 out of 10. They get a 9 only because I don’t hand out 10’s as there is always room for improvement. Great job J. Betski’s – we will see you again.
