Austrian Food
 

We will be in Austria for just shy of a week and I know nothing about Austrian food besides strudel. I've just heard that "everything" is delicious.

Would any of you care to share with me your favorite "must try Austrian food items?"

If you have particular restaurants in Vienna and Salzburg to suggest, I'd love to hear details about them too.

Don't miss to taste
"gröstel" =hashbrowns,
"Spätze" = noodle,
"Knödel" = dumpling,
"Gulasch"=goulash,
"Wienerschnitzel",
"Sachertorte"

While Austria is a beautiful country, as a person who's not a big meat-eater, it's not my favorite dining country. If you like meat, however, you'll really enjoy the cuisine - and even I like weinerschnitzel.

Salzburg is known for the Salzburger dessert, which is a large but light souffle. It often has jam cooked in it too. Sachertorte is also delicious.

The fresh fish (mostly trout, as I recall) is generally good; the steamed, buttery small potatoes that come with most everything are great, and pretty much any soup is very tasty.

I highly recommend <i>Stomach</i> (that's the restaurant's name) in Vienna for Styrian food and wine.

The dessert is called the Salzburger Nockerl - and I guess because it has to be made up fresh, there don't seem to be many restaurants in Salzburg which serve it. One that that does (or at least used to) is the restaurant in the Blaue Gans Hotel on Getreidegasse, which serves good food all around.

- Witwe Bolte is a historic restaurnat in the historic Vienna district of Spittelberg, which prepares many traditonal dishes well. Reservations almost always required.

- Also, try Hungarian restaurants in Vienna.

The cafe in the Kuntshistorisches Museum serves lunches and pastries (they are catered by one of the well-known Viennese pastry shops - Gerstner, I think). The food, although pricy is quite good, but the setting is incomparable. I believe there is also a buffet dinner there on one night/week but I haven't been so I can't comment.

Also try: feldsalat - very common side dish; this is the German name for mache or corn salat, which I have heard is being quite the fad in trendy restaurants in the US, and it is quite tasy.
- reinanke - don't pass this up if you see it on a menu, especially in Salzburg or the Salzkammergut;local name for a coregonid-family type of lake whitefish. I don't generally care much for most freshwater fish, but this one is delicious.
- street food - wursts; giant pretzels in more flavors than you could imagine pretzels could come in.
- Rind gulasch is prety much a standard but can be good if well prepared.
- I've always found the Sachertorte to be rather dry, but I guess no visit ot Vienna is complete without trying it. Don't miss out on the other pasteries, though.

Austria is sounding good!

Hi, I tasted a schnitzel called &quot;ziguener schnitzel&quot; and it was piled high with onions and bell peppers. Delicious. I think it was in Salzburg. J.

Two other things to look for:

Knoblauchsuppe- creamy garlic soup.

Kurbiskernol- pumpkin seed oil, a speciality of the Styrian Region, but used for salad dressings in many places. Really tasty, nutty flavor.

~Liz

You may be disappointed in the Sachertorte. I would split one between four people or so, just so everyone has a bite and can confirm beyond a reasonable doubt that it IS overated. Then, you can select from the myriad of other, better, delectable cakes, pastries and tortes.
Austria is basically a meat (beef/pork) and potatoes/dumplings country. That isn't a bad thing. In the typical restaurant, you will probably not find a wide range of vegetables to go with your main course.
The soups are some of the best I've ever had. Although the pancake soup takes some getting used to.

&gt;pancake soup takes some getting used to
Pankake soup (Frittatensuppe) is the best soup on Planet Earth!

Frittatensuppe as a starter followed by a Wienerschnitzel with salad, (pretty much a standard dish) then a Marillenlik&ouml;r followed by a huge Germkn&ouml;del. For Wine, have a red Zweigelt.

We skied for many years in Austria and have several favorites. The salad buffets in Austria are excellent, they take almost every vegetable and turn it into delicious salad. If you ask for mixed salad, you get a selection of salads, such as celery root, beet, potato or corn. The goulash soup is wonderful, particularly after a day out in the cold and snow. The venison in Austria is wonderful, not at all gamey as it so often is in the US. Try the Hirsch Ragout (deer stew), it is excellent. But my very favorite is the Austrian dessert, Heisse Liebe! It is vanilla ice cream with hot raspberries smothered in whipped cream. Delicious!
If you want a posh meal in Salzburg, try the Hotel Monschien. It is high on a hill overlooking the old city. The service is very old world and the food excellent. For a more typical Salzburg dinner, we like Zum Mohren in the center of town. Have a gret trip!

Almost all the soups I had in Austria were divine. Also, you must try Palatschinken, which are crepes filled with ice cream, fruit or chocolate topped with nuts, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. Another favorite of mine is Mohr im Hempt which is a gooey chocolate cake-like pudding with whipped cream. Ice cream topped with fruit and whipped cream as mentioned above is also a good choice.

We will be going to Germany and Austria in less than 2 weeks and my mouth is already watering. Enjoy!

Two restaurants to try in Vienna- Boheme at Spittelgasse 19 for a great wine list, opera on the music and innovative dishes and the cafe in the Albertina museum- run by Do &amp; Co with the best chicken caesar salad I have ever had. Cafe Diglas near the Stephan cathedral has afternoon entertainment and down the street a block is the best little chocolate shop in Vienna, Enjoy.

We had the garlic soup at almost every meal...different in every place, but always wonderful!

We pretty much stuck with either the Weinerschnitzel &amp; potatoes or grilled fish. I had a chicken cordon bleu in an old brewery converted to a restaurant in Vienna (sorry, can't remember the name...I'll try to find it). It was great, and the place had a great salad bar AND a completely separate non-smoking room.

Anne

This is definitely sounding better than I expected! I could go for some garlic soup right now.

That creamy garlic soup is out of this world! Anybody have a recipe for it in English???

I too have skied the mountains of Austria and revel in the wonders of their gastronomy. Some quick thoughts: The Austrain pastry beats anything I've had in France or Italy. The Frittatensuppe, the Goulash Soup are a treat. The myriad of Schnitzels are to die for especially when paired with the Spaetzel.

I'm not advising you to do this, but the next time I'm in the Tirol you'll find me in the Gasthofs rather than the restaurants. Its my version of heaven on earth.

The basic rule of eating in Germanic countries and Eastern Europe is this: always get you schnitzel &quot;natur,&quot; uncoated. Wienerschnitzel, etc are coated to hide the cheap quality of the meat.

I've lived in Germany and must laugh at people who think that this food is fine dining. It's heavy and usually greasy. For a short trip, it's OK. But after a week you are ready to scream. The sweets are the only saving grace.

&gt;I've lived in Germany

But quite obviously you have never been to Austria. ;-)

I notice many of you are suggesting soup.

I'm curious to know if soup is served year round or is it more of a winter offering?

You'll find soup in Austria year-round. Other than Knoblauchsuppe, you'll usually see Goulashsuppe and clear (really tasty) broth with various additions, such as the pancake strips(think crepe) mentioned above, and little fried balls of dough (name escapes me at the moment, something like &quot;baked peas&quot;.)

I have a good recipe for Knoblauchsuppe, but I'm a really poor typist, so I'll have to get that later.

~Liz

Here's my scanned &amp; fixed recipe:

Knoblauchsuppe
(Garlic Soup)

3 ½ oz bacon
10 cloves garlic
¼ C flour
1 large leek chopped
1 quart beef stock

4 oz sour cream
1 raw egg yolk
½ tsp. salt

Saut&eacute; finely chopped bacon, add crushed garlic and saut&eacute; 5 minutes until soft, but not brown. Stir in leek; cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute. Add stock; simmer gently for 20 minutes. Cool slightly, then blend until smooth.
Stir yolk into sour cream. Pour this mixture into the soup and cook gently until soup thickens.
Just before serving, I usually top this with tiny rye croutons.

~Liz

Thanks for posting the recipe. I look forward to making it so I have an idea of what to expect.

Just wondering if anyone has heard of &quot;chicken served in a wheelbarrow&quot;? Apparently it is served in a restaurant near the Hopburg. My brother, who has tried it on his visit to Vienna, says it is a must try. Warning: Serving is huge!
PS. Love the talk on sachertorte. Not sure I want to try it when I get to Vienna, although I love cakes!

&quot;But quite obviously you have never been to Austria&quot;

Yeah, I have. The difference is that you people are talking about fancy restaurant food. I'm talking about the real local food that the locals actually eat. Sure you can get just about anyrthing anywhere these days if you are willing to pay. But it won't be &quot;Austrian food.&quot; If you want real, authentic Germanic food, it will be exactly as I described.

Actually, Metellus, you are off the mark. We have several Austrian friends in the Steiermark and spend time there often in the nontouristy villages near Seckau. The food they eat is not greasy, heavy, everything fried. Lots of fresh vegetables, lots of salads (served with healthy Styrian pumpkin oil), lots of fish and lean meat nicely prepared. Good wine, good beer. But it's true, after a week we were ready to scream. We were screaming for more!

I had pizza twice in Vienna. Both were different than pizzas I have had other places and both were very good.

Keith

&gt;...you people are talking about fancy restaurant food. I'm talking about the real local food that the locals actually eat.&lt;

Ah, yes. The old &quot;if it's not good, it must be authentic&quot; syndrome. :)

We have a Mexican restaurant like that.

((I))

At the hotel Konig von Ungarn (sp?), in Vienna, I ordered a 'traditional' Austrian meal because I wanted to have the experience. My entree was taffelspritz (sp?). It's an assortment of boiled beef entrees-- including tongue-- yech. I was sorry I'd experimented with that one. The rest of my family ordered beef steaks and they were marvelous. I was jealous of them!
Otherwise, I'm a big schnitzel fan and ordered it about three times that week at various places. Love it with lots of lemon.
Also agree that sachertorte is a bit of a disappointment. Kind of dry in the cafe where we had it.
My husband loved the apple strudel and sampled it everywhere. It deserves its good reputation IMHO.

Will you be in Austria during early May? The start of the asparagus crop, or &quot;Spargelzeit&quot;, is an opportunity to eat some tasty dishes incorporating the vegetable. Nothing beats the traditional, though - lightly boiled asparagus with a slightly tart cream sauce, new potatoes and thin slices of ham.

My favorite food item in Vienna? The schlag! Schlag, or whipped cream, is used abundantly on top of coffee drinks and desserts. The color will be more ivory than white, since the butterfat content is astronomical. It tastes very different from U.S. whipped cream.

There is a significant &quot;green&quot; movement in Austria agriculture, reflected in the fact that a lot of restaurants agree to use, as much as possible, vegetables, meats and cheeses produced no more than 100 miles away. Not only do you get fresh local food this way, it cuts down on fuel usage to transport food. Sounds good to me.

Our trip will have us there in late June.

I love that so many people are posting to this thread. Thanks!! :D

yep, if something is offered mit schlag take it.

I was in Germany (haven't made it Austria yet) during the white asparagus time. Talk about a country gone mad. Amazing to see so much of the stuff in one place. After returning home, I looked in the produce section for white asparagus and saw such a skimpy selection. Take advantage of it while there.

No one has mentioned the sauerkraut! It's nothing like what you get in the US. We were served mountains of it, often with dumplings - yum! I loved Austrian food, my wife who is not a fan of red meat, wasn't as thrilled. In many restaurants, chicken isn't on the menu, just red meats, sausage, and perhaps trout.

Thanks for posting the recipe, Liz. I will try it out this weekend!

Moldyhotelsaregross - we will be in Austria in late June as well. Thank you for starting this thread! Lots of good information for my travel guide/journal.

Liz, that was WONDERFUL !!!

I am surprised no one mentions the Schweizerhaus in the Vienna Prater when food is discussed in Austria.
They are most famous for their &quot; Stelze&quot;- the rear knuckle of pork, but have a good and varied menu including fish.
Try the pork with horse rsdish.

They have seating for hundreds in a beautiful garden and also in several dining rooms.
Of course no meal is complete without a good beer from draught- in their case - Budvar from Czech.
The daily menu is excelent and is usually priced from 5- 9 euros.The price and good quality mean that it is always full.

If you do not like food, this place is not for you.



visit - www. schweizerhaus.at you can learn a little of their history and view the menu- yes they have it in english also.

would anyone now what the equivalent of a starbucks frap drink be...do they have them? i like cold coffee drinks...it nevers gets cold enough here for me to appreciate a hot coffee drink.

Message : re Starbucks- if you really need the drink- go to a Starbucks -we have several in Vienna.
Also McDonalds, Burger King, and TGIF

Kentucky Fried Chicken to open soon.

Nothing like gourmet dining and testing the local foods!