Just the other day I was reminiscing about the weekend trip I took to Vienna a few years ago to visit my dear Cousin Anna who has been living there for a few years. The roommates in her flat were throwing a house party and it was sure to be in unforgettable experience. I offered to do some prep work for the massive amount of chili (to feed 100 plus) that was to be cooked for the party, (I still don’t quite get it how chili is popular in Vienna) but this way, I would be free to wander around and take in some good eats the following day.
It couldn’t have worked out any better for me. My cousin lives in the 13th or Heitzing district and it turns out it is the district with the most greenery. My journey began with a stop in a local chocolate shop 
and then it was on to Schönbrunn (“beautiful spring”) Palace.
Schönbrunn Palace
I must have walked around for hours that afternoon, including a hike up the hill on the southern part of the palace so I could get an overview of the grounds. On my way back down I took the wooded path to relax in the shade a bit. It goes without saying that I worked up a huge appetite, with pictures to prove it!
About a 15-minute walk back toward Anna’s apartment I stumbled upon a biergarten or beer garden. I honestly can’t remember the name of the restaurant but instead will try to highlight some of my favorites of Austrian cuisine. Tafelspitz is a boiled meat dish. Thinly sliced meat is cooked gently in a beef broth with vegetables.
For a perfect pairing I opted for rösti, (crisp, potato pancake) served with apfelkren (a sauce of apples and horseradish) and some sort of tomato-based mayonnaise.
And to finish my meal, kaiserschmarrn, the ultimate comfort food. In Austrian-German kaiser means “emperor” where as schmarrn has many definitions such as “mishmash, crumbs, rubbish or nonsense.” It’s basically a buttery pancake batter that is fried resulting in tiny, crispy puffs of delight served with powdered sugar and a fruit sauce such as apples and raisins or in this case plums.
To finish my meal I decided to have a Viennese coffee or melange at Cafe Dommayer. A melange is similar to a cappuccino but the coffee base is milder in comparison. Cafe Dommayer is famous for its cakes, pastries and it’s where we all had brunch together, literally only a couple of hours after the party ended from the night before. Ciao Vienna, until the next time!
Love it….it’s so good to travel to Europe through your experiences. Keep up the good work girl!
Yoli
Thanks for writing, Yoli!! Hope all is well.
Agree with Yoli, it’s so much munching fun to travel with you, Rachel. Inspiring. I also love the way you end this piece with a salutation, ‘Ciao Vienna, until the next time!” These days my focus is mostly baby food, but the time will come for more adventurous cooking…. and I will know where to find recipes and inspiration!
Lots of love, Hanne, Ordrup, Denmark.
Thanks Hanne!! Always great hearing from you
Lots of love from Torino.
I just discovered your blog and wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed it. We travel to Europe most every year and love the food where ever we go. We were in northern Italy last year where so much of the cooking is still influenced by when it was part of Austria.
Thanks so much for your feedback and I will be certain to check out your blog as well. Happy writing!