Vienna, Austria Yesterday was a travel day as we took the train from Linz back to Austria. Our apartment was waiting for us and we settled in our old neighborhood for a few days.
Today is St. Patrick’s Day, but it’s hardly a cause for celebration here. We did see one very proud Irishman marching up a boulevard, but nothing much green going on.
We did some chores in the morning, and then I got my hair cut again. That was exhausting, so a nap was called for. Following that, we did some exploring before having an early dinner. We’re a bit inhibited by the fact that it is so cold here. It feels like 29 degrees and the wind is blowing. Have to stop in a lot of shops to keep warm!
Don’s Food Corner
Our food adventures from yesterday included dinner at an Italian restaurant. They have a better idea of Italian food in Vienna than they do in Japan. Jo had a salami pizza. Thin crust, but a little soggy. I had spaghetti Bolognese, and we shared an excellent salad. The pasta was extremely al dente. But the meat sauce was decent. Not exactly what you’d get in Bologna. Closer to an Italian-American restaurant, which is the tourist crowd this restaurant is used to serving.
Today, after some exhausting shopping, we stopped at a café for tea and an apple strudel with vanilla sauce. The sauce was excellent — rich and creamy and loaded with vanilla — the strudel was not up to the standards we’re used to.
For our main meal today, we went to the legendary Café Korb, which had been one of the hangouts of Freud and his circle. The interior was redone in the ’60s and it has retained that look, instead of the early 20th century look of most other Viennese cafés. It is also a little off the tourist track, so it was basically just us and the Viennese.
Before walking over to Café Korb, we passed by Café Central, which is perhaps the most famous of the Viennese cafes. But there was a long line of tourists waiting to get in. Sadly, that café now seems to be strictly for tourists. This has happened in just the five years since we were here the first time. Then, we had a wonderful experience there. Two years ago, we went again and it had deteriorated into what it is today.
On to the more authentic Café Korb, Jo had the wiener schnitzel, of course. It got a good grade — an A-. The accompanying potato salad was unusually good. Nice vinegar/pickle balance.
I had something I had not seen before — veal goulash. Beef goulash is always available, but not veal. This veal goulash was listed as a special of the day. I guess we’re getting into spring, which means it’s veal season. (We have seen white asparagus in the markets, which is another sign of spring, but we have not seen white asparagus soup on any menu — yet. We have one more day to find it. When done right, that soup is a real treat.) The veal stew, served with spätzle and a nice dollop of sour cream, was terrific. Incredibly tender and flavorful.
