Tradition is everywhere, from the Kaffeehaus (coffee house) to ubiquitous paintings and photographs of Kaiser Franz Joseph I., the Habsburg emperor who ruled the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1848 to 1916.

Vienna is one of the only cities in the world with its own cuisine (most cuisines are regional- or country-specific) and it’s not just Sacher Torte and Strudel.  Rather, it is built upon the culinary traditions of the many outposts of the Empire.  From Hungary came imaginative tortes and gulyás  (which became Gulasch, or goulash, even though gulyás in Hungary is a soup), from Milan, the breaded veal cutlet which became Wiener Schnitzel, from Bohemia, hearty dumplings and savory meats—in Vienna, all this and more was mixed together, improved upon, and reborn as Wiener Küche (Viennese cuisine)

Indeed what many refer to as Danish is said to have originated in Vienna [the Danes call it wienerbrød (Viennese bread)] and the croissant is thought to have been created by Viennese bakers to celebrate the defeat of the Turks in the Siege of Vienna (the French consider the croissant to be in the Viennoiserie family).  Despite the battle, the Viennese remain grateful to the Turks for having introduced coffee to the city, thereby starting the Kaffeehaus (coffee house or café) tradition that remains a big part of daily life in the city.

Vienna is also the only capital city in the world with a significant wine-growing region (ca. 700 hectares) within its borders.  The city’s wines are best sampled in a Heuriger, a tavern offering wine from the last harvest (the word “Heurig” literally means “this year’s”) which can be found in outlying districts of the city such as Grinzing and Nußdorf.  There locals and visitors enjoy a glass of locally-produced Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, or Zweigelt with light food and snacks.

For decades if not centuries, the fine dining scene in Vienna focused on formal, dark restaurants such as the Drei Husaren and those found in the Hotel Sacher and Hotel Imperial.   Today, however, a new generation of restauranteurs is challenging that tradition with casual restaurants such as Österreicher im MAK and Steirereck Meierei.  Beyond the nobel (luxury, literally “fancy”) restaurants are the bürgerliche (bourgeois or somewhat middle-class), and the Beisl (tavern or pub).

Join me on a culinary tour of Vienna as we sample the old alongside the new, the nobel, the bürgerliche, and the Beisl.

MEIEREI (STEIRERECK)

A walk through the Stadtpark past the tourists and the golden statue of waltz king Johann Strauß II playing the violin brings us to the Meierei, run by the Reitbauer family, which also owns the adjoining and far more formal Restaurant Steirereck, with which it shares a kitchen and menu items.  The word “Meierei” means a dairy farm and a milk theme runs deep throughout the restaurant, with milky white walls, glass milk bottles on the tables, and green floors.  Cheese looms large on the menu, with 120 varieties from 13 countries, many local.

Our meal began with the Hochzeitssuppe, or “wedding soup,” clear beef bouillon poured over four superb bites: a large Grießnockerl (semolina dumpling), a stuffed wonton, a crispy piece of Milzschnitte (lung strudel), and a small biscuit.

To accompany this, we were served a glass of Der Schrammler – Grande Reserve 2006, a wonderful gemischter Satz or field-blend wine made from Grüner Veltliner Nußberg and Rosengartl Alte Reben.  This wine was created by Viennese winemaker Fritz Wieninger working with Adi Schmid, the Steirereck’s sommelier, and named after the Philharmonia Schrammeln, a group of musicians from the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.

The meal continued with Reinanke, a white fish native to Austria.  The Reinanke, served with piquant cabbage slaw and lemon balm, melted in my mouth.  The accompanying dumpling was light and fluffy.

We concluded the meal with scrumptious Zwetschkenknödel, plum-stuffed dumplings with plum ice cream.

Meierei
Am Heumarkt 2A / im Stadtpark, 1030 Vienna
+43 1 713-3168.
www.steirereck.at

THE HEURIGER

Heuriger is the Austrian word for both the wines of the latest harvest as well as the place that they are served.  The tradition of the Heuriger dates back to 1784 when Kaiser Josef II. (1741-1790) allowed wine producers to sell their own wines as well as food in their gardens without having to pay for a restaurant license.  The Kaiser’s edit required that a Heuriger offer a limited selection of food, typically cold meats, cheeses, and cheese spreads such as Liptauer, so as not to compete with restaurants and also stated that a Heuriger can only be open for a limited amount of time each year.  To indicate that a Heuriger is open, its owners hang Buschen, or pine branches, over the entrance (this is why a Heuriger is called a Buschenschank in some areas of Austria).

Weingut am Reisenberg

Weingut am Reisenberg is a Heuriger located in the hills of Grinzing (19. Bezirk or District) of Vienna.  It’s a good 10-minute walk up a steep hill but it’s worth it: the view of the city off in the distance, past the vineyards, is stunning, especially as dusk approaches.

The wines at Weingut am Reisenberg are average for the region but the panoramic view do seem to enhance every sip.   In true Heuriger fashion, dinner is a buffet; the buffet the evening I was there, it consisted of typical Austrian specialties including Wiener Schnitzel, Tafelspitz [boiled beef, sliced and typically served with creamed spinach, Rösti (fried potatoes), apple-horseradish sauce, and chive sauce], Spätzle (small egg dumplings), and, for dessert, Kaiserschmarrn.

Kaiserschmarrn is a pancake dish first prepared for Kaiser Franz Joseph I. (1830-1916) and roughly can be translated into the “emperor’s nonsense” or the “emperor’s mishmash.”  The pancake is cut into pieces while frying, shredded, and sprinkled with powdered sugar.  It is typically served hot with apple or plum compote.

Weingut am Reisenberg
Oberer Reisenbergweg 15, 1190 Wien
+43 (1) 320 93 93
www.weingutamreisenberg.at

Heuriger Christ

Winemaker Rainer Christ is a member of the WienWein group, which was founded in 2006 by leading Viennese vintners including Christ, Michael Edlmoser, Fritz Wieninger, and Richard Zahel.   Their wines are among the finest from the Viennese growers and a visit to Heuriger Christ affords an opportunity to sample recent vintages.   Christ’s 2008 Grüner Veltliner Bruch, 2008 Bisamberg Alte Reben (a gemischter Satz), and the 2007 Mephisto are worthy of note.

Weingut & Heuriger Christ
Amtsstraße 10-14, 1210 Wien – Jedlersdorf
+43 1 292 51 52
www.weingut-christ.at

KULINARIUM 7

It’s rare that I write a review that warns readers to studiously avoid a hotel or restaurant but alas, this is one and it proves that the most beautiful and elegant settings can do little to make up for a surly host, glacier-slow service, and so-so food.  In fact, the most interesting thing we were served was a refreshing towelette, the size of a mint, that unfurled into a washcloth when water was applied.

A restaurant that expects its diners to sit for meals that are dragged out over many hours should at least provide chairs that have good back support—or any back support for that matter.  At the Kulinarium, function follows form with backless stools that ultimately resulted in my making an “early” departure (three hours after arriving, I should add) before the main course arrived.

The appetizer of foie gras fried with garam masala, caramelized chicory, and mango sounded more interesting than it was, although it was nicely paired with a superb Riesling Auslese 2006, from Salomon Undhof in the Kremstal.

The Kürbiscremesuppe (cream of pumpkin soup) with candied ginger and linseed oil, paired with a Morillon Kranachberg 2007 from Peter Skoff in Südsteiermark (South Styria) was ok but paled in comparison with other pumpkin soups I had recently tried.

A tasty piece of fried cauliflower, served with avocado and citrus fruits, was marred by the accompanying rubbery scallop.  It was paired with a wonderful Grüner Veltliner “Goliath” 2006, from Birgit Eichinger in the Kamptal.

After waiting over 45 minutes for the main course after the cauliflower, I decided that I could sit no longer and took the Tram (local term for Straßenbahn or streetcar) back into the city center.  The hard wooden streetcar seats soothed my aching back.

Kulinarium 7
Sigmundgasse 1/1, 1070 Vienna
+43 1 522 33 77
www.kulinarium7.at

ZUM SCHWARZEN KAMEEL

Zum Schwarzen Kameel is a Viennese institution, tracing its origins back to 1618 and its current location and well-preserved Jugendstil interior to 1901.  Beethoven was a regular patron; somewhere in the restaurant’s archives there are hand-written notes by the deaf composer with his lunch orders.  A combination delicatessen, sandwich shop, and white-cloth restaurant, Zum Schwarzen Kameel offers an enticing Heimkehrmenü, or homecoming menu, intended for Viennese who have been away and are now returning home.  It also serves as a wonderful tutorial for non-Viennese who want the best of what Wiener Küche has to offer.

The Heimkehrmenü meal starts with hand-cut ham with shaved horseradish, and continues with Kalbsgulasch (veal goulash) with Spätzle, Wiener Schnitzel, and for dessert, Marillenpalatschinken (apricot Palatschinken, a rolled-up crêpe-like eggy pancake).  The waiter said there was another possible main course after the Wiener Schnitzel, presumably for those who had not only been away from Vienna for a while but who had not eaten during their absence, but I declined.

A Sauvignon Blanc Rothüttl 2008 from the Weingut Gross in Südsteiermark (South Styria) was the perfect accompaniment.

Up front, in the sandwich area, Zum Schwarzen Kameel offers dozens of small and inexpensive sandwiches, ranging from salmon to salami to Liptauer cheese (made from a soft cheese such as cottage cheese, cream cheese, quark cheese, and spices such as paprika, caraway seeds, and fresh parsley).

Zum Schwarzen Kameel
Bognergasse 5, 1010 Vienna
+43 1 533 81 25
www.kameel.at

ÖSTERREICHER IM MAK

With a few exceptions (Café Sabarsky at the Neue Galerie in New York comes to mind), museum restaurants are hardly destinations unto themselves.  But then again, most museum restaurants don’t have star chef Helmut Österreicher as the owner.  Österreicher, who made his name as chef at the Restaurant Steirereck, has created a menu that offers both classic and (to use his words) “newly-interpreted” Viennese cuisine at the Museum für angewandte Kunst (MAK, or Museum for Applied Art).

Reservations are recommended, especially for dinner, but there always seems to be room at Österreicher im MAK for those who have come to admire the MAK’s collection of Wiener Werkstätte furniture, glass, china, and silver, and textiles.

The indoor dining rooms were quiet the day I visited; given the beautiful, late summer weather, the place to dine was outdoors in the museum’s courtyard.

Our meal started off with a Kürbiscremesuppe, cream of pumpkin soup with pumpkin seed oil, which had just the right texture and flavor to make it the best pumpkin soup I could recall having.  That was followed by an exceptionally tender Wiener Zwiebelrostbraten, Viennese minute steak with onions, accompanied by home fries.  Not surprisingly, this was the best Zwiebelrostbraten I could recall having in the past few years.

Our server recommended the Franz 2006 from Weingut Weninger in the Mittelburgenland (Middle Burgenland), a full-bodied cuvee that is made from Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Blaufränkisch that perfectly matched the Zwiebelrostbraten.

The Mehlspeisen (Austrian for dessert, literally “flour food”) I selected from the Moderne side of the menu was a magnificent and airy gebackenen Topfen mit Hollerkoch (baked curd cheese with elderberry preserves).

Don’t let the modern look fool you: Österreicher im MAK is strong on tradition where it counts.  The beverage selection is drawn solely from Austrian wines and spirits and the servers seem quite knowledgeable about them, and the kitchen draws heavily from local producers.  Just remember, Klassiche (classic) Wiener Küche on the left and modern interpretations on the right.

Österreicher im MAK
Stubenring 5, 1010 Vienna
+1 43 1 714 0121
www.oesterreicherimmak.at

RESTAURANT ROTE BAR IM HOTEL SACHER

Walking into the Hotel Sacher, built in 1876 and situated around the corner from the Staatsoper (State Opera) is like walking into fin-de-siècle Vienna, where Franz Joseph I. is still Kaiser (and König, king, of Hungary) and red velvet, grand crystal chandeliers, and polite service are the rule, not the exception.  The Sacher may best be known not as a hotel but rather for the Sacher-Torte, created by the young apprentice baker Franz Sacher for a dinner to be given by Prince Metternich (1773-1859) in 1832.  His son, Eduard (1843-1892), opened the Hotel Sacher in 1876; after his death, his widow, Anna Sacher, transformed the hotel into one of the finest in the world.

Seated for a late meal under a portrait of Kaiser Franz Joseph after attending a performance of Il barbiere di Siviglia, the Barber of Seville, I started with the soup,

Kräftige Tafelspitzsuppe mit Wiener Einlage (strong consommé with a choice of Viennese inserts; the inserts were Milzschnitte (lung strudel), Frittaten (sliced palatschinken or pancakes, Leberknödel (liver dumping) oder Grießnockerl (semolina dumpling). I recommend the Leberknödel and Frittaten (ask for both).

While the restaurant’s Tafelspitz is far from the city’s best, it was served with delicious creamed spinach and magnificent hash-brown potatoes, and a choice of chive cream sauce or apple horseradish.   Tafelspitz was a favorite of Kaiser Franz Joseph, who was watching over me as I ate, and he would have immediately recognized this version.

A sweet end to this late night supper was the Dessertkreation “Franz Sacher”, a medley of fresh strawberries, Apfelstrudel (apple strudel), a fruit tart, and of course a slice of Sacher-Torte mit Schlagobers (with whipped cream).  This was accompanied by a superb 2006 Beerenauslese from Martin Pasler in the Neusiedlersee (Burgenland) region.  This full-bodied, sweet wine is made from rich, ripe grapes affected by noble rot or botrytis and was an excellent way to conclude the evening.

Restaurant Rote Bar im Hotel Sacher
Philharmonikerstraße 4 A , 1010 Vienna
+43 1 51 45 68 41
www.sacher.com/en-red-bar.htm

For complete details of almost every course of every meal, watch the slide show.

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.

First order of business: top down. The top takes only 20 seconds to retract and it appears far more robust than earlier generation retractable hardtops, which seemed a bit fragile in construction. The interior features generous amounts of space; even with the top up, I never felt claustrophobic. With the top down, which is the way this car is meant to be driven, the cabin isn’t overly noisy or draft; with the top up, you would never know you were in a convertible.

The Z4 comes with a choice of two engines in the U.S., the naturally-aspirated 3.0-liter inline-six with 190 kW/258 hp at 6,600 rpm and 310 Nm/228 pound-feet of torque at 2,570, and the twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six with 225 kW/306 hp at 5,800 rpm and 400 Nm/295 pound-feet from 1,300-5,000 rpm. The NA engine does 0-100 km/h in 5.8 seconds; the twin-turbo does it in 5.2. My Z4 had a third power plant, offered in many European markets, a 2.5-liter inline six that produces 150 kW/204 hp at 6,200 rpm and 250 Nm/184 pound-feet of torque at 2,950 rpm, with 0-100 km/h in 6.6 seconds (manual transmission).

The new Z4 also comes with a rather cumbersome badge. The twin-turbo is designated the BMW Z4 sDrive35i. Similarly, the NA version is the BMW Z4 sDrive30i, and the smaller power plant is (somewhat inexplicably) the BMW Z4 sDrive23i.

With perfect 50/50 weight distribution and extraordinarily comfortable seats, I found the Z4 to be ready for everything from leisurely touring to high-speed cornering. The car went exactly where I pointed it and didn’t allow rough road surfaces to intrude.

Once on the Schnellstraße, I drove directly to the Zentralfriedhof, IV. Tor (Central Cemetery, 4th Gate) to visit my great grandparents.

After a short stay, I drove into the city to the Steirereck Meierei Restaurant in the Stadtpark (literally, city park) in the city center for lunch (review to come!). I hadn’t yet checked into the hotel so a quick drive down the Ringstraße led me to the recently opened Hotel Herrenhof, on the Herrengasse in the First District (1. Bezirk).

Next I was off to a walk in the Viennese vineyards with Fritz Wieninger (Stammersdorf), Rainer Christ (Jedlersdorf), and Richard Zahel (Mauer), some of the city’s leading winemakers. One of the topics they covered was the rising interest in Gemischter Satz, a field blend which means that grapes of different varieties (Grüner Veltliner, Traminer, among others) are planted, harvested and vinified together. This was a common practice many years ago but the Gemischter Satz wines weren’t appreciated for their fullness and rich body so the practice stopped and only recently is experiencing resurgence.

A tasting of some of their recent vintages followed.

Last, but not least, was dinner at the Kulinarium 7, a restaurant and wine shop.

Enjoy the show.

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.

A short walk along the Wachaustraße took us to the the main retail location for Wieser, a purveyor of local apricot marmalade (Marillenmarmalade) and apricot liquor (Marillenlikör).  After stocking up, it was off to lunch at Holzapfel’s Prandtauerhof, also in Weißenkirchen.  Lunch started with an étagère (see photos in slide show), followed by roast sirloin with potatoes, and finally Marillenknödel (apricot dumplings).  Holzapfel is one of the many vintners in the Wachau and each course was accompanied by a local wine.

Winzer Krems is a local cooperative of growers in the Wachau and has an amazing wine production facility.  A tour and tasting here is highly recommended.

Then it was off to Stift Göttweig, an abbey that is also in the wine making business.  Note the view from their terrace towards the valley.

Dinner was at the Nigl winery in Senftenberg.  We started with marinated salmon, a foamy soup of carrot and ginger, prime rib of beef, and a curd cheese tartlet with apricot sorbet.  Each course was accompanied by one of Nigl’s wines, ranging from a 2008 Riesling Senftenberger Piri to a 1999 Grüner Veltliner Zweittl to a 2007 Eiswein for the dessert course.

The slide show takes you through the day.

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.

The weather in early September is just about perfect, with daytime temperatures around 21° C, cooling down to a comfortable 14° C in the evening.  In other words, it’s the perfect weather to be driving a roadster.

BMW introduced its first roadster, the 315/1, in 1934 at the Berlin Motor Show.  The 315 featured a long engine compartment, a six-cylinder motor, two sports seats, and a speedometer that went up to 150 km/h.   The result? Instant Freude am Fahren (Joy of Driving, BMW’s tagline).

After selling 230 roadsters, BMW introduced the more powerful 319/1 variant with similar styling, selling 178.  The 328 Roadster followed in 1936, becoming one of the fastest cars on the road (with a top speed of 155 km/h).  Only 464 units were built until the Second World War necessitated an end of production.

The company’s next roadster, unveiled in New York in 1955, set the standard for roadsters of its era and beyond.  The timeless BMW 507, designed by Albrecht Graf von Götz, a German emigrant who settled in California in 1936, remains an icon of automotive design, later passing its mantle to the BMW Z1, the Z8, and finally the new Z4 Roadster.

The all-new Z4 is the first BMW roadster to sport a retractable hardtop roof (the 3er Series cabriolet has had one, however for several years now).  Its silhouette closely resembles the iconic 507, it is almost the same size and weight as the more recent and highly sought-after Z8, and it is far more elegant and sporty in appearance than its immediate Z4 and Z3 predecessors.

Prior to this trip, I had already driven two of the three Z4 variants, the Z4 sDrive35i and the Z4 sDrive30i, so I was very excited when I found out I would be driving a Z4 sDrive23i this time (n.b. this entry-level Z4 is not available in the U.S.).  It comes with a 201 hp 2.5-liter inline-six engine, which is more than enough power to get me from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in about 6 seconds and I found myself easily hitting 140 km/h or higher without much effort.

With the top down, I didn’t even turn on the radio or my iPod – the mellifluous exhaust note was really I wanted to hear.

The car came in a beautiful tiefseeblau metallic (deep sea blue metallic) and it attracted a lot of attention whenever I parked.  Inside, the standard seats (which I find more comfortable in the Z4 than the sports seats) provide excellent support in cornering and seem perfect for multi-hour drives on Autobahnen as well.

Zwiebelrostbraten

So far, I’ve driven the Z4 from Vienna to Langenlois (link to prev article) in the Kamptal (Kamp Valley); today my driving was relatively local but even short drives become great fun when you get to push a button and the roof lowers into the trunk.  Trunk space is not great (I packed lightly for the trip) but the interior, even with the top up, is not at all cramped, unlike roadsters from other manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz.  Indeed, I continue to be amazed at how open and spacious the interior feels (a feeling that may be supported by the light interior colors that BMW favors for the Z4).

Niederösterreich is one of the most picturesque regions in the country and I will share more with you about the wine, architecture, and people as the trip progresses.  The regional cuisine pairs nicely with the exquisite Grüner Veltliner, Riesling, and Zweigelt wines and there will be much to report in the coming days.

UPDATE: Next is The Drive to Vienna

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.

I departed New York on 4 September via Austrian Airlines, coincidentally on the first day of ownership of the airline by Lufthansa.  Fortunately, not much has changed and hopefully, as the Austrian newspapers have written, it will simply be “red uniforms without red ink.”

The first order of business was to pick up a BMW Z4 sDrive23 from BMW of Austria and drive to Langenlois, where the beautiful new wine and spa resort  Loisium Hotel beckoned.

After arrival and a pleasant 80 km drive, I checked in and then embarked on a tour of the Loisium Cellar World, a remarkable new museum that features 900 year-old wine cellars with state-of-the-art equipment.

The tour included a walk through some of the vineyards, an opportunity to taste some of the grapes used to make Grüner Veltliner, a theme-park-like introduction to the cellars, the tour itself, a visit to a winemaker’s home ca. 1924, and then a wine tasting.

Enjoy the slide show for the full effect.

–Jonathan B. Spira is the Editor of Executive Road Warrior and Chief Analyst at Basex, a knowledge economy research firm.