Growing up, I have always been obsessed with chicken cutlets. They are thin, crispy, juicy, and golden brown, and I could never get enough. So, when the possibility to go to Vienna arose, I knew I couldn’t refuse, and embarked on a three day long tour fueled by Wiener schnitzel. However, after sampling the tafelspitz, an authentic Viennese dish of boiled beef and carrots served with a sweet and spicy apple and horseradish chutney, the tour morphed into a magical beefy tour as well.
The first stop on my schnitzel tour was Salzamt, a 1980s eatery tucked between the city center and the river. When I first walked in, I was overcome with the aroma of cigarette smoke which hung to the walls of the restaurant like the thirty year old wall paper. It was narrow and long, and the waiters were dressed in white ties and shirts that seemed of another generation. It was a local hangout, with older men and women downing beers with the ease of breathing and chomping into some seriously good looking schnitzel.
I ordered the Wiener schnitzel, and my friend ordered the tafelspitz, and as we patiently awaited our meals we listened to people conversing animatedly in German and enjoyed our time feeling like locals. When our food arrived we were struck with the mouth watering aroma that came from the broth that the beef had been boiled in. The schnitzel was large, perfectly golden brown, and had pockets that formed between the breading and the veal. It was served with acidic cole slaw and potatoes soaked in vinegar and onions that perfectly cut the fatty heaviness of the fried meat.
The tafelspitz was surprisingly delicious. The beef was tender and juicy, and the horseradish chutney was so good, we began smearing it on all of the foods our other friends had ordered (pierogis, roast chicken, and a viennese styled meatloaf) and it tasted fabulous on all of them. When we left the smoky, curtained lined interior Salzamt we were all blown away by the food and knew we were onto something good when we chose to come to Vienna.
After a long day in art museums, the next day we chose to eat at a famous (and slightly touristy) restaurant in the city center called Figlmuller. A place world famous for absolutely ginormous schnitzel. We sat down in the cozy, railway car styled restaurant and feasted on some delicious rye bread and pretzel rolls. Then, we placed our orders: 5 Wiener Schnitzel’s and for me the tafelspitz.
The schnitzel arrived first, five ginormous pieces of veal, a quarter inch thick, golden brown, and three inches bigger than the plate on all sides. Then came my tafelspitz in a large pot with sides of potato salad and the magical horseradish sauce.
The schnitzels here, while moist and crispy, were lacking the depth of flavor had by Salzamt and seemed to be made at a higher volume. The tafelspitz on the other hand was the best of the trip. The meat was thick and juicy and the chutney was perfectly sweet and hot. It also came with perfectly cooked carrots and a broth so good I drank it from the pot and put it on some schnitzel. Figlmuller was a delightful restaurant and we all left satisfied and ready for our final night of Viennese delicacies.
For our third and final meal in Vienna, we headed downtown, across the street from famous jazz bar Porgy and Bess, to a tavern called Puerstner. The inside of the restaurant was large and the walls were covered with texadermied animals and hunting tools. We ordered our usual plates of shcnitzel and tafelspitz and dug in.
Here the schnitzel was well seasoned and moist, but was a bit too greasy and heavy for my liking. The tafelspitz was good, the beef was thin and the we decided that the chutney was on the sweet side, but still delicious. While we enjoyed the meals and the ambiance, we were all a bit schnitzeled out by the end of the meal, and were excited to hit our next stop on fall break: Prague.
So, after eating all of that schnitzel and tafelspitz, I would say the best schnitzel I had was the first night at Salzamt; if you are in the market for tafelspitz head to Figlmuller. No matter what you do when in Vienna, try the local food, get out of the touristy areas and sit at a restaurant with good friends. You can linger long into the night, and most often, the most memorable meals are enjoyed and shared with those you love.
Conosco I Miei Polli 