March 11, 2012

• Schnitzelhaus

  When we ate supper our last night in Vienna, the Austrian man who sat at our table discussed wienerschnitzel with us. He said, “It’s not easy to make and takes a long time. My grandmother is a good cook, but she doesn’t make schnitzel. She says, ‘Why bother? There is Schnitzelhaus!’”  I was intrigued. What was this place that caused Austrian grandmothers not to cook from scratch?

  

   

  It turns out that Schnitzelhaus is a fast food schnitzel place. Yes, for real! I had to try it!

  James was skeptical. And can you blame him? It does sound a bit sketchy. I looked online to find one near us, but James found one really close to his work place. The kids didn’t want to come. “Mom, why don’t you and Dad go on a date?” they happily proclaimed.  Whether this was because they were sick of being with Mom and Dad or they didn’t really want to eat potentially bad schnitzel, I am not sure. So I gave them money for McDonald’s and boarded a tram to meet James at the University.

  It was dark and slightly rainy, but that did not dampen my enthusiasm. “Um, if this place looks gross, can we go somewhere else?” James tentatively asked. “No way! I want to try this!” I said. So we walked to Schnitzelhaus.

  

  James was heartened to see a number of cars in the parking lot and people eating inside.  We went in, and it looked just like any other fast food restaurant, except all the choices were schnitzel. Plain pork or turkey schnitzel, schnitzel cordon bleu, schnitzel salads, schnitzel on a bun… I would have enjoyed schnitzel on a stick, but it was not an option.

  

  Perhaps some of you are saying, “What the HECK is schnitzel?” It is a piece of meat, pounded super thin (like 1/8 inch) and breaded and fried. Really, really tender and yummy. Not fatty or anything.

  We could get a schnitzel, two sides, and a drink for 8.47 Euros. So we did. I got potato salad and fries (tasted like McDonald’s fries), and J got rice and fries.  We placed our order and then sat down to wait for it to be delivered.

  We picked up our silverware–REAL silverware–and sat down to wait. 

  

   

  In about 10 minutes, the lady who took our order brought our food on a huge, white china plate. Wow. A TON of food!

  

  And it was good. GOOOOOOOD!

  I could not eat it all, and neither could James.

  Afterward, we just sat and talked.  He encouraged me to make a calendar and write on it everything we wanted to do. So, I did. Otherwise, lethargy would reign supreme, and I’d do nothing and waste these two months in Austria. But one thing I do want to do–go back to Schnitzelhaus. Because Das Best is Dere! (yeah, that’s made-up German)

   

  

  • 1:23 pm
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