Cafés
12 Munchies - Steffie invited me out to an impromptu lunch on Wednesday at a little cafe that she noticed had recently popped up in our neighborhood. I arrived early and waited outside as the five chairs inside were all occupied; this place is seriously tiny. While I was waiting, the owner, Dominique, came outside and offered me some water and we started chatting about how she had always wanted to have her own café so her husband helped her set this place up. They had opened only four weeks before and used a restaurant kitchen in the first district every morning to do their baking - trying to have a dozen offerings every day (though it sometimes ends up being a baker's dozen). As the name of her café implies, Dominique doesn't really offer complete meals but little snacks to browse on. When we were there some of that day's fare included absolutely delicious spinach quiche, salad, very berry yogurt muffins, and an assortment of brownies, cookies, and nut bars. It of course also had some coffee options, but as I don't really drink the stuff I can't comment on them. The other thing that I really liked about the place was that, as Steffie put it, "it's one of a dying breed." You can just as easily go by yourself and read with your munchie as you can strike up a conversation with the folks next to you and it would be perfectly acceptable. Definitely a unique atmosphere, and somewhere worth checking out if you're in the area.
12 Munchies and Café Aumann are both at Aumannplatz in the 18th district, along the 40 or 41 tram lines away from the city center; closest Ubahn is U6 Volksoper/Währinger Straße
Café | Restaurant | Bar Aumann - Last Saturday I had a rather far-fetched though convenient coincidence. I had told Steffie I would meet her for coffee in the afternoon, and my high school friend Leslie's little sister Laura was in town staying at one of her friend, Marco's, place. I was also going to meet them all for dinner at a time and place to be decided. About the time I went to meet Steffie I got a text from Marco saying he wanted to have dinner a few hours later - at the same place. Apparently Café Aumann, also conveniently close to where I'm living, is a sort of swanky new place that serves many functions. I just found it really ironic that two locals, one of whom doesn't live anywhere near the place, would not only want to go here independently, but on the same day. Steffie and I chatted so long that I didn't even need to leave between when she left and Laura and crew arrived. I have to say, though, for what it's worth it seemed like it had better coffee (I broke down and had a Karamell Eiskaffee - coffee with ice cream and caramel - because it was so hot that day) and pastries than entrées, and it all seemed a bit overpriced. While I'll go back if invited, I don't think it's one I'll be frequently recommending (though they did get extra points for calling their non-alcoholic Sex on the Beach a "Safer Sex on the Beach"). Restaurants
Regina Margherita - Two Fridays ago Ashley and I found ourselves at this pleasant little restaurant with plant-encircled outdoor seating. It's on Wellnerstraße which is off Kohlmarkt, the main street from Michaelerplatz at the Hofburg. I had their tomato and mozzarella risotto which was savory and not too light or too heavy. It also claims to have "perfect pizzas" that are freshly baked in a Napolitan pizza oven. Nothing else particularly distinct, except that they had an amusing translation for their Battuta di manzo:
Il Sestante Pizzeria - On Wednesday evening I went out to dinner with Ashley in the neighborhood she's now living in. One of her friends had recommended an Italian place in a square in front of a church. It took us some minute's wandering, but we found it behind Theater in der Josefstadt. All of the tables in the square had already been reserved, but we were able to sit inside the restaurant next to where they opened ceiling-high doors, so it was basically like we were outside and we were right across from the Maria Treu Kirche sqaure. The waiters were really friendly and all Italian, and they gave us a sucker for trying to guess what was wrong with the church facade. Oh, right, and the pizza was really good. Then again, a lot of the pizza in Vienna is really good.
Maria Treu Kirche
Flaw in the facade.
Hint: it has to do with the Latin. Answer coming in the next post.
Hint: it has to do with the Latin. Answer coming in the next post.
Desserts
Cup Cakes Wien - The folks who took our table at Il Sestante were carrying a little pink box that screamed "Cupcakes!", so Ashley and I asked where they got them so that we might quiet the calling of our sweet tooth (if we each have a sweet tooth, then combined do we have sweet teeth?). Conveniently it was right around the corner on Josefstädter Straße, across from the Theater in der Josefstadt. They were just closing up as we walked up, but they let us in to purchase some cupcakes. They also had a baking class going on in the back where you could gather four friends and learn their cupcake-making secrets! Highly recommend this place. Lauren, it might even be better than DC's Hello Cupcake; I suggest you come out to compare.
Carrot Cake and Schoko-Mousse
Leonidas - I FOUND IT! I knew there had to be a shop in Vienna that sold Belgian chocolate, and I finally ran across it yesterday. Not only does the shop sell Leonidas chocolates, it's actually a Leonidas shop. I couldn't say what it is; Viennese truffles (and those I've eaten just about everywhere else) are really really good... but they just don't touch the truffles that I had in Brussels. This shop is on Fleischmarkt near Schwedenplatz. Don't get chocolate anywhere else.
Teas
Haas & Haas - A very traditional and well known tea shop under the arch just Southeast of the apse of Stephansdom that also has a garden restaurant. I highly recommend it, but it's not quite...
Theehandlung Schönbichler - take a stroll down the little alley on the Northeast side of Stephansdom to this tea shop. It's 140 years old, has the widest selection of teas I've ever seen (it paired up with Tee Gschwendner, a German tea shop that has branches in the US), and the fellow that helped us - ask for Jafarau if you ever go - was incredibly informative and gave superb recommendations on teas to try based on ones we already liked. Well, I don't yet know if they're superb as I've only smelled them but have yet to try the ones I bought. Also, not only did he give us free samples, but he included a measuring spoon and gave brewing instructions specific to each blend. Günter also informed me that if you make your own blend and tell them about it, they'll try and replicate it, and if it's to your liking they'll keep a catalog under your name of your blends and will make them for you any time. Supposedly you can also ask to get blends that celebrities have come up with.
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