Must have food delicacies while in Austria

Anu,

You could start with this.....

https://www.sacher.com/en/original-sacher-cake/

Hopefully we can come across this on the menu !

I'm headed to Vienna tomorrow. I spent about a third of my childhood in Germany just north of Austria and we traveled there often. My favorites:
-Brotchen. Little white bread hard rolls, about the size of your fist. In Austria they are called Semmeln. They have a lovely crisp crust on them, a little softer than a baguette. Try them and you will never truly enjoy a Kaiser roll again. You cannot buy real Brotchen anywhere in the US.
-Schnitzel. Simple pleasures! A veal cutlet pounded very flat, breaded, and quickly fried. Spritz it with lemon and enjoy.
-Gulaschsuppe. Showing the Hungarian influence in Austrian culture, this is a slightly spicy beef stew with a rich, dark base. It's usually served with a small piece of dark bread. Again, I've been to many German restaurants in the states and never had a really good bowl of Gulaschsuppe since I was a kid.
-Bienenstich. This means "bee stings" and is a cake or pastry laced with honey and I think almonds. I think there's a custard layer in there too, if I remember right.

And then there things like the aforementioned Sacher torte, but also Manner wafer cookies. These are like those layered wafer cookies you may have eaten as a kid, but Manner is the original version and is made with better ingredients. They come in several flavors and are all over the place in Austria, as they come from Vienna. They're easy to find in the US and might serve as the Proustian madeleine for your trip!

Typical Austrian foods:

1. Schnitzel - pounded fried meat. Veal is traditional.
2. Mixed Salad - combines potato salad, carrot salad and green salad, typically.
3. Sausages - Kasekrainer (cheese studded sausage) is most popular in Vienna.
4. Tafelspitz - Boiled beef dish with horseradish, creamed spinach and roasted potatoes.
5. Meals made with Offal - quite traditional to find organ meats in Austrian kitchens.
6. Goulash - slightly different from the Hungarian variety.
7. Spaetzle - traditionally served in the alps; flour dumplings covered in cheese.
8. Doner Kebab - most popular fast street food in Austria.
9. Liptauer spreads - spiced cream cheese served with bread.
10. Anything with poppy seeds - lots of poppy seeds.
11. Anything with apricots - lots of apricots in the summer.
12. Strudel - a dessert where thin pastry is wrapped around fruit. Apple is traditional, but apricot and cherry are better.
13. Knoedel - giant balls of steamed dough with a fruit filling.
14. Kaiserschmarrn - Torn pancakes with plum sauce.
15. Sachertorte - dry chocolate cake with apricot jam and a chocolate glaze.
16. Ice Cream - Austrians love to eat ice cream.

You must try "Cafe Demel" in Vienna, this is the chocolate shop that made desserts for the Habsburg family (Austrian Royalty)!! The chocolate is amazing, this is as good as it gets!

Address:
Cafe Demel
Kohlmarkt 14
1010 Wein
Vienna, Austria

Wienerschnitzel with potato pancakes and apple strudel for dessert.

I prefer "Oberlaa" (located at "Neuer Markt") over "Demel". They have an impressing selection of cakes, delicious lunch specials, and take a box of handmade chocolates with you when you leave.

Stelze--roasted pork knuckle, absolutely my favorite thing. Other things I seek out are variations of schnitzel, tafelspitz and any kind of pastry, love them all. Austrians have quite a knack with potatoes as well, had them a few different ways and all were delicious.

Stelze--roasted pork knuckle

If you like to eat this, you should go to "Schweizerhaus" on a sunny day to sit in the garden. There you can also drink the original "Budweiser" beer from Czech Republic, which has nothing in common - except the stolen name - with American Budweiser.

Another vote for "Oberlaa" in Neuer Markt. Plus, we have had some great meals - and desserts - at Café Landtmann on the Ringstrasse next to the Burgtheater.

Just to note that the Chocolate Mousse cake from Oberlaa is about 1000x better than Sachertorte. I'd add that Oberlaa is a chain and has numerous locations in Vienna, not just at Neuer Markt.

Oh, the Kaiserschmarrn I had in Hallstatt was divine. All the food I had in Vienna was good. Salzburg . . . must have been really forgettable, I can't think of anything.

There's a little lunch place in the heart of Vienna (it's on Rick's city walking tour) that serves mini sandwiches and 1/2 glasses of beer and wine. Really, really good.

The Tafelspitz Emily mentioned is very good, at least where we had it in Salzburg.

Eierschwarmmerel (chanterelle mushrooms) in a cream sauce when in season (August/September??) is absolutely wonderful. Had this in both Hallstadt many years ago and in Vienna (Café Landtmann) in 2015.

My food memory from our day in Salzburg is the giant 2 liter beer and Mozart balls. We still get a little Beavis and Butthead style laugh when we remember Mozart balls.

Mozart balls with the beer? I shudder at the thought.

Honestly, there is no greater food delicacy in Vienna than walking to Karmelitermarkt on Saturday morning in the height of summer, purchasing bags of locally grown raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, figs, fresh baked bread and Austrian cheese and setting up a picnic on the banks of the donaukanal. Speaking from immediate experience and with a mouthful of poppyseed bread and melty Brie.

Emily, If you are experiencing a vague sensation of being stalked, we are now reviewing (and cutting and pasting) all of your Austria posts in preparation for a trip this fall. Thanks for all the great advice.

Thank you everybody ! All of you have been so helpful .

The sandwich place Chani recommended is probably Trzesniewski.

The Austrian Märzen beers are very drinkable. The Austrian version of the Bavarian drink is light but flavorful and refreshing after a physical activity.

I don't know when "soon" means, but if it's available when you arrive, try a glass of "Sturm", which is partially fermented new wine and very good. Be warned, the name means "storm" and refers to the fact that it's more alcoholic than it tastes.

For a "big" meal(s) when in Salzburg have dinner at the Alter Fuchs on Linzer Gasse (pedestrian street): http://www.alterfuchs.at/de
The Austrian foods that go nicely with beer are more "big" than "delicate".

Fox classics (Fuchsklassiker):

Viennese schnitzel wavy with parsley potatoes, cranberries (Wiener Schnitzel wellig gebrutzelt mit Petersilienkartoffel, Preiselbeeren)

From the pig (vom Schwein)

From the calf (vom Kalb)

Fuchs-Gordon-Bleu stuffed with zucchini, tomatoes, mushroom, sheep's cheese on potato voger's salad (Fuchs-Gordon-Bleu gefüllt mit Zucchini, Tomaten, Schwammerl, Schafskäse auf Erdäpfel-Vogerlsalat)

Fox-grill dish with turkey and pork medallions, beef french fries vegetables (Fuchs-Grillteller mit Puten- und Schweinsmedaillons, Rindshüferl Pommes Frites Gemüse)

Fresh pork sausage with bread dumpling and salad (Ofenfrischer Schweinsbraten mit Semmelknödel und Spreckkrautsalat)

Beef sauerkraut with bread dumpling and vinegar garlic (Rindersaftgulasch mit Semmelknödel und Essiggurkerl)

Sausage variation (Wurstvariation)

Mmmmm... I love me some Austrian Blutwurst! I also remember Krapfen are a local favorite. There are similar to jelly or custard filled donuts in the US. I remember there was one bakery that was really popular and people would line up for them in the mornings. I'll ask my relatives and update it here if I figure out which bakery this is.

For now, try this: http://americaninvienna.com/the-best-krapfen-in-vienna/

Can I say how helpful these answers were for us while we were in Austria ! We absolutely loved the Wienerschnitzel , apple strudel , goulash , mixed salad (what was in the dressing ? we loved it !), Sachertorte .We did stop by Cafe Demel as well. Thanks all !

@ Angelia...Thanks for the tip on Austrian blood sausage (Blutwurst). I have had that in Germany but not yet in Austria, will have to try it. The French make this also.

No Mozart Balls?

They do the white asparagus. Not sure if they taste any different from the green ones, but they seem to be a specialty. They come in white chocolate too, at least in Vienna : )