Features > General > Vienna’s Wurstelstands
Vienna is known for its inventive cuisine, from wienerschnitzel – bread-encrusted veal – to decadent whipped-cream-coverd coffees and cakes, including the apricot-flaked chocolate Sachertorte. Vienna's restaurants at time can attain the height of elegant, reminiscent of the Hapsburg dynasty and its imperial luxury. But one of Vienna's greatest pleasures is also its cheapest – the Viennese sausage, available as a fast-food for two to three euro at numerous stands around the city.
Rest assured, these are no ordinary hot dogs. These taste not of plastic or of recycled animal parts but of real, fresh meat – often mixtures of pork and beef – and are thick enough not to get lost in the accompanying bread. By and large, they are sliced horizontally, served on a paper plate, and accompanied with a hunk of sourdough or rye bread and mustard. Order the Kasekrainer for a delectable out-of-the-ordinary treat – a sausage injected with liquid cheese, then sliced so that each mouthful holds a savory cheesy center. Also try the popular Burenwurst sausage, the Bratwurst, or the curry-sausage variety.
Wherever you go, you're bound to have a decent sausage at around the same price. The Schwedensplatz seller is a bit touristy – the area is crowded with fast food joints, and this feels no particular need to keep up with the gourmet market – but across the river is a lovely quieter joint. The one in the Naschmarkt is also highly recommended, and this writer's favorite is probably the one near the Belvedere Palace complex.
Sachertorte can be had later, along with Beisl-food or haute-restaurant fare. For an inexpensive meal that nevertheless is delicious enough to capture Vienna's culinary flair, start with the Wurstel.
By Tara Isabella Burton
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