Well, I have another food story for you. Can you believe it!? I can hardly believe it myself, but here goes.
We arrived in Vienna on Friday in the late afternoon. By the time we reached our hotel, we were all tired. So we decided that we would all take a nap and reconnoiter in the hotel lobby at 7:00 for dinner.
Our first night in Vienna, and of course, we wanted to have a traditional Viennese meal. YUM! We also didn’t want to walk too far because it was now raining and getting a bit nippy outside. No reason to be uncomfortable. So, as is usually our first course of action, we asked the hotel if they could recommend a place to eat.
“Yes, of course we can.” said the helpful girl at the front desk!
OK, we are on our way. She directed us to a very nice restaurant around the corner from where we were staying. We started out. Found the restaurant….great! The abrupt server that greeted us said, “Reservation?” Of course not, why would we have a reservation? “Sorry,” he said. “We have no tables.” WHAT??!! OK, so we made a reservation for Saturday night. No problem.
So, we started out again.
I will take this opportunity to refresh your memories on the walking issue. Mike is not fond of walking. He especially hates walking when the “lead dog”, whomever that may be at the time, doesn’t really know where they are going. This happens often as we are traveling because, after all, none of us knows where we are going….at least not on the first day.
Anyway, we started out. Gene was the “lead dog” this time. We walked….and walked….and walked. Mike’s gait got slower…and slower…..and slower. Finally, we came upon a small restaurant on the corner. It was totally empty…not one customer. Only 3 burly men sitting in the window. HMMMM……..Mike has some rules to live by, some of which apply to food. Never play cards with a man named doc, never eat at a place called “Mom’s” and never sleep with a woman whose problems are greater than your own. Over the years he has added another….never eat in a restaurant where there are no customers. So, imagine our surprise when he suggested that we eat here.
Gene, Carrie and I started to dig in our heels. This doesn’t look good to us. So, we sent Mike in ahead as a scout to look the place over. He came out and announced that we would eat here. The food is Georgian, there is borscht on the menu and there is no other option. And, Mike was through walking. Enough said.
We ended up having the most delightful meal of our trip so far! Who knew?!
As we reviewed the menu, we realized that the menu was not in English or German, but in Georgian (or whatever language they speak in Georgia). We couldn’t read a word…. couldn’t make out a single menu item. To top it off, the waitress didn’t speak English or German, only Georgian. A dilemma!
We DID manage to let the waitress know that we wanted a bottle of wine! This is, apparently, universal! HA! Again, no familiar wines. Only wines produced in Georgia. Finally, we made a selection of a wine made with a grape that I have never heard of, Saperavi. The waitress was unable to describe it, of course, because she doesn’t speak English. But, she did give us a small taste before we committed to the bottle. It reminded me of a Petit Sirah. It was good, so we went forward.
A young man who was with the restaurant came to the table to to decant our wine. I heard him utter a few words in english and I looked at him and said, “You speak English.”
“Yes, of course,” he said. Of course.
His English was broken, but understandable. As it turns out he was the owner of the restaurant. He directed us through the menu and finally suggested that they prepare a special dish for us. We love this!! SOLD! We ended up with grilled pork skewers over a plate of vegetables. It was served with a sauce that I can’t describe, but it was absolutely delicious. I asked about the ingredients. He said it was made with a berry that was unique to Georgia. Who knows….but it WAS tasty!
All this time, Carrie and I were watching the 3 burly men in the window, who were also watching us. We decided there was surely something underhanded going on here….maybe this restaurant was a cover operation for the Russian mafia. YES! That’s it! We were convinced that we were in the middle of a something sinister….!! AHA!! We continued to discuss this and make up a story about this until we were through with dinner. Carrie and I should be writing fiction novels! We could pay for our next trip to Europe!
While our meal was being prepared, Gene and I reviewed the dessert options in the glass case. We were having a great time trying to figure out if any of them had a pudding-type cream filling. This is Gene’s favorite type of dessert. I think the owner was amused and finally came by and asked us if we would like a special treat….a complimentary shot of Georgian Grappa. Of course, we would. Anything for a free treat! By the time we got done with that, they could have served us anything and we would have been happy! WOW!
Seriously, though, this was a great meal with excellent service. As we talked to the owner, we learned that the restaurant had only been open for 3 days, most likely the reason that there were no customers. We were some of the first. The owner and his father had worked for a number of years in the restaurant business and wanted to branch out on their own. Good for them! I admire their entrepreneurship!
Carrie and I decided that we didn’t care if it WAS the Russian mafia. We liked these people and their food.
Until the next post….fat and happy in Georgia/Vienna…….
Travel With Betsy 
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