The secret reason I decided to study abroad was the food!
One of the first weekends I was gone, my roommates and I hopped on a train and went to Vienna, Austria. We visited castles, walked through gorgeous gardens, and learned from the Freud Museum. But I also had one of my best-ever meals while there. At a nice little restaurant called Sixta, I experienced the following meal...
We all got Kaiser wine spritzers (white wine and elderflower syrup) because I was told by a friend that they are very Austrian and (of course) delicious. My friend had spent the past semester studying abroad in Vienna so we trusted their recommendations. Grace (one of my roommates) and I ordered the same dish, the Spinatknödel or spinach dumplings. The ingredients were spinach, gorgonzola, and pear. Anna (my other roommate) ordered the Wiener Schnitzel vom Kalb or the veal Schnitzel. Her dish came with a salad of potatoes and greens with cranberries.
After some debate (we were already rather full) we decided to order dessert. Grace ordered the Apfelstrudel or Apple strudel with vanilla ice cream. Anna and I both ordered the Triple Schoko Torte, it was a mouse-type cake with three types of chocolate. The cake had a very smooth whipped texture and a rich chocolate flavor. I have noticed a trend with European desserts, they seem less sweet than American desserts. Perhaps there wasn’t as much artificial flavor or added sweetness. The cake was topped with a strawberry and a light drizzle of berry sauce. The fruit a joined by a mint leaf garnish.