The Humble Gourmand

Any visitor to Salzburg (really, to Austria) simply must sample the traditional fare which is, more than anything else, heart-stoppingly bad for you. Aside from the glorious, ubiquitous giant pretzel (an extension of nearby Bavaria), Weiner schnitzel — a thinly-pounded veal cutlet breaded then deep-fried in butter — is found in most pubs and restaurants. Try it, but don’t miss out on the other gems that the beautiful city of Salzburg has to offer.

Salzburg itself is a site to behold. Yes, I encountered the obnoxious (yet endearing) Sound of Music tourists; yes, there are Mozart-everything trinkets galore, but the city is a gorgeous, ancient maze of cobblestones and tiny alleys sprinkled with majestic cathedrals and quaint churches alike, surrounded by the staggering white-capped beauty of the Bavarian and Austrian alps. Much of the old part of Salzburg consists of enclosed public squares, where few cars can squeeze through the narrow streets, creating a journey back in time for the foot traveler.

It is in one such square that St. Peter’s Stifskellar is nestled. The restaurant is adjacent, not-so-coincidentally, to St. Peter’s Cathedral, and, boasting to be the “oldest restaurant in Central Europe,” began in the year 800 as the brewery for the monastery.

Walking off the streets and into Peterskellar transports you into a sort of bizarre time-warp. The entrance is an outdoor courtyard resembling cathedral cloisters, hollowed into a stone wall with huge Gothic arches overhead. The inside dining rooms are equally as beautiful, with plush red carpet, draped chairs, elegant taper candles and large vases of full-blossomed red roses.

For starters, we enjoyed a cream of asparagus soup with pancetta crisps (PANCETTA!). We sipped on an Austrian Pinot Noir, which was interesting — it tasted more like a ripe American zin — but it’s always fun to drink the local wine.

My companion dined on roast duck, perfectly prepared with a brandy reduction and pear risotto (RISOTTO!). I had pork medallions, which were also cooked to perfection and served with gnocchi and a red wine sauce. The service was gracious and prompt, and we enjoyed watching our fellow diners, who seemingly came from all over the world to relish the atmosphere.

Wee were too stuffed for dessert but ordered a few wonderful schnapps as after-dinner drinks. Schnapps in Austria is no colored, sugary liquor — rather a potent, naturally flavored spirit that warms you from the inside out.

Peterskellar is a terrific dining experience, year-round, and a must-see (and must-eat!) for a traveler in Salzburg.