Herta Gruber

Ah, the unforgettable schnitzel from Vienna. This actually brings back memories of that fateful freezing December afternoon where D and I scoured the Naschmarkt from end to end to find Herta Gruber’s place. Mind you, the Naschmarkt is almost a mile long and packed with a multitude of stalls selling eye catching trinkets, clothes, exotic spices plus a variety of ethnic snacks and delicacies that will surely make your mouth water.
After walking around for half and hour peering into each stall we passed by, we finally found Herta’s. Stepping inside we noticed that this place was a cozy 3 table (1 counter), almost a 10 seater restaurant. I am sure they have more space during the warmer months by setting up a few more tables outside but during the winter season, it’s best to stay inside.
A wonderful woman named Elizabeth suggested we order a schnitzel and a cordon bleu to try both of their specialties. I trust her because she was the same lady that made Anthony Bourdain’s schnitzel on his NR show when he visited Vienna. Meeting her was the closest thing I’ll probably get to meeting Bourdain. Hah!
Anyway, she prepared and cooked our order one at a time in this tiny kitchen on the other side of the counter. We first tried the schnitzel which was a gigantic thinly pounded slice of pork that was about 10 – 12 inches in diameter. It was crispy on the outside with a rich golden brown coating and perfectly juicy on the inside. Tasty. Very very tasty. We washed it down with an ice cold bottle of Wieselburger Bier and wiped the plate clean in about 5 minutes. Next we had the cordon blue which was made with bacon and mild cheese. It was twice in size compared to its schnitzel cousin and it was equally oh so good. I almost licked my plate clean wanting to savor every last bit of it.
Both were fried to perfection in pork fat which imparted a rich and umami like flavor. mmmm… definitely not something you eat everyday!
After hanging out to chat with Elizabeth for a few more minutes and taking a couple of pictures with her, we said our goodbyes and told her we will drop by again the next time we are in Vienna!