Saturday 20 June 2009

All The News That's Fit To Eat!


It's Almost
like back in the Good Old Times,
in the mid-1800's,
when Johann Strauss played here
for the entertainment of the gentle public.

The Thonet P2204 Bentwood Coat Stand
still holds coats and umbrellas
on rainy days like today's.

Patrons still order
Topfenstrudel and coffee melange,
read the paper or use the round marble table
to work on their next novel.

Der Herr Ober
may type orders into his computer,
but he still serves coffee
with panache and a glass of water.

A day like any other,
you think, waiting for the tea to cool down,
reaching for the day's news.

Leafing through the paper,
taking my first sip of tea,
I notice a picture of a lady wearing a hat
with a price tag, at Wimbledon of all places:
"I paid for that hat on expenses!"
For laughing out loud!

Oh dearie,
let's just hope that nobody noticed
that I am not reading
the funny pages!

I order a slice of lemon meringue.

Graham B. charged
"for key after being locked out of house",
Dominic G., for
"lost key for garden shed" -
no, no charges for losing their marbles!

I pour one more cup of tea:
Do I see a twinkle
in that small jug of milk?

X charged "for help
in pulling down the wisteria
"
(no, no connection to the fellow with
the garden shed!) -
sadly, for how much is not revealed.
To protect the dignity
of the wisteria, I presume!

The snowy-white meringue
glistens in its voluptuous innocence.

A former Technology Minister
charged 19.99 British Pounds
for "call-out fee for engineer
to put a scart lead into his Freeview box
the right way
"

I decide
to attack the lemon meringue
without any outside help,
with a fork,
the old-fashioned way!

*

Photographed by Merisi
this very afternoon
at Café Dommayer
13th District

30 comments:

  1. I swear that lemon meringue is like its own language.

    I speak English, German, and Lemon Meringue...

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  2. what a lovely post and the pie looks scrumptious. i would have asked for a bite if i had been there :)
    have a wonderful weekend.

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  3. That is a veritable meringue signature!

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  4. Love that swirly voluptuous meringue!

    Loved reading this post too....and all you DIDN'T say! Tee hee!

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  5. You are way too funny, but right! :-)

    I can't believe that I had never had a slice of Dommayer's before! I thought that proper Lemon Meringue pie was baked only south of the Mason-Dixon line. ;-)

    Now, if onybody would know about a source for Key Lime pie here in Vienna, I'd take the tram the very instant I find out about it!

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  6. Mmmmmm...Lemon Meringue!

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  7. That is the most perfect slice of lemon Meringue that I have ever seen. My mouth is watering!

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  8. Anonymous21 June, 2009

    I'd attack that lemon meringue, too. ;-)

    Paz

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  9. There's bad greed -- like those politicians. And there's the pure greed I feel at the sight of that lemon meringue pie . . .

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  10. It's been a long time since I had Lemon Meringue pie and here you are teasing your readers.

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  11. I always considered myself a Lemon Meringue pie expert, as it was my birthday cake of choice since I was 5...
    but this is too, too beautiful!
    Did it taste as exquisite as it looks?
    Did you save some of it for me in your eyetooth as my mom use to promise?
    This pie is worthy of many plane tickets to Vienna that is for sure.
    AND I have never seen anything that comes remotely close to it in Paris. So there!

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  12. I heard it on the grapevine...21 June, 2009

    Those shocking revelations of MP expenditures were in the London Times..?
    I'd only heard tell on the BBC
    This is far more detailed and quite surprising...
    One would have to have a slice of tart Lemon pie to down while reading these tales of greed

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  13. A Busybody...21 June, 2009

    That Ascot hat is every bit as delicious as the lemony pie - particularly the kitchen sink plug adds a tart touch...

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  14. Dreaming of tarts..21 June, 2009

    Hmmm...would you consider returning for a second slice?
    I'd love to see a view of it's innards...
    Did it taste as good as it looks?

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  15. I so enjoy your blog.

    You have an award on mine. xx

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  16. erin,
    thank you!
    First a bite, and then you would have ordered the whole thing, it was so good! :-)

    louciao,
    I agree, a splendid one! :-)

    Sara,
    I was very tempted to give this post a title like "All Those Lemons" - but then again, that pie deserved better, I thought. ;-)

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  17. Lynette,
    comfort food of the heavenly kind! :-)

    Steph,
    I am getting worried about lemon meringue pie lovers arriving by the busloads. Maybe I should not have divulged the location! ;-)

    Paz,
    not for the faint of heart! :-)

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  18. Vicki Lane,
    innocent greed, as pure as snow, I agree! :-)

    And to think that without Carol of Paris Breakfast Carol of Paris Breakfast I may have never tasted all this deliciousness! Viennese pastry fairies put me in my place, what with my prejudices! My feelings of contriteness are immense.

    Barbara Martin,
    I apologize for leading you into temptation! Do you know any First Aid pastry shop in your neighbourhood where you could go to get some help?

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  19. Parisbreakfasts,
    this voluptuous looking "tarte au citron" (see, I have done some research on your blog!) tasted as light and heavenly as it looked! I have never had a pastry with a crumb that light and delicious, the lemony-ness was perfectly balanced with the sweetness, everything so light yet luscious!

    Book your flight today! I reserve a seat at Dommayer's! :-)

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  20. I heard it on the grapevine,
    Yes, the Times had pages and pages of it (as you see in the picture of the frontpage, they had a mock receipt there too, with big blacked out spaces).

    It must be extremely humiliating to the families. I worry about their children.

    A Busybody,
    I hadn't noticed the plug, thanks for pointing it out! *giggle*

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  21. Dreaming of tarts,
    it tasted as good as it looked!!!
    Getting a picture of the innards, well, that will be tough putting down the fork, taking the camera, zoom in ... I shall try, one fine day. Right now I am on yoghurt and cucumber. ;-)

    Sarah Lulu,
    thank you, my pleasure! :-)

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  22. Now that's some fancy meringue

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  23. As so many of us have said, at so many different times, you are living in some sort of unreal paradise.

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  24. Anonymous21 June, 2009

    What a lovely way to pass some time.

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  25. the lemon meringue is a piece of art! too pretty to eat! almost....

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  26. Oh that lemon meringue is drool-worthy!

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  27. Oh my dear, I am gaining weight every time you stop in a cafe .. and how many of these truly elegant places are there in Vienna? I guess I need to come see for myself.

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  28. This giant cup of tea is intriguing, and that meringue is like a big kiss. Too beautiful!
    Catherine

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  29. Merisi that was no mock receipt the black page on the Times, that was a genuine payment, with all the information forbidden to the public who pays the bills !

    That LM looked enticing but I think I would surrender to some Esterhazytorte

    All the cheery best
    K.

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  30. Oh darling your photos are always so scrumptious they make me hungry :)

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