Monday 10 September 2012

Café Zauner in Bad Ischl
World's best Strawberry Napoleon


Like a criminal
returning to a crime scene
-
I know how unwise that is,
I recently watched "The Godfather" again -

I can't resist the call
of the best Strawberry Napoleon
in the whole wide world,

along with a kleinen Schwarzen
- one shot of espresso -
and cold milk on the side,
which makes it, technically,
in Austria, einen kleinen Braunen,
but is still legal in terms of ordering
coffee the right way, and, lest you think
Starbucks invented myriads of possibilities
to order coffee, I have to poke a needle into that nonsense:
It has been ordinary business in Viennese coffeehouses
for a few centuries already by the time Starbucks
brewed their first espresso.
I am still waiting for color charts
to reappear, though, to order your coffee
in exactly the right shade of color,
those coffee color chards some legendary Viennese waiters
carried around, back in the good old times!

Photographed 8 September 2012
Café-Konditorei Zauner
Esplanade
Bad Ischl
Salzkammergut
Upper Austria

Images and Text © by Merisi

Link -> Breakfast at Café-Konditorei Zauner in Bad Ischl

32 comments:

  1. A is for Austria and A+ is for perfect colour coordination - of course, they would serve a strawberry Napoleon in a coffee house decorated in red.

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    Replies
    1. *smile*
      You'll have to pay it a visit!

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  2. As soon as I saw 'strawberry napoleon' I was hooked!
    Yes, it looks wonderful.
    Happy early fall greetings, dear Merisi.

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    Replies
    1. Late summer's splendid around here, I hope the same up in New York City!

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  3. Never heard of a strawberry Napoleon before but I want one.

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    Replies
    1. Gerald,
      if you ever get to Austria, make sure to have one at Zauner's in Bad Ischl!

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  4. Merisi, that table is perfectly set...I will now delicately pick up that silver fork and ... ahh, the strawberry pastry is sublime!

    What an elegant beginning to my Monday morning. The coffee variation is perfect, too.

    xo

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    Replies
    1. Miss Manners would love your effort!
      I adore the cake forks - those dessert forks with only three tines, the left one a little wider and an edge just sharp enough to cut pastries neatly, so civilised. ;-)

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  5. I might have trouble eating with those statues watching over my shoulder like that.

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    Replies
    1. Charles,
      your imagination is boundless. ;-)

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    2. Charles,
      you and your imagination, I see no limit. ;-)

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  6. What a beautiful spot to have a sweet treat. The Napolean looks so beautiful that I would hate to break into it and destroy those lovely layers. I would anyway, but I'd feel badly about it :-). I hope you've had a wonderful weekend. Blessings...Mary

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    Replies
    1. Mary, I am always very mindful to cut off neat bites with my cake fork. ;-)

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  7. A delightful, beautiful place to enjoy such delicious treats and I wish I was there right now!! I'm afraid any start to my day will be a disappointment by comparison! Have an extra one for me, Merisi! And enjoy your new week!

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    Replies
    1. Sylvia,
      I attempted twice more, one day it was too late in the afternoon (they seem to make those Napoleons a couple of time during the morning, and they don't stay long in the vitrine, they are selling like hotcakes), and yesterday I was too early (you would not believe how many people walk in early in the morning and buy the regular Cremeschnitte - Napoleons - to take home).

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  8. That looks like a very tasty treat and I'm glad you did not deny yourself the pleasure of that strawberry napoleon! I like the idea of color charts for coffee...

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    Replies
    1. Every now and then I get that itch, and then I drive 200 miles just to sin at Zauner's. ;-)

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  9. You had me at The Godfather (probably my favorite movie of all time!)
    And as Clemenza would say, "Take the Napoleon, leave the gun."
    Or was it Cannoli? ;-)

    As always, it is a delight to be here.
    And how lovely of you to drop by my street! :-)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! :-)
      I'd agree about the Cannoli. Definitely siciliano (I had one in Palermo once, it was incredibly good, way better than what I ever found in Rome where they tend to be very sweet and not much more).

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  10. What a gorgeous Viennese pastry and my mouth is already watering! I do love the real coffee in Vienna and I can still recall its taste. You really left us hungry and thirsty today!

    Bises,
    Genie

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  11. I LOVE the RED chairs in the 1st pic!!
    is a wedding going on?
    did they eat Napoleans in the God Father?
    Hmmmm...must check on them, ahem

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    1. The chairs are a warm vermilion, Carol, very inviting.
      And yes, there's a wedding going on.
      Italians do make Napoleons, but they are a rather sticky, sweet affair, not the light delicate Zauner variety. I imagine Godfather's family and friends would rather eat Cannoli siciliani instead. ;-)

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    2. I guess it's warm vermillion. *spelling*

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  12. I have just returned home from Vienna and I was very surprised by their new way of brewing coffee.
    I just have discovered this beautiful and interesting blog and if my stomach wasn't already full of plum cake today your picture would make me very hungry.

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    Replies
    1. Welcome, Malou!
      I could not agree more, there is some pretty good coffee around here in Vienna.
      Plum cake sounds delicious! :-)

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  13. Either ein kleine brauner, oder ein schwartzer, oder ein melange, Wien's coffees have become my must every day. I brought it back home (Montréal, Québec, Canada) from my last year travel to Vienna. Yes I can make a decent one myself, here too.

    Nice pictures : I like the ones in Austria's colors : Rot und weiss.

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  14. I spy that this is the Cafe Zauner by the river! Thank you for the wonderful reminder of a lovely afternoon spent there. I fear I did not try the strawberry Napoleon. There was just too many to choose from. I plan to return. I also loved Cafe Zauner in the centre. Totally different atmosphere but still unique. I will remember einen kleinen Braunen for my next visit.

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  15. Welcome, and may your supply of Viennese coffee last for a long time!

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  16. Oh just to be clear, it's the art of doing them that I brought back. As for the grind, I had to try a few before finding the right one.

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