January 1 2024 –Part Two: For the Foodies

This one is for the die-hard foodies…. So read at your own risk.

New Years Eve dinner was at Steirereck in Stadtpark… a very elegant, modern design building with soaring glass windows and walls of copper sheeting. And they really do NYE big time. Since we had tickets for a 10:00 seating at a concert at the Kursalon in Stadtpark (Mozart and Straus—concluding with the Blue Danube), we opted for an early seating for dinner at 7:00. The concert hall and the restaurant are 5 minutes apart, so we thought we were in good shape. Turns out the dinner lasted well beyond 10 pm so we dashed out after just the first of several desserts. Anyway, for the foodies on the list, here is the menu. The photos do not do the food justice, but I haven’t had time to do any photoshopping and food photography is a special art.

First came the “bread service”—about 32 different kinds of breads cut at your table, The guy names each and tells you the ingredients of each…and he can do it in at least three languages. Oh and champagne at the same time (choice of 4 different bubblies). Also, at each table there is a “game” you can play during dinner… sort of like monopoly. Maybe because they want you to really relax and take it slowly.

Starters (each served separately and displayed beautifully, and each very tiny bite size—thank goodness):
• Yeast bun with fennel pollen and loomi (dried lime—needed to look it up)
• Scallop with golden beet and Asian pear (they called it Nashi pear)
• Jerusalem artichoke with citrus salad and yacon (according to Wikipedia yacon is “a species of perennial daisy traditionally grown in the northern and central Andes—known for its crisp, sweet-tasting, tuberous roots.”)
• Crispy saffron with apple and lemon balm

Now the “courses” in order of their appearance at the table
• Pike Perch with something they called “superschmelz” kohlrabi and a coconut pineapple sage dressing.
• Spring chicken with golden beet, tangerine and chervil root
• Catfish with Yacon (again yacon), pistachio and perigord truffle
• Celery with Meyer lemon and also gold caviar
• Duck with Jerusalem artichoke, yuzu, and kale
• Champagne sorbet with orange blossom and citrus
• Wild (?) chocolate with almonds, berries and medlar (I think it’s like a rose, as there were petals)
• Salty and sweet delights (we missed this because we headed out to the concert after being in the restaurant for more than 3 hours of eating
Regarding liquids… I started with champagne, then moved to white wine for the first two courses and switched to red for the remaining courses. Mike still wasn’t drinking although he’s ready now… seems all better.

OK… enough on food. .. But I would put this up there with the best meals I’ve ever had… right up there with Gyogu in Tokyo and Singlethread in Healdsburg…