Plachutta

The national dish of Austria is supposedly one called Tafelspitz, and one of the best places to try it is Plachutta in Vienna. This restaurant has ten different varieties of Tafelspitz -- all based on the cut of beef used to make the dish. It was the favorite dish of the Emperor Franz Josef.

I was a bit put off by the description at first. It is basically boiled beef with vegetables. Frankly, it sounded like how the British have been ruining beef for years. I was wonderfully surprised when I tried it at Plachutta. Tafelspitz is boiled beef, sliced and served hot straight out of a copper skillet at your table. The broth is spooned over noodles or spaetzle. The meat is served with vegetables, hash brown potatoes, horseradish sauce, apple sauce and chives. The meat is tender and flavorful, not at all as I had feared.

We enjoyed a chocolate mousse for dessert, along with Viennese coffee -- a wonderful combination.

I highly recommend this restaurant and Tafelspitz.