So much has happened for us, Jo took a new job, family was visiting, clients, … and then a planned vacation to her home country in Austria for her dad’s 70th birthday among other family things.  Upon arrival and for her dad’s birthday, we had grass fed steaks, various salads, and great wines from the Wachau region in which her parents live.  It’s been amazing ever since.

One of the most famous things to do in the Wachau is to visit a “good” Heuriger where you can get the most amazing home made meats, cheeses and wines for very little money. One of our family favorites is Heuriger Denk, but there are many others that hang out their Guild with a braided sign to signal that they are open for business and are delicious and fun. A Heuriger is only open for 2 – 4 months at a time, serving only their best – the servers are clothed in traditional Wachau Dirndl, everything meaning the check is calculated by hand and folks are very friendly. If you ever make it out to Austria, this is a must see.

Let us share a line up of plates for a traditional Heuriger’s line up in order:

1. Tomato salad with vinegar and olive oil and some green onions – little salt, little pepper
2. Amazing “low-sodium” prociutto, from local/their own pigs with some fresh grated horseradish root from the garden
3. The creamiest of Emmenthaler cheese with typically red bell pepper garnish
4. Homemade beef tongue, sliced ever so thin – delicious!
5. Kuemmelbraten – pork belly broiled with caraway seeds on top and sliced very thin and served cold
6. Wild Boar liver pate with yogurt fresh chive sauce