Rootless Cosmopolitan: Wiener Cafe

VIENNA, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Where can one find the culture of Europe? In the art galleries? In the opera houses? In the great architecture? In the cinema houses? The answer is yes to all the above, but to taste the spirit of the moment, one must venture out to the cafés, or coffeehouses which can be found all over Europe -- in every major city, from Ljubljana to Riga to Paris and Helsinki.

Between the two world wars, the café culture in Zurich was denigrated by Stalin, who labeled this tableside intelligentsia as nothing more than "Rootless Cosmopolitans." It was around institutions such as the Café Voltaire that modern artistic movements such as Dadaism were born.

But even long before that, at the turn of the century, Russian émigrés wrote their poetry and plotted the Russian revolution in the cafes of Vienna.

Nowhere on Earth is this ritual more sacred and time-capsuled than in this former Hapsburg capital of a once far-flung Mittel European swath of territory; the café scene here is still an integral part of the city's social fabric, encompassing the faded glory of a once grandiose empire. This is where it all began, when the first café opened in 1685, two years after the Turkish siege introduced coffee and the modern-day croissant, to the West.

More than a quick caffeine-infused pit stop, the central European café is a place where one can comfortably perch and choose from a wide selection of complimentary international newspapers, people watch, meet like-minded protagonists or even interesting antagonists, conduct business, write, play chess or dream the day away over a book while a tuxedoed waiter serves you whatever your fancy. One can contemplate the day over in a café. Nineteenth-century Viennese writer Alfred Polgar is often quoted as saying, "Vienna's coffeehouses are full of people who want to be alone ... in company."

In typical Mittel Europa fashion, these urban institutions extend far beyond the standardized Starbucks version so prevalent in the United States. From a krugerl of beer to a melange (cappuccino) or shot of schnapps, no matter how much or what you order, you are not hassled to pay and get out. Each café has its own history and unique character.

Likewise, the sophisticated selection of coffees and pastries themselves lend a refined Euro finesse to this far from passé pastime.

A melange is a rich milky alternative to the cappuccino, with hot milk and a thick layer of foam on top; if you want it extra milky, order a Milchkaffe; add whipped cream and chocolate and it's called a Franzikaner; mix it with egg yolk, honey and brandy and you have a Kaisermelange.

A Brauner is either a kleiner (small) or grosser (large) cup of coffee with a bit of milk; add a shot of Biedermeier liqueur to the mix and you have a Biedermeier.

A Schwarzer is black coffee. It is the basis for many traditional Viennese coffee drinks such as Kapuziner (with a shot of cream), Einspaenner (served in a tall glass with whipped cream), Pharisaeer (large, with whipped cream, rum and cinnamon), Maria Theresia (with orange liqueur and whipped cream), Fiaker (small, with whipped cream and rum), Mazagran (iced with rumor cherry liqueur), and Wiener Eiskaffee (iced with vanilla ice cream and lots of whipped cream).

If you want an espresso, order a Kurz. A Tuerkische is Turkish coffee.

Most cafes will serve coffee with a small glass of water on the side, but if you want your drink watered down beforehand, order it Verlaengerter. For more milk, order it Verkehrter.

The pastries are as rich and fresh as their liquid counterparts. The Imperial Torte is a marzipan and chocolate cake layered with nut and butter cream frosting. Kardinalschnitten is a spongy egg pastry dusted with powdered sugar and layered with crème. Guglhupf is a ring-shaped marbled vanilla butter cake topped with shaved almonds, and is reportedly to have once been the favorite of Freud. Mohr im Hemd is a richly succulent dessert; this walnut chocolate pudding torte is topped with whipped cream and covered in a creamy chocolate sauce. Apple strudel is known the world over as the quintessential Austrian dessert and always a tasty mainstay. For a local twist, try a Topfenstrudel, which is a puff pastry filled with a sweet curd-like crème.

Kleinigkeiten (snacks) can be a meal in and of themselves or at least a more sustainable addition to the aforementioned treats. Fritatensuppe (rich broth with scallions and cut up palatschinken) is a local specialty, but all soups are good, especially during the fall and winter months. Try the Leberknoedelsuppe (beef broth with liver and dumplings) or the Rindsgulasch (spicy beef goulash with paprika and dumplings).

Kaeseteller (cheese plates) are excellent and are sometimes accompanied by cured meats such as the local prosciutto and pickles. Try also the emmenthaler cheese.

Fresh dark bread topped with anything, from sardinellenbrot (sardines spread) to kaesebrot (cheese bread) to knoblauchbrot (garlic bread), makes for a tasty snack, as does the Salzstangel, which is basically a bread roll with a salted top.

CHOICE WIENER CAFÉS

NOTE: All Wiener cafes are extremely smoky, so smelling like a chimney after spending time in one goes with the territory.

1st District

Café Braeunerhof (Stallburggasse 2) has a late 1940s atmosphere, very traditional and gemuetlichkeit (cozy); the food is excellent, especially the kleinigkeiten. It is also a great place to sample the various types of coffee drinks. The dark wood and smoke-stained décor lends a bygone era ambience to this smallish joint that packs in chamber music concert on weekends.

Café Hawelka (Dorotheergasse 6) is a classic boho artsy joint popular with locals from all walks of life. The eternally rustic chic décor and its octogenarian proprietors, Leopold and Josephine, who are known to personally seat their guests next to suitable strangers, lend this place a real down home flair. The selection of newspapers and magazines is extensive and a bit more cutting edge. Those who show up after 10 p.m. are treated to homemade buechterln (cinnamon rolls) fresh from the oven.

The Adolph Loos-designed Café Museum ((Friedrichstrasse 6) is a great place to play chess. A rarity for most Wiener cafes, it even has a non-smoking section. The vibe is understated and cool, definitely a local artsy hangout.

Café Prueckl (Stubenring 24) is the personal favorite of this rootless cosmopolitan, who used to be a Stammgaeste (regular) there. The ambience bears its share of the trials and tribulations of the 20th century with style. Used as a stall and badly damaged by the Red Army during WWII, its overriding décor is firmly planted in 1955, courtesy of renovation by the famed architect Oswald Haerdtl. However, it still graces remnants of its grand Hasburg Ringstrasse and Jugenstil beginnings. It is frozen in time, yet it still breathes life at the moment. The cakes are scrumptious as is the kaeseteller. Look for daily specials written on the board as you enter.

Café Schwarzenberg (Kaerntner Ring 17) exudes old world elegance, yet lacks any air of pretentiousness. It has a great dinner menu and selection of teas and serves classic drinks such as Kir Royal and Pernod. The Jugenstil décor, accented with dark wood paneled walls, ornate fixtures and grand windows looking out onto the Ringstrasse, seems unchanged from its inception over 100 years ago. This is the quintessential 19th Century Wiener Café.

6th District

Although its beginnings date back to the mid 19th century, Café Ritter (Mariahilferstrasse 57-59) reeks of post-war 1950s ambience. It is a great pitstop when shopping the Mariahilferstrasse. The sardinellenbrot is the best of any café in the city.

7th District

Das Moebel (Burggasse 10) is not traditional at all, in fact, it just opened up a few years ago. However, it is a quintessential Wiener café. Run by local artists and designers, it is one of the few cafes to have Internet access. Its décor is equipped with avant-garde furnishings and accessories, all of which are for sale. This rootless cosmopolitan was once a Stammgaeste here as well. It is a good café in which to start the day and get work done.

Located just a stone's throw from the Westbahnhof (train station), the venerable old Café Westend (Mariahilfer Strasse 128) is a great place for embarkations and goodbyes. The ambience and décor fit the mold as a classic café, from the fixtures to the succulently rich cakes. Its close proximity to the train station makes it an interesting spot for people watching as well, from grand dames with their little dogs to immigrants fresh from far-flung locales.

Since the late 19th century, a favorite café has long been a marker as to one's political leanings, intellectual, literary and other leisure time interests, a sordid array of cultural and social camaraderie -- a home away from home if you will. The literati and intelligentsia who sought refuge in them around the turn-of-the-century often times received their mail at their own choice café. It is where ancient Austria grew up and contributed to a shockingly new Europe a century ago. As Europe heads to a new unknown era of the 21st Century, at least one remnant remains intact and is still going strong.

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