Unfinished Business

I have been to Filzmoos twice before and must admit that for a small village it offers plenty of Brettljause-eating opportunities. However, I somehow managed to miss the most obvious restaurant, Fiakerwirt, which is located in one of the village’s oldest and nicest buildings. Today, while on a short holiday in nearby Ramsau, I decided to take a bus trip and close this unfinished business.

Aside from operating the restaurant, Fiakerwirt’s owners also organize horse carriage rides, and I suspect that second occupation is more important and profitable. The restaurant, based on my today’s impression, is a pure tourist magnet, though it’s hard to blame it for the entire village lives only thanks to tourism. Had the weather been warmer, I would have asked for a table in the garden and as a result enjoyed the atmosphere of that old place more. Inside, Fiakerwirt is dark and cramped, with narrow corridors and less-than-comfortable seats, and is actually a perfect example of why people do not build houses like these today.

The Brettljause was obviously designed to cater for non-Austrian tourists and therefore did not offer any surprises. The tiny ball of Verhackertes could perhaps raise a “what is it?” question from clueless foreigners, but the ham, the Schweinsbraten, the cheese, the light salami and the Speck were just as “safe” as they were boring. The tiny bits of cartilage in the Speck, impossible to see in advance because of the dim lights in the room, were slightly annoying, and the long Landjäger sausage was totally industrial – the only contribution of the cook was to take it out of supermarket packaging and cut it in the middle.

Perhaps to justify the Brettljause’s 13 euros price, Fiakerwirt made it quite big. I struggled to finish it and four hours later struggled even more having dinner at my hotel. I am still happy that I visited Fiakerwirt, however, to cross it off my list and be in a good position to advise my readers that other Brettljausen of Filzmoos, such as the one at Oberhofalm, are so much tastier.