My tradition of going to South Styria in late October/early November, which started eight years ago, has since turned into a kind of obsession. I almost feel that if I don’t take a couple of days off and ride a bicycle over the hills of the Styrian Toscana, the year will not be complete. The area is simply packed with good wineries and Brettljausen, though I am starting to realize that in a couple of years I will have to do some research before travelling in order to discover hidden Buschenschänken that I have not visited yet.
Muster-Stub’n has been well known to me even though I have never been there. One of the closest taverns to the village of Ehrenhausen, where I tend to stay, it is the one I usually noticed first at the beginning of my bicycle tours around 10am and could never visit because of its opening time, which is three hours later. Today, however, I arrived in Ehrenhausen at 2 o’clock, and after a couple of unsuccessful attempts to find an open tavern nearby, I found myself at the doors of Muster-Stub’n, feeling quite hungry.
The view from the terrace was amazing. The South Styrian Wine Road is known for its picturesque landscapes, and Muster-Stub’n gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect. Its Brettljause does not disappoint either. It is a healthy (or should I say “unhealthy”?) mix of different meats and spreads, with a few slices of undistinguished cheese thrown in. The stuff I generally dislike (like black pudding) was not present, and although I cannot single out any ingredient as particularly fantastic, the overall experience was pleasant but slightly overwhelming.
Perhaps it was my idea of ordering an extra runner bean salad (but how can I visit Southern Styria and not order one?), but half-way through the Brettljause I started to feel tired. Everything was fresh and tasty in a “highly polished” way, but at one point I had to give up. My age and changing tastes are probably the main reasons, but I would rather blame the temperature, which after the sunset quickly dropped and made the further stay on the terrace suboptimal.
Regardless of my failure, Muster-Stub’n is totally worth an attention. If one day you are in Ehrenhausen and start your bike ride late or in a wrong direction, don’t discount this little place. Just try to reach it early enough to enjoy a couple of warm sunny hours.
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