Sunbathing

Today is the last day of winter, and for the first time this year I feel that spring is finally in the air. It is really nice to be able to enjoy eating outside again, and Holzheu’s sunny terrace is a perfect place for that. Whoever designed the house, made very smart decisions regarding the location of the terrace, for despite several other houses nearby obstructing the views, it remained sunlit until late afternoon.

Holzheu is partly a Heuriger and partly a guesthouse, and even though I am sure its rooms are lovely, I can hardly imagine why anyone would decide to spend a night in Krustetten, which is a small village halfway from Traismauer to Stift Gottweig. The views towards the monastery and the Danube are OK, but as a hiking destination, Krustetten is not worth much. What it has, however, is several wine taverns, so perhaps the guesthouse serves as a safe backup plan if one ends up too pissed for a one-hour walk to the closest train station.

The menu offered a traditional Brettljause as well as a fancier “Schmankerlteller”, and I made the mistake of ordering the latter. I should have remembered that as a rule, sausages made out of game taste worse than good old pig, and unfortunately, this was the case here. None of the three meat cuts had a strong taste, while two hams had a slightly unpleasant chewy consistency, like a bland fatless prosciutto. One of the hams also had a rather unappetizing look, resembling an old wet cloth. I am probably being unfair here, not appreciating high quality ingredients, but for me, the highlights of the dish were the homemade spread, the ham-wrapped cream cheese roll, the fresh and warm bread rolls, and the strange picked vegetables that I failed to identify.

Holzheu certainly deserves a visit for its relaxed and friendly atmosphere alone, but if your taste is as unrefined as mine is, I recommend staying away from the Schmankerlteller and ordering one of the more “normal” dishes. Or simply getting drunk on wine and savoring the warmth of the sun.