A Desert Goose

Location:Zum Alten Fassl
Website:www.zum-alten-fassl.at
Address:Ziegelofengasse 37, 1050 Wien
Status:Open (last checked on 21 November 2018)
Eaten:Martinigansl, 1½ beers (Gösser)

It took me three attempts to try Zum Alten Fassl’s goose. Twice before, I entered this dark and, from the outside, not particularly inviting Beisl near the restaurant-rich Schlossquadrat area of the 5th district just to be told that no tables were available. And indeed, the restaurant’s both rooms were absolutely packed, large groups of people celebrating whatever at long tables and eating quite a lot of goose. The third time, in the middle of a week and rather late, the waiter finally pitied me and placed me at the last remaining table, where I began waiting the goose and already preparing to love it.

Once the dish arrived, however, “preparing to love” very quickly turned into “trying to love,” followed by “trying to like” and finally giving up. Despite all the potential and high expectations, it was a rather unlikable goose. Underneath the crispy skin, it was dry as a desert. It was dry as what comes between zwei and vier.

Sorry, this was a very stupid joke. But really, neither dipping the meat into the thick (and quite tasty) sauce, no wrapping it in the well-spiced red cabbage could hide the fact that the bird must have been prepared a very long time ago. The meat had the texture of sand, noticeably lacked salt, and tasted of something old. One does not, of course, expect vital signs from a roasted goose, but this goose was devoid of any life, not even memories of one.

It is unfortunate, because Zum Alten Fassl really looked like a “secret” place where very good geese could be served. Who knows, maybe they had been good at the beginning of the season, but cooked all at once at the time and then warmed up every day ever since.

2.5

Goose
Cabbage
Dumpling
Size
Atmosphere/service
Value

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