Wherever I travel in Austria, I try to speak German, that – apart from a much less pleasant alternative of going to doctors – being my only way of practicing. Usually, upon hearing my terrible pronunciation and awkward pauses as I desperately search for words, hotel receptionists try to switch to English, yet I insist and eventually they yield and endure.
Bizarrely, in Mallnitz, a small village at the borders of the mountainous national park Hohe Tauern, almost everyone spoke English with me and looked confused when I insisted upon German. It took me a couple of restaurant visits to understand the reason: most of the people I talked to spoke worse German than me. Nowhere was that clearer that at the nameless pizzeria at Hotel Mallnitz where I ordered beer and spare ribs. (“Eine Bier?” the waiter asked. Even I, with all the blunders I make, would never use feminine for beer.)
The ”Schweine Rippen” did not look Austrian either. The rack was unusually short (though quite rich on meat) and was served in a well-decorated way usually reserved for more refined dishes. The ribs were topped with something honey-based and slightly spicy, which gave the meat a rather pleasant, though not strong, taste. No dips were included, but the pinkish sauce that served as the plate decoration could actually provide a sort of an alternative.
The nice presentation – honestly, unexpected from a pizzeria – helped the dish to leave a good impression. At 21 euros, the spare ribs were somewhat overpriced, but as I was not hungry after a recent Brettljause anyway, the size of the portion was perfectly fine for me.
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