Pizza Riva

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When an old coworker of mine sent me an email recently and told me of this new(ish) pizza restaurant in the 9th, my mouth began to water. It had been a while since I had had a good pizza and well, once I got the idea of this restaurant and its promise of pillowy dough, crispy crusts, melted mozzarella and succulent tomatoes in my head, I couldn’t get it out. I booked a table as soon as I could to spare myself and all those around me from pizza craving-induced hysteria. It was the right thing to do.

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Right. Essentially, the only word I can use to describe pretty much everything at Pizza Riva. From its location in the 9th adjacent to a pretty little park, to its casually hip ambience and cool industrial interior, to its friendly service, to its pizza–oh my god to its pizza–the place is meraviglioso (exaggerated hand motions and all).

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The pizza at Riva is authentic Neapolitan. This means something. Folks from this part of the world are truly cut from a different cloth; the love and pride they have for their town and its wares and fare is staggering. I was there two years ago with my mother before heading down the Amalfi Coast and I can still hear Antonio, our taxi driver, saying over and over, “Naples is in Florida! You are in Napoli! Capisci?!?”. Yes, Antonio. Capiamo.

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So it’s no wonder that the Napolitanos also take their pizza very seriously. (It was, after all, where pizza was first invented.) In terms of Neapolitan pizza, there are strict rules about the dough and the art of baking it in a wood-fired oven. The dough must be made with a specific wheat flour and it cannot exceed a diameter of 35cm or be more than a third of a cm thick at the center. Tomatoes should be San Marzano tomatoes, which grow on the volcanic plains near Mount Vesuvius. Standard features include a bubbly crust and a soupy middle. Some people don’t like the sogginess of a traditional Neapolitan pizza. I find it divine. In 2009, upon Italy’s request, Neapolitan pizza was “safeguarded in the EU as a Traditional Specialty Guaranteed dish”. Don’t mess with Napoli.

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The restaurant, as it turns out, actually isn’t new to Wien at all. In fact, you may have eaten ‘here’ and not even known it. It used to be (and still is) a seasonal offering at Summerstage, mobile wood oven and all. Owned by Mr.Alessandro d’Ambrosio, (ahem, ladies, you probably know his shoe stores), it attracted a cult-like following over the years and then opened up permanent shop this past winter. Apparently, the place was packed before the interior was complete and the sign even hung. It’s that good.

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Let’s get down to business. I set off for Riva on a recent Friday night, husband and pup in tow. We browsed the menu while munching on some crudités and extra virgin olive oil. On the house. Though traditional Neapolitan pizza is usually limited to Marinara or Margherita, the menu at Riva is extensive and offers so much more. With creative spins on the classics and a few wildcards,there are 19 different ‘pizze rosse‘ options (with tomato sauce), 11 different ‘pizze bianche‘ options (without tomato sauce) and 4 calzones.

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My husband went with a rosse: the Castel dell’ Ovo: It had Pancetta (that had been air dried for 90 days), egg, pepper, and mozzarella.

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I went with a bianche: the Santa Chiara: It had mozzarella, provola, radicchio (chicory), and gorgonzola cheese. The bitter spice of the chicory combined with the medley of cheese was just beyond. 

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Back in 2009, when it was only to be found at Summerstage, Der Standard called Riva “the best pizza in the capital”. Now with its fixed location in the 9th, it has been said to have given Pizza Mari (another delicious  place with a cult-like following that I haven’t written about yet here on the blog) some serious competition.I’m not here to say that one is better over the other. I just like to celebrate the lip-smacking places I stumble upon. Riva makes the list and is high on it.

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Oh, and then there is this. Pink. Vintage. Pizza. Boxes. Now these are definitively the best in the city.

Pizza Riva
Schlickgasse 2
1090 Vienna
http://www.pizzariva.at/

Nourishment Of A Different Kind

Posted in 1010, Beyond by

Nourishment of a Different Kind.
I’ve been to a lot of restaurants in Vienna. This much we know is true. And while I’m pretty committed to trying new ones out as often as my time, money, and dining companions allow me, there are other places around town I intentionally return to over and over again. One of these places is Bikram Yoga Schottenring.

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Yoga
I’ve been doing yoga for over eight years now. I tried it out on a whim one summer in college and was immediately hooked due to the physical and mental benefits it gave me. Nowadays, it’s one of my ‘things’ and a week never feels quite right without it. While I shouldn’t (given my lack of expertise) go too into depth about it here, the benefits of yoga are numerous. No matter the style of yoga practiced, they are felt and experienced pretty immediately. Expectedly, yoga improves the very flexibility, strength, and balance it demands. It also improves sleep, reduces stress and anxiety, and radically relieves back pain. Ladies take note, it has even been purported to cut labor time and improve birth outcomes.

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I can vouch for all its benefits (well, except the last one—no buns in my oven just yet). Put plainly, yoga makes me feel good. I have tried and enjoyed all sorts of styles and though I definitely prefer some to others, yoga in general is the one form of exercise that remains my constant. There is no other type that leaves me feeling like I just worked hard yet somehow also received a luxurious massage. I am a sometimes swimmer, an every-now-and-then jogger, an occasional gym-rat, an infrequent Zumba-goer, and a once-in-a-blue-moon weightlifter. I will always be a yogi.

A Yoga Studio
Though I will roll out my mat at home, my favorite place to do yoga is among others at a studio, led by qualified teacher. It’s definitely through trial and error that I have found the types of yoga I like best and my preferred studios for practicing. Some types err on the more spiritual side and focus more on meditation. Other types are more athletic and physically demanding. Each studio tends to put its own spin the yoga type it offers. Ultimately, it’s about finding the type and studio that you most enjoy, where you feel most comfortable, and where your practice can flourish.

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I prefer a more strenuous type of yoga, something to counterbalance all my yummy restaurant meals.  In terms of studios, the right ones for me first and foremost have the right teachers—teachers who kind, approachable, and eager to help you improve. Teachers who are qualified, who can lead by example, and who will correct you when necessary. Of course, a lovely locker room, fresh fruit, tea, and a yoga shop don’t hurt either:).

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In terms of studios in Vienna, it’s amazing to think back to how it was just five years ago and how fast the offerings have grown. I think it’s safe to say that yoga can be found in every Viennese district.

Bikram Yoga
This past autumn, I was introduced to Bikram Yoga, which is a type of yoga that consists of the same series of 26 asanas (postures) done twice over a period of 90 minutes in a room heated to 100°F (≈ 38°C). Though it’s been around for quite some time, I’ll be honest and say I had kind of been avoiding it. 90 minutes of 26 different postures done twice in a room that hot?!?  Oida. It sounded impossibly difficult. Yet when a friend and Bikram enthusiast said I should join her back in October, I gave it a go. Though the first class was indeed incredibly difficult, I went back for a second and then a third. It got easier. I got better. I’ve been going back ever since.

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I cannot lie—Bikram Yoga is the most physically demanding type of yoga I have ever tried. Those 90 minutes in the hot room have made me work harder than ever before. The payoff, of course, is all the greater. In addition to the benefits all yoga gives, I’ve pretty sure I’ve reaped some additional ones directly from Bikram. First, a strengthened immune system. This was one I needed desperately. I am notorious for getting one virus after the other in the winter months and this year I had a clean bill of health from October through February. While everyone around me suffered from colds and sore throats, I remained unscathed. Interestingly, after taking a two-week break from Bikram in late February, I was hit with a nasty bug in early March. Coincidence? I think not. Second, improved endurance. This one came as a surprise. I don’t love running, but I adore being outdoors when the weather finally turns nice after a long and freezing winter. Hence, I try each spring to become a runner, usually with minimal success and peaking in August at best as a ‘runker’ which, as a coworker calls it, is one who does a mixture of running and walking. This year, however, something has happened. The few times I’ve laced up, I’ve been able to run longer and faster; it hasn’t been that bad. This is something I can only attribute to the fact that I sweat it out on a mat doing Bikram all winter.

Bikram Yoga Schottenring
While there are a few different studios offering Bikram Yoga in Vienna, I have to say that I struck gold by trying it at Bikram Yoga Schottenring. What makes BYS special in my eyes is the atmosphere it offers its students. I write a lot about the importance of atmosphere here on the blog. A place can be beautiful, its offerings delectable, but if it lacks atmosphere, forget it.

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The special atmosphere BYS offers? In addition to a lovely studio, the freshest fruit, delicious tea, my favorite coconut water (!), a gorgeous locker room, a stocked shop, and quality teachers, BYS has international flair. Nearly half of the 33 weekly classes are offered in English! Owned by Tammy (pictured here), American married to an Austrian and with students and teachers from all over the world, the studio is overwhelmingly accommodating to the many different people who call Vienna home.

Try It Out!
If you are interested in trying out Bikram Yoga in Vienna, get thee to Schottenring!  BYS has an amazing special for newcomers. 7 classes within 7 consecutive days for 7 euros. I used this special to get started and it was a wonderful way to get going.

My tips to anyone interested in trying would be as follows:

  • The first class will be hard. Come back for your second as soon as you can. It gets better.
  • Don’t worry about being wobbly, stiff, or unsure in the beginning. It all comes with time.
  • DO: drink lots of water before and after. DON’T: eat a big meal beforehand.
  • If you don’t speak German and find yourself in a class auf Deutsch, don’t sweat it. Let the teacher know and they’ll throw in enough English to keep you on track. Plus, just spy on your neighbor and have fun learning some new vocab!

The studio’s website also has lots of great information for newcomers, so it’s definitely a good idea to read through everything beforehand. Also this might sound crazy, especially to someone who is new at it, but I don’t really even notice the heat anymore.

Namaste!

Bikram Yoga Schottenring
Maria-Theresien-Straße 32-34
1010 Vienna

http://www.bikramyogavienna.at

A video about yoga that will make you go WOW.
A video about yoga that will make you giggle.

In partnership with Bikram Yoga Schottenring.

Cafe Francais

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Time to break out your red lipstick, best beret, and favorite small dog—-a French cafe has opened in town and oh mon Dieu is it ever lovely!

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Opened officially since late February, Cafe Francais has taken up residence in some prime Viennese real estate. Located at Schottentor, the gateway to the city center between the 9th and the 1st, this delightful addition to downtown dining cannot be missed. With a delicious menu, attractive interior, charming soundtrack, and expansive windows offering a regal view of the Votiv Kirche, the space and place are wunderbar. Or shall I say magnifique? Merveilleux? Superbe?  You get the gist.

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I found myself there last week for a solo breakfast, which I must say was the perfect kickstart for me to get a few hours of reading done afterwards. Who doesn’t love to work in a pretty environment?

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With pink tulips atop refurbished wood tables, plush grey benches and funky chairs, a giant chalkboard menu, and the most curious of modern chandeliers, the cafe’s interior is tres jolie indeed.

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I enjoyed a frothy cappuccino to start…

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…and then unexpectedly ordered myself some French Toast. Ahem, specifically, Frühstück Le Cousin d’Amérique. Now of course I see the irony here. An American in a French cafe orders this?  I couldn’t help it. The menu said ‘fresh berries’ and well, cherry blossoms were blooming outside and the sun was shining. I didn’t really choose this breakfast. It chose me. While I would have preferred the bread to be vollkornbrot and not to look so pancake-like, I must say this was absolutely divine. I don’t really eat berries over the winter in Vienna since they totally lack taste, and these were the first I have had since last year. Believe me when I say I savored every last one.

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I stuck around long enough to witness the lunchtime rush. With a menu featuring quiche, moules frites, french onion soup, a club sandwich, steak tartare, creme brûlée, and mousse au chocolate just to name a few, no wonder the place gets so crowded. Fun fact: some of the cafe’s baked treats come from tart’a tata, the french bakery of Sapa, a restaurant I wrote about here.

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Before heading out, I tried a lavender soda. Have you ever tried this drink? It has an interesting and refreshing taste.

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Pssst, they also have an afternoon snack menu!
Save me a table by the window and get my spritzer ready, s’il vous plaît.

Cafe Francais
Währinger Straße 6-8
1090 Vienna
http://www.cafefrancais.at

WIEN MITTE: The Mall

Posted in 1030 by

If you took the U4 or S-Bahn through Landstrasse at any point over the past few years, you most definitely dealt with construction. How could you not have? Just like this past winter, that was one Baustelle that seemed it would never ever end.

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Except now it has. Finally! April 25th and 26th mark the grand opening of Vienna’s newest shopping center, WIEN MITTE: THE MALL. Having been in an official ‘soft opening’ since autumn, the entire center is now open for full business. The shops and restaurants are yours for the taking.

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Yes, that’s right, I said restaurants. I personally cannot wait to take advantage. Until now, since it is conveniently located along my husband’s route home from work, I occasionally made use of its grocery offerings by asking my dear Mann to pop into the Spar in the mall for last-minute things because it’s open till 8pm or 9pm on weekdays. There’s also a ‘Spar Pronto’, (like a mini-mart) open till 11pm and on Sundays too! Positively revolutionary, I tell you. Yet now, thanks to its array of restaurants (mostly chain but still), the options are all the more vielfältig. I might have to put in a special request from time to time for something from one of its yummy offerings.

I’m most excited about:

I’m sure some folks (read: my country(wo)men) will flip for the fact that this calorific establishment is also dabei. I can smell the cinnamon-sugar wafting through downtown Vienna already.

The Grand Opening of the mall promises something BIG. What that might be you’ll have to figure out yourself with a visit:)

WIEN MITTE: THE MALL
Landstraßer Hauptstraße 1B
1030 Vienna
http://www.wienmitte-themall.at

12 Munchies

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When you live abroad, try as you may, some things will just never be like they are at home. Despite my prayers and wishes, I haven’t yet found a suitable replacement for Target. I haven’t been able to convince the Austrians in my life that it’s perfectly acceptable to spend a lazy Sunday in pajamas. (I digress–one cannot lounge in jeans, okay? Sweat pants…yoga pants…these the things a lazy Sunday is made of!) I also haven’t been able to bake quite the same way I can at home. Despite the fact that I stock up on all the vanilla extract, brown sugar, and the like when I travel home to the states, my cookies and brownies baked here in my Viennese oven always seem to turn out as sorry little versions of the ones I bake when in the USA. Le sigh. Yet while I haven’t seemed to figure it out, a little bakery in the 18th certainly has.

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12 Munchies is a positively entzückend little bakery on Aumannplatz. A short walk away from one of my favorite parks in Vienna, it has been charming me for nearly two years now. It’s got all the right ingredients: a friendly staff, good coffee, a prime location, a whimsical atmosphere, and delicious treats. In warmer months, a second location opens up on Johann Nepomuk Vogl Platz, also in the 18th district.

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Offering ‘US and UK inspired food,’ it serves baked goods, sandwiches, quiche, and other small bites.

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The options vary daily, and the best way to find out what’s on offer on any given day (read–tempt yourself and succumb to the temptation) is to like the bakery’s facebook page and essentially, receive instant-updates as the items come fresh out of the oven. Today’s array, for example, includes raspberry and blueberry scones, a chicory and pear quiche, a plum crumble, and of course standards like cookies, cupcakes, and brownies.

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Retro pieces and vintage flair contribute to the bakery’s winzig yet wunderbar interior. It’s a mishmash full of charm.

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One of the most unique pieces is the old apothecary cabinet refurbished for bakery use. I love when places take old things and make them new again.

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Everything I’ve ever had at this bakery has been delicious and the treats I know from home all taste as they should. Skills. Skills I just don’t have.

Nom Nom Nom. Isn’t springtime sweet?

12 Munchies
Aumanplatz/ Corner of Türkenschanzstrasse
1180 Vienna
http://www.facebook.com/12munchies

*Last photo from bakery’s Facebook page.

St. Ellas

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Oh, happy day. (Oh, happy day.) Sing it with me, friends. She’s back, the sun, the elusive sun. She came, we saw, and she’s conquered us all. Finally. There was a moment there where I wondered if we would make it. But lo, we have, and the city has come alive. Windows have opened, tables and chairs set up outside. Leaves hang from branches, flowers are blooming, and freckles have begun to appear atop noses. Mine, anyway. Viennese Spring, bleib wie du bist. Or rather, just bleib. Please bleib. You have to.

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Delighting in the fact that the new season was upon us–endlich, I set out to find a new (to me) restaurant to match. And what a restaurant I found. It’s a bistro! It’s a bar! It’s a grill! It’s St. Ella’s in the 7th. There last week for dinner, I hope to return again soon. Coming from a girl who tries to try a new restaurant each week, this means something.

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St. Ella’s is actually an offshoot of one of Vienna’s gourmet restaurants (haube and all!), Gaumenspiel, which is loved by fancy foodies from near and far for its creativity, quality, and finesse. Not a bad starting point, eh? Staying true to its lineage but doing so in a more casual and approachable way, this restaurant strikes a balance between cozy and refined. Talent.

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The menu is klein und fein. Though not exhaustive, it is impressively varied. A little Austrian, a little international, a little bit of everything. Lovely. The night I was there featured various small plates, a steak, the much raved about burger, enticing salads, and other delicious-sounding odds and ends. I took an out-of-town friend and we each ended up ordering the very same thing.

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A Thai chicken salad garnished with peanuts.

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And vegetable samosas with curried sweet potato puree, garnished with spring onions and pomegranate.

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On the side? Bread from a bread basket. Exotic in this city, let me tell you. Let me also tell you about the food. Incredible. So fresh, so flavorful, and beautifully presented with love from the gifted chefs in the open kitchen. Paired with a few spritzers (which actually did no justice to the drinks menu, for it is endless), this meal was just wunderbar.

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So just in time for a happy season, it looks like I’ve found a new happy place. It’s essentially the neighborhood restaurant I wish I had at the end of my street–my first visit and I felt like a regular thanks in large part to a friendly, welcoming, and gracious staff. As it should be. As it ever will be. Here, anyway.

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We’ve made it to the other side and the best is yet to come!

St. Ellas
Zieglergasse 52
1070 Vienna
http://www.stellas.at

Picture #2 from the Insiderei and picture #7 from Der Standard

Zweitbester

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In terms of a Vienna restaurant standing apart from the crowd, departing from tradition, beating to the tune of its own drum yadda yadda yadda and the like, Zweitbester in the 4th leads the way. Along with its bar, the 4th district restaurant has become quite the hot-spot in the Freihausviertel over the last year for young creatives, bar-hoppers in search of something new, foodies fed up with pretension, and everyone in between. I wanted to see what the fuss was about.

380605_329138757142190_568838649_nZweitbester means second best. A bit of an odd choice for a restaurant name, oder? Well it turns out those 4th district folks knew exactly what they were doing. See, everyone can be ‘the best’. But to be the ‘second best’? How special, how unique, how downright avant-garde. How Freihausviertel of them.

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The place masters the look of industrial charm with its staunch adherence to less is more. Think cement floor and bar, lightbulb lamps, exposed brick walls, and the like. Yet where it scrimps on design, Zweitbester splurges on concept, and its quirky concept has gotten quite the press. Whether it’s the DJs spinning tracks in the turquoise, co-ed restroom (!!) on weekends, the restaurant staff’s own grandmothers who cook behind the stove once a month serving their secrets, or the fact that it has held dumpling-themed weeks brilliantly called “Austria’s Next Top Knödel,” Zweitbester is one of a kind.

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I’ve been twice now. First for drinks on a Saturday night. The place was packed, the atmosphere hoppin’, the beverages superb and remarkably affordable. Having heard so much about their food, however, I was eager to get back for another visit. The chance recently came shortly before their menu changed for Spring. Whoa. These hipsters can cook.

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The restaurant relies on local, seasonal, and organic ingredients whenever possible, and its main suppliers are listed on its website free for anyone to see. With bread from Gragger, produce from Adamah, and meat from Murau, and local markets, quality reigns. The main menu changes with the seasons with a daily specials menu rolling out weekly. It was a quiet weekday night when I met up with a girlfriend for dinner, but the place soon filled with guests, all of whom seemed to be quite familiar with the staff. Yay for Stammtisch dining! Good thing we reserved.

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To start we split an an appetizer of bacon-wrapped goat cheese served with field lettuce atop pumpkin chutney. Oh, was this delicious. Ridiculously delicious, actually. A basket of bauernbrot to round it out.

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My friend, ensuring her meal was safe from me wanting to taste it, went with the lamb. She said it was incredible.

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I wasn’t in the mood for a main course, so I went with another appetizer, a salad of buffalo mozzarella, rucola pesto, tomatoes, and herbs. Wunderbar. Looking back I realize this evening was essentially a cheese sampler for me with a few vegetables thrown in for good measure. No wonder I think back very fondly!

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As we were finishing up, my husband caught up with us once finishing a long day at work. He is lucky enough to get amazing meals at his job, so he usually just wants a small ‘snack’ in the evenings. I knew he’d order this once I saw it on offer. Beef Tartare. Nothing gets between that boy and raw, minced meat when he sees it on a menu. I think I’ve mentioned on more than one occasion on this blog that opposites really do attract? He said it was lecker. Snacktastic. (Okay, he didn’t say that. Can you imagine an Austrian ever saying that? I for one, cannot.)

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And to finish, my friend and I shared a creme brûlée, one that seriously left us wishing we had each ordered our own. That crack of breaking through the layer of caramelized sugar when eating this dessert gets me every time. The best.

Zweitbester 
Heumühlgasse 2
1040 Wien
http://www.zweitbester.at 
*Picture #3 from restaurant’s facebook page.