Vienna

[Mark Seitelman]

I would gladly move to Vienna permanently if I could find something to do there!

But, Smoothjazzone, there's no Vincent Nicolosi, Tip Top, and Alex Kabbazz in Vienna!

[smoothjazzone]

Part 6

One can eat quite well in Vienna without spending a lot of money. Despite that there are a handful of really high priced restaurants that are very very good:

Steirereck (Sh - tie - er -reck)-- considered by many to be the finest restaurant in Austria now in new digs that are even better. Personally I think the food is decent and the service a bit snooty.
http://steirereck.at/

Korso (Bristol Hotel): Really, really good all around
http://austria.starwoodhotels.com/korso.0.html?&L=en

Mörwald (Ambassador Hotel)
http://www.ambassador.at

Restaurant Coburg (Hotel Palais Coburg) -- amazing wine cellar and list
http://www.palais-coburg.com/

Two of my absolute favorite lower priced (but not lower quality) restaurants are:

Meierei -- owned by the same folks as Steireeck -- and located right under it in the former dairy building in the Stadtpark right by the Wien river (canal?). Given the location, the menu is milk-themed with over 20 types of flavoured milk and 150 cheeses -- which are beautifully served by a very knowledgable cheese "sommelier." They have several standard cheese plates including Austria vs. France duel (which features four cheeses from Austria and France each; when I was there, France won!), top 8 cheeses of Austria, etc. Meierei also has some of the best food in vienna including the best Rostbraten and the second best schnitzel (Korso has the best).
http://steirereck.at/

Zum Alten Fassl -- understated restaurant located in a residential area in District 5. Really cheap and really good. In good weather, they have a cool outdoor garden.
http://www.zum-alten-fassl.at/

Finally, there are several places that serve excellent coffee and deserts including Meinl, Cafe Hawelka (my sentimental favorite that wasn't the same without Mr. and Mrs. Havelka being there -- Mrs. Havelka's death in 2005 was major news in Vienna), Sacher Hotel (Sacher Torte is way better than Imperian Torte), Cafe Sperl, etc.
http://www.hawelka.at/

Paolo Bartolotti serves the best gelato in Vienna -- they have three gelatarias on Mariahilferstrasse. Every flavour is awesome.

to be continued . . .

[smoothjazzone]

I would gladly move to Vienna permanently if I could find something to do there!

But, Smoothjazzone, there's no Vincent Nicolosi, Tip Top, and Alex Kabbazz in Vienna!

And that may just be a good thing!!!

[smoothjazzone]

Part 7

One additional place worth visiting is District 19 which has several vineyards close to a residential area where one can walk among the vineyards and then afterwards grab a simple and pleasant meal at one of the many heurigen off Salmandorferstrasse. When we were in Vienna -- they had just begun harvesting the grapes and we were able to sample the first and the second sturm (partially fermented grape juice before it becomes wine).

There are several day trips one can take from Vienna. We spent one pleasant day near lake Neusiedlersee -- tasting wine (the region is more famous for its reds and desert wines) and then afterwards watching the surfers and sailors on the lake. We also went to Salzburg for a day -- too tiring and short given Salzburg is 3hrs away and there is a lot to do and see.

to be continued . . .

[Richard3]

I really hope you visit Tyrol (one of the most beautiful parts of Austria ) during your next trip.

[Degendorff]

Very nice report of a beautiful city, smoothjazzone.

May I suggest to visit Pressburg the next time you are in Vienna? You can get there via train or boat within an hour and the city has a wonderful small Old Town. I was there four month ago and was impressed.


Interesting that there is another shop selling Vass shoes in the first district. I may add that the Salamander shoe store started to offer Vass shoes, too, for about 500 EUR. Only Budapester and New Peter last if I remember correctly.

[smoothjazzone]

I have been through a lot of Austria including parts of Styria, Burgenland, Tyrol and Voralberg in the past. This past trip, we did see the wonderful production of Tosca in Lake Constance at Bregenz (we stayed in Lindau). Thank you for the suggestions -- will keep those in mind for the next trip.

[smoothjazzone]

Part 8

A desctiption of my Vienna trip will not be complete without the description of the two hotels we stayed at during this trip.

We initially wanted to stay at the Rathaus, a new wine themed hotel (I love Austrian wine), but it was unfortunately booked:

http://www.hotel-rathaus-wien.at/

Instead, we stayed the first day at the Do & Co hotel on Graben and facing Stefansdom. Many Austrians here would be familiar with the story of Do & Co, a company started by an immigrant and now one of the most vibrant and popular companies in Austria. The hotel is considered quite hip and the clientele and the servers are mostly a younger crowd. Our room was on the main floor (sixth) of the hotel and well decorated. Despite the crowds right outside on the lobby, the rooms are amazingly soundproof.

http://www.doco.com/

The second hotel, where we stayed for six days, was the Hollmann Beletage. Beletage is a Viennese term dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries where rich city dwellers would reserve the best floor in the building for their own personal use (the "beletage") and rent out the rest.

If you need a front desk, a concierge and room service -- pls move on (they do have a helpful front desk person from 9am - 5pm; the hotel is unmanned at all other times). If, however, you desire a home in Vienna where functionality and modern design have been melded together beautifully to create a restful sanctuary right in the heart of Vienna, this is the place for you.

We really did not want to leave -- I cannot recommend it more highly. We stayed in the Beletage XL rooms that are larger than the standard rooms. It was as if someone had lived in our room for a few weeks to make sure everthing was in its appointed place and just so. Pls check out the web-site -- its an accurate representation of the Hotel.

http://www.hollmann-beletage.at

Ends.

[smoothjazzone]

Thank you

Vienna has always been one of my favorite cities to visit

Very nice report of a beautiful city, smoothjazzone.

[Costi]

... walk among the vineyards and then afterwards grab a simple and pleasant meal at one of the many heurigen . . .

Grinzing with its old houses and narrow winding streets is indeed charming during this time of the year.

[bengal-stripe]

According to Balint -- 99/100 shoes fit perfectly the first time and even for their Viennese clients, they have not typically needed tweaks to the shoes or the last. The 1/100 times their is an issue, they are able to make minor corrections.

I’m afraid, I’ll have to pour a bit of water onto that passionate feature. I do not believe that a “perfect” fit of shoes is possible. There might be a perfect fit for you, but how can a new tailor, shirt maker or shoemaker get it right first time, without knowing all your preferences. (Quite often you do not know them yourselves, only when you wear something you know what you like and what you don’t like.)

I’ve said it elsewhere, I believe making the perfect last is like making the perfect corset.

It’s a bit like corset making. Measurements are one thing, but a good corsetiere, will know where to squeeze, where to push, where to go easy, where to lift and where to suppress. Do not forget, the wishes of the customer have to be taken into account as well: Miss Scarlet O’Hara preferred her corsets rather on the tight side.

There are many variables what makes something comfortable for you. Shoes have the additional disadvantage, they get mould to your feet and you can only judge the fit after you have worn the shoes for a certain length of time. After three months, you know whether or not a particular shoe fits. I had this discussion with Markus Scheer, who said that for every foot, there is only one possible last shape. just go with your one pair of feet to six different shoemakers in various parts of the world, ordering six times the same basic shoe designs. You'll end up with six very different pairs.

As far as I know, there are only the French firms Berluti, John Lobb and Aubercy which offer extensive fittings. (Mind you, they don’t get it always right, ask Manton. At least JLP binned the offending pair and started afresh.)

Taken from Aubercy’s site:

A complete pair will be made so that the client will be able to wear them daily for a month (anecdotally, it is said that these seem so beautiful and well-finished that some clients think that this is the definitive pair of shoes, and they have to be reminded to return to the workshop so that the actual shoes can be made.) There will be as many fitting sessions as the client may wish, until, after changes are made to the last, perfection is reached. This idea of a true fitting, by wearing the shoes, is becoming more and more rare, if not to say unique. It is more usual that just one shoe is made, and worn in the workshop for around ten minutes.

http://mesure.aubercy.com/gb/

Everyone I know, when having a second pair of shoes made, has asked for alterations to last and pattern: sometimes extensive alterations, sometimes minor tweaks. That’s the way it should be. One day I’ll have a pair of Aubercy shoes made, and I will enjoy every minute of the fitting processes (plural).

By the third pair, you will have your last and your pattern refined to a T. (Then of course you want something different, at least I will.)

[smoothjazzone]

Well, Rolf -- you may just be right.

As they say, the proof is in the pudding -- and the pudding is expected to be in NY by Jan/Feb of next year. I will let you know if it is just so or if its massively off. They did offer to fix or remake the shoe as needed in case of problems.

As an aside, the nearly one and half hour measuring process was fun and tiring! I don't think even a pedicurist has ever spent as much time on my feet.

According to Balint -- 99/100 shoes fit perfectly the first time and even for their Viennese clients, they have not typically needed tweaks to the shoes or the last. The 1/100 times their is an issue, they are able to make minor corrections.

I’m afraid, I’ll have to pour a bit of water onto that passionate feature. I do not believe that a “perfect” fit of shoes is possible. There might be a perfect fit for you, but how can a new tailor, shirt maker or shoemaker get it right first time, without knowing all your preferences. (Quite often you do not know them yourselves, only when you wear something you know what you like and what you don’t like.)

[smoothjazzone]

Someone kindly directed me to the follwing page with additional descriptions and photos of some of the places I referred to above:

http://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/foru ... 626&page=2

[bengal-stripe]

As they say, the proof is in the pudding -- and the pudding is expected to be in NY by Jan/Feb of next year.

I hope for you, that it all works out without any problems.

I can recall at least three member who had shoes made by John Lobb (London), Vass and Kielman (Warsaw) and needed them re-made.

In my case, those Materna boot (no fitting) were rather on the big side. Initially they tried sticking-in an additional sole, which I rejected. Then they re-made them over night (at least the front), for which I give them a lot of credit.


Mind you, If I order another pair, I want the heel slimmed down.

It’s like designing your own house, after three months living in it, you realize the kitchen door would have been better on the other side.

Rolf

[smoothjazzone]

Don't disagree

But as I have said elsewhere - and I think you are alluding to as well - fittings for shoes don't necessarily result in a better fitting shoe - you have to wear them to really get a good idea

In that sense, I think I almost prefer a shoemaker that makes a finished or trial shoe you can wear for sometime and then have them correct or replace than the person pointing the finger in your face and saying that since you had a fitting, any remaining problems are not his issue