Some 30 years ago, my husband, T, and I were heading to Austria to live for a year. He had an appointment in the Hematology department at the University of Innsbruck and I was going along for the ride.
My father-in-law, who was born in Munich and studied chemistry at the University in Vienna (on his way to becoming a world-famous perfumer) was excited to share his memories with us and give us recommendations on what to see and do.
His two most enthusiastic suggestions were #1: Ski in Lech, a quaint town in Austria’s Arlberg region and #2: Eat his favorite dish, Wiener Zwiebelrostbraten. (Translation: Viennese Onion Roasted Meat; pictured here courtesy of ThePassionateCook.com.)
The first advice we followed during the year in Innsbruck when we spent a weekend in the Arlberg skiing at Lech (and neighboring Zürs and St. Christoph) where we found the crowds pushy and the avalanche danger frighteningly high.
The second bit of fatherly counsel was finally heeded this week when my husband ordered Wiener Zwiebelrostbraten at Ofenloch, an elegant old restaurant on a cobbled alley in the center of Vienna. He loved the tangle of wispy, crispy onions that crowned the dish, loved the tender beef rib roast that melted in his mouth, and the rich brown sauce of butter, beef stock and natural juices. But most of all he loved the fact that he was eating something his father loved….in a place where his father strolled and studied and ate and drank as a young man.
Ernest Shiftan died in 1976 just before we left on our Austrian adventure. We’ve often felt sad – during both our year in Innsbruck and our recent stays in Vienna – that we never had the chance to tell him how much we loved experiencing the places and things that were important parts of his life.
But on this night, at least, we felt that he was there with us, enjoying the mood, the food…and our company.
Looks Delicious!
Posted by: Top Chef | June 25, 2009 at 11:19 PM
Dear Top Chef,
I was doing a search on one of my perfumery idols and a link to you blog came up. I work for the same company your father-in-law did and have been training as a perfumer for some time now (I am also an analytical chemist). Unfortunately most people I work with don't know Ernest S as I do and it's even more difficult to find a photo of him. Any chance you can contact me or possibly get a good photograph of E.S. whom I consider the greatest american perfumer.
Thanking you in advance.
Richard Payne
Posted by: Richard | February 16, 2010 at 03:23 PM