Herr and Frau Müller went out to Grinzing on the tramway, from which they alighted at the last stop on the Grinzitiger Platz. They walked up one of the steep cobbled streets that wind through the wine hills of Vienna's suburbs and chose a slightly more pretentious Heurige, one with a large garden, with lanterns and checkered tablecloths, a Heurigv with four musicians. They selected a Heurige that served just enough food to counteract the effect of the wine and to enable the guests to stay from late afternoon through the long evening without bringing their own supper. The Midlers could request their favorite songs from the musicians, who went from table to table, and they could order any of the numerous kalte Aufscbnitte, large tempting platters of cold meats. These became increasingly elaborate when Herr Miiller ordered a feiner (or even a sebr feiner) kalter Aufsehnitt. feiner meant the addition of butter rosettes and salads, sebr feiner always meant a little goose liver pate. When the vintner's wife was enterprising, the Müllers could order Cobenzl eggs, named for the hill behind Grinzing, and Suite. They invariably missed the last streetcar back to the inner city at midnight so that they could walk home with the musicians.
Herr Graf, on the other hand, approached the whole thing quite differently. He was, after all, a connoisseur of wines and pleasure. Having kept a careful eye out for the days of sunshine and the days of cloud or rain during the previous spring and summer, he knew just about what to expect of his Heurige. He had also gone cut during the winter to spend a few quiet, pleasant evenings with Pepi and Mina Huber, his family vintners, to determine how the young wine was coming along. He had sat in the small low-ceilinged room with its warm tile stove and lovely old guitar. He had enjoyed a pipe and tasted the new, as well as some very good old wine.
When the wine was ready and the day was set, Herr Graf and Frau Grafin invited their guests. Pepi Huber was not only a good vintner, he had the added advantage of a strong baritone voice and a repertoire that included all the beloved old songs, and he could accompany himself on the guitar. Herr Graf engaged a zither player to entertain while Pepi was drawing the wine, for he considered the ensemble required for Sehrammelnusik too pretentious. Pepi Huber's Mina knew what was wanted from her. She fattened her pullets and slowly dried golden rolls for perfect bread crumbs. She churned butter, and when the day finally came, she prepared crisp, juicy Wiener Backbendel and served it with an enormous Gurkensalat and beurige Kartoffeln. Her dessert was invariably the same. Ever since Oskar Pischinger, Vienna's famous nineteenth-century confectioner, had contrived his Pitcbingertorte, it had been the accepted bcurigen sweet. Mina made the richly filled Torte herself.
The Graf and his guests enjoyed their Heurige as sincerely and simply as Jani and Resl enjoyed theirs. They loved the primitive garden with its benches and long table, the scent of lilac and linden in bloom mingled with the delicious fragrance of Backbendel, :he soft twang of the zither and Pepi Huber's Licder, and they looked forward to the Heurige all year. For all of them it was a part of Vienna that could nor be imitated anywhere-(0 drink new wine in the landscape that has produced it, in Grinzing, an ageless, unchanged Grinzing.
Wiener Baekhendel (Viennese Fried Cbicken)
Wipe with a damp cloth and dry two 2-pound broilers. The birds should be at room temperature. Cut them in quarters and sprinkle the pieces with salt. Crush enough Holland risks or dry rolls to make about 1 ½ cups crumbs. Roll the chicken pieces in flour-they should be well coated-dip them in a mixture of 2 eggs beaten with 2 tablespoons water and I teaspoon salt, and roll them in the crumbs.
Heat ½ cup fat in a skillet and in i fry the chicken, 3 or 4 pieces at a time, over moderate heat for about 30 minutes, or until it is golden brown and tender. Turn the pieces only once, to keep the breading intact.
Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a roasting pan in a very slow oven (250° F). Transfer the chicken pieces as they brown to the roasting pan and pour over each piece a little melted butter. The chicken can be kept warm in the oven for about 15 minutes.
Grinzhiger Salat (Grinzing Salad)
In separate bowls soak 1 cup each of lentils and dry white beans in cold water for 14 hours, adding more water if it is all absorbed. Drain both lentils and white beans. Boil the lentils in salted water to cover for 15 minutes and let them Cool in the cooking water. Boil the white beans in salted water to cover for 45 minutes and let them cool in the water. Both the lentils and beans should be soft but not at all mushy. Drain them well.
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