Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Marie Antoinette: Did She Have a Thing for Coffee?

Demel vienna corey amaro

 

I am in Vienna. Coffee is not my thing. Merisi, my Austrian friend who writes a blog about coffee houses (amongst other things) in Vienna… So it makes sense, that the moment I arrived we went to Demel's, one of the oldest coffee houses in Vienna.

 

 

Demel's corey amaro in Vienna

 

Well, dang. Let's just say the moment my foot entered Demel's I fell hard for coffee. And not just any coffee, because nobody makes coffee like what I have tasted in Vienna. Except for the coffee I had in China and another time in L.A with Diogenes!

 

Vienna's coffee house

 

After walking around the city for several hours that felt like ten minutes, I told Merisi that Vienna looked like a larger scale Prague. Without batting an eye Merisi said, "Your right, but don't write that on your blog." 

At Demel's they had a large sculpture like meringue topping that looked like Marie's Antoinette's hair piece. Unreal, beautiful and puts a new spin on; "Let them eat cake."

Did you know that brioche, croissants, pain au chocolats, etc. etc. all things "Viennoiserie" are symbolic, ultra French symbolic, started in Vienna? 

 

Vienna coffee houses austria corey amaro

 

Oh France… Marie Antoinette and Viennoiserie… both had their start far from Paris. I won't mention the amazing Austrian wines. Gulp. I feel guilty even writing it, as if I am having a love affair. Oh la la. If there is a brocante in Vienna I am doomed. 

As we walked past Demel's to Cafe Central thunder roared, cracked and my hair swirled high and about, instantly a song came to mind: "Brown paper packages tied up with string…".

Comments

15 responses to “Marie Antoinette: Did She Have a Thing for Coffee?”

  1. Eileen

    Tell Merisi hello from me!

    Reply
  2. Diogenes

    Dear Corey, we think of you whenever we get to Kings Road Café, xoxo.

    Reply
  3. Alena

    Thanks Corey, I must go there when I go home.
    Have a wonderful time with your dear friend.

    Reply
  4. Gail

    Yes!

    Reply
  5. Laurie SF

    Vienna for Beginners..
    Lucky you.
    Sunrise with Merisi. I dare you.

    Reply
  6. Penny

    Wow! I was so surprised to see a blog post from you here in Vienna that I have been moved to stop ‘lurking’ and actually post a comment! I am Australian, living in Vienna and also follow Merisi’s blog (although again I have not commented!). I hope you love Vienna and get to go to the Naschmarkt Flohmarkt while you are here.

    Reply
  7. monika

    Well, Merisi is right about one thing — you shouldn’t write on your blog that Vienna is like a large-scale Prague!
    It’s not.
    I say this as
    a) an urban designer who studied Prague as part of her Master’s Thesis
    and
    b) someone born in Prague.
    Prague is likely unique (can’t think of a another example myself) in Europe in that she provides such a showcase of architectural periods, from the Romanesque to the present day and Frank Gehry, with everything in between (including oddballs such as cubist architecture!). There is a huge amount of Baroque architecture (with significant medieval and Renaissance contrasts), which Vienna no longer has. Much of the key architecture in Vienna is of the neo- variety from the latter 1800s. Not quite in the same league architecturally.
    But hey, I agree that Vienna is in her own league with coffee shops!
    (Although Prague isn’t too bad either, my favourites being the Louvre, where Kafka and Einstein used to hang out, and the Slavia, where a host of famous Czechs including Havel used to ensconce themselves).
    😉

    Reply
  8. Tessa~

    ahhhh… to visit marisi… that is where you were off to. 🙂
    i’ve visited paris, but never gotten to vienna. except through marisi’s fantastic blog/photos.
    enjoy!!!!!!!!!!
    tessa~

    Reply
  9. liesfrit@yahoo.de

    Yor mentioning of the our good Austrian wines reminded me … to go into the cellar and get my favourite bottle up, put it on the counter and ready waiting … uncorked !

    Reply
  10. Jody

    I hope you were “doomed” with a brocante! Have fun Corey and Yann .jody/fl

    Reply
  11. Mardog

    🎶 Vienna is a few of my favorite things…🎵

    Reply
  12. Brenda, Walker, LA

    I am remembering the thick cups my grandma served us “cafe’Au Lait” in…have never recaptured that exact fragrance ever.

    Reply
  13. Tara Bradford

    How lovely that you and Merisi are spending time together in beautiful Vienna! But Corey, you know that Marie-Antoinette never once said “let them eat cake!” That was a falsehood, perpetuated by her enemies and endlessly repeated as though it were true. Marie-Antoinette had enough problems, without adding to the list! 🙂

    Reply
  14. Tongue in Cheek

    Hi Tara, Yes I know Marie Antoinette didn’t say that. I used it as a matter of speech, playing with old myth, wording, symbols…etc etc. regarding the cake and how it looked like her hair piece. Sorry.

    Reply
  15. Bridget

    Hello Corey, what a wonderful and yummy city!I treasure my little box of violettes Demel! Cafe central is stunning, too!!
    Have a good time with Merisi!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions