I must admit that I had low expectations and was happily surprised to discover how wrong I was. Vienna has delicious and affordable local cuisine everywhere. Although I’ve been pescatarian (vegetarian who eats fish) for almost 15 years, I expanded my diet to sample the wiener schnitzel and wurst for which Austria is so famous. The mustard is especially tasty. 
I must have seen half a dozen signs claiming to having the “original” wiener schnitzel. This one was bought at a festival; cooked fresh as ordered and was quite delicious.
Menus and markets are full of influence from nearby Germany, Greece, Hungary and France. I can’t tell you what I enjoyed most. Among my favorites are the breads, cheeses and wines. The breads are rich and hearty, full of flavor and seeds; nothing like a loaf of American bread that is tasteless carbohydrates in comparison. There were plenty of open markets and small stores selling fresh foods with pride. 
The cheeses were so plentiful and readily available that I quickly lost count of what I was eating and resigned myself to savoring the taste. As good as the bread and cheese are, they’re greatly enhanced by a glass of local wine. Both the red and white wines are blends of local grapes from the vineyards that you pass whenever you go out of the city. The whites tend to be light and fruity while the reds are more full-bodied. Both are served in a small glass and are quite inexpensive by American standards (about $4 US). But, wait! You must save room for dessert! Vienna is best known for the Sachertorte but I passed on the dense chocolate cake in favor of the lighter apple strudel with vanilla sauce, crepe with plum filling or custard, and a huge variety of doughnuts and pastries served with delicious coffee. 
The plums are a spring treat that you can get in a multiple of desserts.
The apple strudel is covered in a custard they refer to “vanilla sauce” and covered in powdered sugar. Yes, it’s as good as it looks.
Again, I wasn’t expecting good coffee as I generally think of South/Central America or the Middle East for rich coffee but the melange (coffee with steamed milk) and espresso were perfect in the morning then again in the afternoon with a pastry. 
Daily afternoon tea time should be enjoyed at one of many coffee house for which Austria is well known. I was incredibly fortunate to have a travel companion who showed me the cool places with old pictures on the walls and many stories of times past such as Kleines Cafe and Hawelka Cafe. It was like stepping back in time. 
Not to be missed, the newer places such as the Imperial Hotel and the Hyatt have their own beauty and history. 
The lavish Hyatt is built in the old national mint, later used as a court for war crimes then as a bank.
Cafe Central has a statue of Peter Altenberg (Viennese poet/writer) at the front door. He spent so much time there, it’s said that he gave the cafe as his mailing address. Altenberg was part of the group known as “Young Vienna” along with Klimpt, Mahler (composer/conductor) and Adolph Loos (architect). Others who frequently joined them at the cafe include Freud, Stephan Zweig (one of the world’s most popular novelists in his day) and Leon Trotsky (Marxist revolutionary). I could just imagine what it was like back in 1910-1925 but even now it’s amazing. There was a pianist playing when I was there about 5:30 PM. My eyes kept looking up at the gorgeous ceiling.
It seems days were never long enough so dinner wasn’t early. Thankfully, restaurants were still welcoming at 9 or 9:30 PM. In every place, regardless of the size or price range, I enjoyed that impecable European service as only a professional server who takes his job seriously can offer. It seems a bit incongruent that we tip 20% in the States for mediocre service but only 10% in Europe for outstanding service. Even Austrian Airlines makes the American equivalent look bad when it comes to service, cleanliness and attitude.
Sampling the cuisine is part of the travel experience so I don’t regret the potential collateral damage to my waist. Actually, the delicious calories were offset by all the walking but even if they weren’t, it was worth it.
Post Script: 5/8/2017
Happily, I did not put on weight but after drinking for 8 days straight, I decided to take a month off. Sipping wine was lovely while I was in Vienna but it seems good not to drink for a while.
“Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy.” Benjamin Franklin
“Wine is bottled poetry.” Robert Louis Stevenson
Kathryn Byler, blog 