Zurich was our final stop on the 17-day 50th Anniversary Celebration trip. Prior to catching our flights home we were enjoying a few nights in our favorite hotel, the Kindli, in the Lindenhof quarter of Old Town Zurich.
To complete our celebration, we made reservations for dinner at the Zunfthaus zur Waag. A light Summer rain was beginning to fall as we made our way down the gentle hill, under the Kindli-provided umbrellas, to the Munsterhof town square. The town square was a hive of activity for an upcoming live, outdoor broadcast of an opera premiere. Technicians were still running cables and plastic sheeting had been thrown higgledy-piggledy over the tops of white folding chairs in an attempt to keep them dry for soon-to-be arriving patrons.
After walking across the busy square we entered the serene Zunfthaus zur Waag and took a flight of carpeted stairs to the second level dining room, following the scent of browning butter and fresh baked bread. Sepp Wimmer, the manager since 2004, greeted us upon our arrival into the cozy and beautiful room where we were seated at a table overlooking the setting for the upcoming premiere. Champagne flutes were quickly presented and filled and the leather bound menus graciously handed to each of us. As the summer light began to fade, the cooling rains increased, and the operatic music began to bounce its way around the stone facades of the medieval buildings surrounding the square.
During our three course dinner and several bottles of a crisp Swiss white wine we savored the pan fried duck liver with candied ginger, yellow plums chutney, and fruit bread followed by our revered sliced veal “Zurich style” with calf’s kidneys and “Rösti“. The delicate, tender slices of the veal were bathed in a mushroom and cream sauce spilling over and into the crispy shreds of potatoes underneath. Just when we thought we could not eat another morsel, we were served warm souffles with a candle by Sepp.
Due to the warmth of the summer month and possibly the rich food and abundance of wine, we became uncomfortably hot. And since we were the last table in the dining room Sepp thoughtfully cracked open one of the leaded glass windows above our table. As the gentle mist blew in we were offered a course of Grappa and encouraged to enjoy the music floating up from the square. As we sipped our Grappa, with the mist of the summer storm blowing in the window and onto our skin, we enjoyed the strains of the operatic music by candlelight emanating from behind a sparkling crystal cylinder as we reminisced about the trip. It was an unforgettable moment in Old Town Zurich!
Mary Beth I have a passion for creating and experiencing unforgettable moments and sharing those with others. I hope that this story has helped you experience one of those moments.
