Carpe Diem - Burger in a Cone

Carpe Diem is a fingerfood restaurant in the historical center of Salzburg. Being a German and always planning way in advance, Ralf sent me their website link months before my trip. I then know it is a specialty restaurant that only serves food on a cone.

The day we step in, I realize this is a hot spot in town. The two story place has swanky modern design with an outdoor sitting area allowing you to people watch. The first floor has a bar on one side crowded with chic looking locals. The three of us, so utterly tourist looking, totally stand out from the surrounding...Not that I care in front of good food. Ralf made our reservation months ago so we are ushered to the second floor, where it is relatively smoke free and more quiet. We sit by the window and I can see the horse carriages passing by downstairs. The table presentation offers a serene oriental theme with slender plants streching out from little rocks at the bottom of a sleek glass vase and white flowers blossom on top. The forks and spoons are for playing doll house. Ralf picks up the tiny spoon that's no bigger than half an inch in diameter. I burst out laughing. What a contrast between my big 6 foot 4 friend and this little thing! Frankly I am not sure how he's going to handle the serveware with his gigantic hands.

Ralf and I each order the Champs-Elysées lunch menu that comes with six courses. Don't worry though since each course is served on a cone in bite size so it is not going to fill me up. Mike is not so hungry so he picks four separate cones, including french onion soup and hamburger.

Ralf says he watched a show on TV that featured this restaurant. It took the Austrian owner months to create the four or five types of cones with the right ingredient, flavor, and consistency to perfectly match the cuisine served in Carpe Diem. Each cone is the size of an ice cream cone. It was shown on TV how each dish was prepared separately in a tiny cooking utensil the same calibre as the spoons and forks. (It's certainly not cooked in a big melting pot as I can confirm from the taste later.) Ralf decided at that moment I would love this place and I do! The concept of fingerfood served in cones is itself ingenious! When in execution though, it is up to the diners. :) When the french onion soup comes out in a glass cone, Mike attempts to scoop it out in a baby spoonful, soon realizing the soup is getting cold and he's barely had two sips. He then decides to drink the entire soup in one gulp. Well, whichever way that works! My menu includes veal, chicken with wild mushroom, grilled vegetables such as corn and boh choi, and etc. I can't remember all six courses but each one is served in carefully "coned" presentation and the flavor is divine.

We are all wondering how the burger would turn out... and it comes out in three cones. One for the little meat balls, tiny bits of lettuce and a small bread patty, one for the french fries, and the last but not least, ketchup. I sample the fries with ketchup. The latter tastes different from American ketchup... I think it's less sour. Mike really likes the burger, fingerfood style.