The Elusive Donut Pretzel


Some said it was only available in some small American town searching for something to put their town on the map. Something that didn’t include commissioning a local artist to build an 80ft fishing lure or stick of pepperoni next to the”Welcome to Bugfart, PA” sign welcoming you to their tiny community.

Elusive treat, courtesy of Google Images

Like most museum pieces, here in Salzburg we have found the Donut Pretzel carefully preserved under glass…only this glass is only the sneeze guard of a vendors stall, and the preservation must be required due to the very few likely sold on a given day.  My guess is the one we did see has not seen the careful touch of a human hand since the last crusade of donut-loving american tourists stumbled into the stand.courtesy of Google images, awaiting our very own image

Certainly the sugary sprinkles would appeal to little kids, but any parent that recalls the cruelty of kids on the playground certainly wouldn’t buy one of these head-sized pastries for their child to devour for lunch.  I feel guilty about even lusting after one, only because you know that much donut is even too much to share.  A dozen donuts can be devoured one at a time, over the course of a day with a number of co-workers.  Timbits seem to be consumed in a quicker fashion due to their bite-size nature, with the reality that you just ate the whole box only coming to fruition when you see the last one rattling around in the bottom of the box…or you start to feel ill.

With the desperation of yesterday’s search for something that looked edible, we recalled this sugary, white bread treasure was near and sought it out only to be disappointed.  Pretzel stands were shut down and the mobile market which filled the streets earlier in the day was done for.  We had just waited on a hilltop for an hour waiting for a meal only to find out the kitchen forgot to make it.  We were hungry, and aside from buying a brick of cheese or some smoked/cured hunk of meat tightly wrapped in some impenetrable plastic wrap…this donut spotted on our first day seemed to be the most immediate food candidate.

Can I grow one of those moustaches in the next month?

Resorting to the canteen of water and a small can of nuts, we wandered back in the direction of our hotel…discussing all the dirty things we could have done to that donut pretzel.  Dip chunks of it in coffee, save half of it until tomorrow letting it get a little stale, hang it from a necklace and take pictures to send home.  Maybe it was the hunger really settling in causing a little delirium, but we suddenly came across this restaurant-bar set in the middle of the city with a palatable menu and little distinguishable indoor cigarette smoking.

This place was an amazing throwback about 5 or 6 decades, with plush emerald green benches lining the walls, newspapers mounted on the sticks you may have only seen in the library, copper-plate ceiling treatments, a grand display case showing all the wonderful cakes and pies you too could have with your afternoon coffee.  It was definitely a place for locals as the majority of clientele was also there in the 50’s when the hotel was last decorated.  Although the website pic doesn’t even begin to capture the atmosphere, you can have a quick look at Cafe Wernbacher.

No donut pretzel here.  An excellent alternative for ‘afternoon tea’.  We will have to find that pretzel stand again and post a pic.

update at 10PM…no donut pretzels on Sundays…