Since November 2017, Fabian, Philipp, Lukas & Dominik took over the Die Donauwirtinnen in Linz, Austria. All four work together with the aim of doing delicatessen with local products.
To leave for a better return
It’s in a small building of three floors, shared with other inhabitants in the Linz’s neighbourhood that the restaurant with bio and local products is born. In Novembre 2017, after 5 years of existence, Fabian, Philipp, Lukas & Dominik, four university’s friends, took over the Die Donauwirtinnen (That we can translate by the “Danube tavern”).
The young Austrians learned how to be cooks at the tourism school of Bad Leonfelden where they had the opportunity to experiment different jobs in big companies around the world. Fabian worked in Nice, France and in Florida, USA… But his desired evolved into a more human and local level. They, him and his friends, to return to their roots in Austria. The previous owners wanted to quit their activity, and the boys appeared to be at the right place at the proper moment. they decided with spontaneity to take over the Die Donauwirtinnen, in order to rethink the society.
This project wants to promote small farmer’s products around the town of Linz and to raise awareness amongst the customers. By choosing organic and seasonal products, the menu changes every weeks, for the enjoyment of our taste bud…
A creative organisation
They did the choice to open the restaurant from Wednesday to Sunday. With the help of two waitresses and of two kitchen-assistants, the young team organises the menus with available products. However it’s the chef, one of the four youngs, who usually has the final word for his gastronomic creations. The other three, comply the other tasks such as service and accounting.
If you ever eat at the Die Donauwirtinnen, you will be served in different plates, glasses or cutlery. Their crockery comes from a mix of the old restaurant’s cutlery, flea market or of their grand-parent’s own goods. Indeed, with a little budget, it’s better to recycle what all you can find.
A habit to (re)take for the customers
At any time of the year, the menu of the restaurant offers flammekueches with seasonal products. With its ingredients, sometime the flammekueches look like pizzas during the summer, Fabian named it a Flammizza. Seasonal products can give the team hard time, particularly between winter and spring. At that time the chef has to be the most creative to fulfill the menu with delicious dishes..
Today, we’ve lost the seasons rhythm. Strawberries in winter at Die Donauwirtinnen? Impossible! The desserts aren’t the same according to seasons. A juice of exotic fruits ? No, neither orange juice nor lemon juice.
However, the team is always looking for local alternatives. For example, they have the Verjuice, it’s an acid juice made from immature grapes. It can easily replace the lemon juice. Tested and approved. Therefore they support hand-crafted productions with a low carbon footprint.
A local network support
In order to promote the biodiversity by cooking rare vegetables, they mainly focus on the many small regional producers. In this way, the four managers can vary their menu and change over seasons. The products are a bit more expensive but have a great quality and taste.
The restaurant of the Die Donauwirtinnen demonstrates that it is possible to develop an activity and to support the local market and economy.
If this restaurant is tempting you, look at their website : http://www.diedonauwirtinnen.at/
