In Search of Comfort Food in Germany and Austria

On a driving trip from Munich to Salzburg, my friend and I soon tired of eating baguette sandwiches in the car, and longed for a good, hot meal reminiscent of American diner food in both taste and price.

As the golden arches are to America's favorite fast food chain, so is the giant yellow chicken to Germany and Austria's favorite breakfast and late-night nosh place, Wienerwald. Although the name might suggest a hot dog emporium, it really means Vienna Forest. I'm not sure what that has to do with the chain's specialty, chicken. In fact, for a long time, we thought Wienerwald meant "world of chicken"!

Wienerwald, Germany's oldest multiunit restaurant company, is actually more like a Bavarian Denny's than a McDonalds. . Instead of a Grand Slam, you might choose the Farmer's Breakfast, a frittata with everything in it but the kitchen sink. Ham, cheese, peppers, mushroom ,potatoes, and Wienerwald's signature stroganoff sauce make a filling breakfast without breaking your budget. While it's not quite as inexpensive as a $2.99 Grand Slam, the hearty Farmer's Breakfast still comes in at under $7 U.S.

One of the few full-service restaurants that is open late at night ,Wienerwald is also the diner of choice for the nightclub and musician set, offering their full menu until 3 a.m. My favorite après club meal was a grilled chicken breast smothered with the rich stroganoff sauce atop a mountain of rostii, the local take on hash browns.

And, if you're not quite ready to call it a night, unlike Denny's, at Wienerwald you can get a shot of schnapps or a mug of Stiegl beer to accompany your meal. The family style seating can accommodate parties of twelve or more easily, and the cheery red and yellow décor features an infinite variety of kitschy chicken artwork.

It's also a good choice for families with small children , whose picky palates are often hard to please in a foreign country. Wienerwald offers the international favorite of toddlers, chicken fingers accompanied with French fries, rostii , or a vegetable.

Wienerwald will never make the Michelin or Zagat guide books. It's a comfort food restaurant where people of all nationalities can find a breakfast, lunch, or dinner that reminds them of home. Culinary snobs may call us "gastronomically challenged" ,but as someone who travels on a limited budget, to me Wienerwald and that giant yellow chicken are a welcome sight.