By Achim Schneyder
Austrian Inn's Secret Recipe: 60 Years of Dumplings, Carp and Community
When a country inn is called Gasthaus an der Kreuzung (Crossroads Inn), it's usually easy enough to find—provided you know where the crossroads actually is. The one in question lies in the Weinviertel wine region, in the village of Guntersdorf, right where Unterort, Oberort, and Thayatalstraße converge into Kirchengasse. Coincidentally, it's just a stone's throw from the local castle.
"No one knows exactly how long it's been an inn—there's no house chronicle," says Manfred Hausgnost, the owner. "Maybe a hundred years, maybe even longer."
What is certain is that Manfred's family took it over in 1964. First his grandfather ran it, then an uncle, followed by his father, and after his father's death in 1980, his mother. "From the start, it was a classic village tavern, serving simple dishes like sausages with mustard or schnitzel, and hosting weddings and funeral feasts."
But by 1993, the workload had become too much for his mother. So the then 25-year-old Manfred—along with his 20-year-old girlfriend (now wife), Martina—took over the family business practically overnight.
"We met at the Schönborn Golf Club, where he was cooking and I was working as a temp," Martina recalls. "Even though we'd only just gotten together, I packed up and moved with him to Guntersdorf when his mother asked him to come home." Over the years, Martina has grown into an exceptionally charming hostess, while Manfred—who trained at Restaurant Tuttendörfl in Korneuburg and later spent three lucrative seasons working in Switzerland—finally became his own boss (in the kitchen, at least).
"It wasn't easy," Manfred admits. "Our first goal was simply to survive." They had to take out loans for renovations, and at the beginning, their team consisted of just four people: Manfred in the kitchen, his mother helping out, his brother in service, and Martina. "But from day one, I was determined to elevate the cuisine to a new level."
Suddenly, the Hausgnost inn was serving dishes like steak tartare, calf's tongue, braised lamb shoulder, and an exquisite Herrengulasch—a refined beef goulash with pickles, a fried egg, and sausage—alongside desserts of the finest quality.
Manfred's apricot dumplings, for instance, have achieved cult status. "Back then, the daily set menu was crucial—good and affordable. We've kept that tradition, even if it no longer defines us," he says. "But in a place like this, you need a menu."
Especially now that Guntersdorf—a village of just 1,150 residents—has only one inn left, compared to the three that existed in 1993.
Today, the Hausgnosts' establishment also includes four generously sized apartments, built in what was once the "Milchhaus" (milk house), where local farmers used to deliver their milk. "It's extra work," Martina admits, "but it was worth it."
Over the years, Manfred has also, in a sense, educated his guests. "You can get fried fish almost anywhere," he notes, "and almost everywhere, it's frozen. We serve it too when it's on the menu, but ours is always fresh Waldviertel carp, because carp from a good farm is a magnificent fish. And now, many of our guests appreciate that."
Then again, some guests have educated the innkeepers right back. "We always make sure we have at least one fresh salt stick in the house," Manfred says with a smile. "You never know when Turrini might drop by."
The writer Peter Turrini, a regular for nearly two decades, lives not far from Guntersdorf in Kleinriedenthal near Retz. And when he pays a visit, he insists on a fresh salt stick—before the appetizer.
In a book where celebrities shared their favorite pubs, he once said this about Hausgnost: "A working-class lad like me loves places like this because they don't expect any fancy manners from you. Luxury isn't my thing—I just need a wooden table, a wooden bench, more or less ugly curtains, and honest cooking."
Objection, dear poet! The curtains aren't ugly—but you're right about the food. Honest and truly excellent. And now that spring has finally arrived, this is the time to enjoy that cooking in the wonderful beer garden tucked away in the courtyard.
Cheers—and good appetite!
