Salzburg/Good Food/Good People/Good Beer

I went to Salzburg for work not too long ago. It was really tough going to this wonderful little town on the edge of the Austrian Alps. Salzburg is the birth place of Mozart (yawn), but is also home to the famous Augustiner Brewery/Tavern. The brewery/Tavern is part owned by the nearby monastery and has a very religious feel. When you walked in there were stands selling the most amazing food. I got a bratwurst with sauerkraut. Then at the end of hall you grabbed a mug off the shelves and handed it to a guy who filled it right from an oak barrel.

The whole experience was amazing as the tavern had a much different feel than I'm accustomed to. There were little old ladies having a social meeting, families enjoying dinner, businessmen conducting meeting, and of course, us tourists gaping. People where far more concerned with enjoying good food, good drink, and good people than getting drunk. The ideas of a neighborhood pub as a meeting place for a community has largely been lost in America. I think it is something that we should strive to bring back.