Bavarian Restaurants 101

Posted on by March 5, 2015

Going back for a visit brings back the little quirks that are quite common in Germany but might not conform to our American ways. As pointed out in “Our featured Restaurant” article, some of the restaurants reviewed here are definitely in the upper echelon of the star rating system but many other are just posted for their, in our opinion, exceptional food together with their portion/price ratio.

We introduce many places frequented by the locals for their authentic food specialties, but with this you might encounter some ways which are strange to you.

    • Many of the smaller restaurants, especially the country types do not take credit cards, though most of the one’s geared towards tourists accept plastic, but these are usually in good size towns or around “tourist magnets” and with this usually higher priced.
    • A 15% tip is usually already included in the final check, but it is customary to “round up” the bill, so a 27.50 Euros bill would be rounded up to 30 Euros, if the service was good add up to 5%.
    • Unless stated on a sign, refills for coffee and soft drinks including water are not free, not even at American chain restaurants like McDonald’s.
    • Coffee in Restaurants or Cafés is expensive and is ordered by the cup or a little pot with about two cups in it called a “Kännchen”, again no refills.
    • Water is not automatically served in restaurants but non-carbonated or carbonated Mineral Water is offered on the menu, again no refills. The city water is treated in most places, but it is up to you if you want to drink it! If yes, we had the good experience in some restaurants when we organized and escorted a group trip to Germany a few years ago, that we were not charged when asking for plain “Leitungswasser” (water from the pipe), but this was up to the individual restaurant manager.
    • Some breakfast buffets at hotels include juices, coffee and also include refills.
    • For buffet breakfast a tip is not mandatory, but 50 cents per person would be appreciated – put under your plate.
    • If you happen to book a hotel “without breakfast included” don’t surprised if they charge you top dollars for it, it seems 10 – 15 Euros is common. Cheaper alternatives, besides the restaurants already open for breakfast would be the cafeteria in a shopping center or store, besides the “Kaufhof”, IKEA comes to mind or even some larger grocery stores.
    • Entering a busy restaurant it can happen that you will be seated at a table with people you do not know or strangers might come up to your table and ask if it is OK to sit with you. A little different but through this we actually sometimes learned more about the area, exchanged experiences and made aware of interesting things to explore in the area.
    • Stammtisch: Very common in Bavaria, it is a table with a sign on it and reserved for the regulars of the establishment, to sit there you have to be invited by a member or seated there by the host.
    • In some restaurants if they bring a bread basket to the table and bread or hard rolls are not listed as part of your meal, they might charge you for the consumed bread, do not be surprised if that happens to you.
    • You sat down, you ordered, the food is ready to serve, in many locations, again often the country restaurants will serve your food as it is ready, so one person might get their meal early as the noodles and the roast was already prepared, while the other person in your party is waiting for the Schnitzel to finish frying or the dumpling to be cooked fresh. So when your food arrives let everybody at the table watch you eat, as you will watch them once you are done. Don’t wait, as your food might get cold before the other meals arrive!
    • There is no set rule that salads will be served ahead of your meal, especially a mixed plate of salads as it is very often the side of a Schnitzel dinner.
    • Different rules apply in beer gardens, if it is posted you are allowed to bring your own food but you are required to buy the drinks from the host. We have also frequented beer gardens where you have to go inside, order your food and pick it up when it is ready.
    • The German answer to fast food could be considered Imbiss-stuben or -stands. The stands are usually trailers from local butcher shops which serve a great Currywurst, Wieners on a hard roll with mustard or other quickly prepared foods which you usually eat standing up. On the main market place in Nuremberg a quick snack or side meal could be a hard roll with Bismarck herring and onions on it, try it you might like it!
    • Buffets, use a fresh plate even if you don’t have to.
    • Don’t be surprised if no vinyl gloves are worn by employees when preparing food.
    • Ice cubes are not readily available in most restaurants and not served in drinks, although drinks are cold.
    • We also encountered the presence of dogs in some restaurants.
    • Restrooms are marked as W.C. (Frauen for women and Herren for men).
    • Public toilets or those in restaurants. Most restrooms are well taken care off, after all this is Germany, but some of them are attended by a person supplying you with soap or towel, unless a price is posted the customary tip is 50 cents. Even in some restaurants there are pay toilets and you might need a coin to enter a stall. An example of this is McDonald’s in Hannover, the location in downtown has pay toilets to keep the non customers at bay while the one in a close by town does not.

While on the subject of differences from here to there, when shaking hands during a greeting, include the women too, as a matter of fact it is the rule that you shake a ladies hand before you shake the man’s and when exchanging handshakes in a group of 4 or more crossing over each others hands during the procedure is still considered “bad luck”.

 

 And here I wish you a “Guten Appetit”

 If any of you can think of other points that seemed odd to you during a visit please leave a comment.

The Beer and the Pope legend

Posted on by March 9, 2012

An old Starkbier (Strong beer) legend states, that the Bavarian monks subsidized their fasting with a specially brewed strong beer (liquid bread).

This was accepted within the Catholic Church only after obtaining the permission from the Pope.

So, many years ago to get this dispensation, they decided to send a barrel of it to Rome for the Pope’s approval. After weeks of travel, with the beer going from cold to hot under the Italian sun, it arrived there spoiled and sour.

The Pope tasted the terrible liquid, commented on the toughness of the monks for the suffering they endured by drinking this stuff, gladly gave the approval for the strong beer to be consumed during Lent.

And with this the annual Starkbierzeit (strong beer time) was started.

Bierland Franken

Posted on by March 9, 2012

The world over Bavaria is associated with beer but the records are from a small area not many people heard of:

Franken

Bierland Franken:

  • Franken or Franconia is divided into 3 regions, Upper, Lower and Middle.
  • All of Franken is just a little larger than New Jersey.
  • Home to about 300 breweries.
  • The village of Aufseß is in the Guinness Book of world records with the most breweries per capita. It has 3 breweries for 1200 people.
  • Many Americans are familiar with the town Frankenmuth, Michigan as billboards advertising it can be found along I-75 almost all the way down to Florida. As the name implies, the towns ancestors originate from Franken.

Well known for the Bier, there are many other things to see and do!

Upper Franconia or Oberfranken, a region a little larger than Delaware has the world’s highest density of breweries with a count of over 200.

According to the web site bierland-oberfranken.de:

“More than 1,000 different beers are brewed in “Beer Country” Upper Franconia. Upper Franconia has more breweries than every country in Europe and worldwide this speck of land is only beaten by the USA, China and Russia”.

So there is a brewery for every 5500 people living there. Compare this with Belgium, often quoted by American Beer Enthusiasts as the “Beer Haven of Europe” with a country total of 113 breweries or about 1 for every 90,800 people living there or the USA with over 200,000 people per brewery.

With the emphasis on beer there are many breweries open for tours and some noteworthy museums dedicated to this liquid are in Bamberg, Bayreuth and Kulmbach.

The area has many other things to enjoy, like the River Main offers a trip on a raft in Lichtenfels for an enchanting experience, no, this has nothing to do with white water rafting, but a leisurely ride including beer, food and music. Click “The Places” link above for what not to miss in this area.

Middle Franconia or Mittelfranken, this regions main attractions, known from countless travel and historical shows on TV, are Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Nuremberg, but there are so many other places just as charming and well worth your exploration.

The walled town of Dinkelsbuehl comes to mind, with it’s own enchanting sights and history, Fuerth, the university town of Erlangen, Ansbach and all the little towns in between, with one outstanding building or church, one see-worthy fountain, the brewery pub with the best dark beer in the area, a festival drawing thousands of visitors or just a restaurant serving the best venison dish and even just their homemade sausages, well known to locals in the area.

 

Unterfranken or Lower Franconia, centers around the River Main and with it the local natural and often dry “Mainwein” bottled in practical shaped bottle called “Bocksbeutel”, a flattened bottle known already in antiquity. So with this in mind, most festivals in this Franken area are wine themed. Take a boat ride on the river from Wuerzburg to the Rococo gardens in Veitshoechstheim or a ride to the wine town of Volkach or drive into the region of the Spessart and visit the castle at Mespelbrunn.

This area as a whole might not have the grandious Alps as background, but the midsize mountain regions like the Franconian Jura, Fichtelgebirge, Frankenwald all the way over to the Spessart have their own charm.

Market Square Kulmbach

Cities like the medieval walled city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Coburg, Nuremberg, Wuerzburg, Kulmbach and the ever enchanting Bamberg are just waiting for your visit and they do not disappoint.

Festivals are abundant throughout the year and along the River Main in the area around Wűrzburg you might step away from the beer and try a glass of local wine.

Things to do in this area can be found on our “Meet the Region, Towns and Places” site under “The Places” link

This area’s Germanic history is actually older than the rest of Bavaria. It was never overrun and conquered by the Romans. The difference is also reflected in the local dialect and in the regional “Kűche” or culinary experience.

The “Romantic Road” goes through here as well as the “Castle Road” and it calls the “Franken Beer Road” it’s own. (we are still working on publishing articles about these)

 There is a multitude of things to see and do in this region.

 

Have you ever –

  • Sat under a blooming chestnut tree and enjoyed a beer in a beer garden?
  • Looked at beautiful decorated fountains at Easter time?
  • Strolled from one beer garden to the next close by as at the Kellerwald?
  • Enjoyed a “Brotzeit” at a beer garden in the middle of the woods?
  • Listened to a Sunday afternoon classical concert in a park at one of the Bath (Spa) towns?
  • Strolled through the pedestrian zone in a 1000 year old city?
  • Sat in a sidewalk cafe and watch the people go by?
  • Walked up to a huge castle and step back in time?
  • Been part of the Geműtlichkeit in one of the many beer tents with oompah music?
  • Strolled through an outdoor market with a large assortment of diverse merchandise?
  • Indulged in a delicious fresh piece of tort or pastry and a cup of coffee at a local bakery or sidewalk café?
  • Experienced real Bavarian food?
  • Had a pair of mouth watering Bratwurst on a bun from a vendor at a festival?
  • Slept in a century old castle?
  • Gone on a bar hop in a horse drawn wagon?
  • Been at awe in a beautiful church on a hill in the middle of nowhere to end the visit there with an excellent beer from the church brewery next door?

Festival of the Fountains, Wunsiedel

These are just a few of the many possible experiences waiting for you.

You will come for the beer, enjoy the food and
you would not be the first to fall in love with this region.
 

Franken Bier, is there a difference?

While in former East Germany during a Luther tour, Ray, one of our guests asked me where you could buy an above average beer and I told him, that I will let him know when we come into the area I grew up in. We crossed into Franken to spend the night in the town of Coburg. This evening during dinner Ray approached me with the statement:

“We must be in your area now!”

He really did notice the taste difference of the beer, so don’t just take my word for it.

The other Side of Bavaria

Posted on by March 9, 2012

The Bavaria you should not miss!

Aside from all the amazing places which are listed in every guidebook and overrun by busses and tourists, there is another side to this beautiful region, may be not as famous but just as interesting. These are the places frequented by the locals, the places the self proclaimed travel gurus have not heard of yet, the places which will show you what the people and the region is really all about.

These are the places we would like to introduce to you in our section:

”Meet the Region, Towns and Places”

Here we will try to take you from area to area and place to place, point out the things worth seeing and also list some of the many of the festivals there. You would be amazed at how many charming towns there are and how many festive occasions you can find.

This area likes to celebrate and you are invited to join in.

  • We can take you to a little village, just as devastated by a wall as Berlin was during the cold war
  • to a secluded area in the middle of the woods with 20 or more beer gardens
  • to interesting museums, like the Maisel brewery beer museum in Bayreuth
  • to places which shaped history, sometimes in a major way
  • places famous among music lovers
  • some which are just fun, have great food and Gemütlichkeit
  • also a century old brewery, brewing beer the old way a few times a year, if you are lucky you might be able to get a reservation to attend.

So please rummage through our pages at the links and find what you would like to see and include in your stay in Bavaria.

”Meet the Region, Towns and Places”

is an evolving endeavor, we will add and change it frequently, so come back often and have a little patience with us.

We have many places still to add and are finding new spots of interest all the time.

Our German language blog at “Bayrisches Allerlei“, where we invite contributors from the region, supplies us with some of the information you will not be able to find anywhere else.

Look around the area you grew up in and start looking outside of your box, you will be surprised at how many places you missed out on all these years, then you realize why the information in these pages will always be growing.

Schmankerln, the Goodies

Posted on by October 5, 2019

Schmankerln

Schnitzel and Potato Salad

Rumkugeln-Rum Balls

The word describes the food goodies or specialties of the area and also the local ”delicacies”.

The biggest misconception about this beautiful part of the world is that the food choices are very limited. Yes, we like our Schnitzel, Bratwurst and Sauerkraut, but we also like Fish, Beef, Lamb, Venison, Poultry and Pork.

Many types of cheeses originate in Bavaria and it also offers a wide variety of tempting cakes and tortes, like the exquisite Prince Regent Torte.

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We are devoting a whole website to these dishes at

Inge’s Kitchen

Schweinebraten – Pork Roast with Potato Dumplings and Sauerkraut

From everyday meals to Holiday dinners, from simple desserts to 7 layer torts, some local drinks and salads, a Sauerkraut soup and a Mushroom soup our friends are raving about and even the headless, ultra lean headcheese “Suelze”, which is our most visited webpage here. Roam around a little, you might find something right down your alley.

Be aware, that many of the recipes are sinfully good and definitely not DIET FOOD!!!

Our exquisite Sauerkraut Soup

Griessnockerl Soup

Chocolate Squares, a variation from the Prinzregententorte

Bavarian Wurstsalat

The 15th century method for testing beer.

Posted on by March 9, 2012

Beer test by Joseph Puschkin

Freshly brewed beer was poured on an Oak bench. The official testers, usually 4 of them, actually sat in it for a couple of hours and if they could get up without the bench sticking to them the beer was not strong enough as the brewer did not use enough malt.

The tester jobs were very sought after as they got beer and food for free during their “ordeal”.

In many towns in those days stiff penalties were imposed on the brewer for not passing this test.

So, let’s put on our Lederhosen and test how all these watered down light beers fare nowadays.

The Frühschoppen

Posted on by March 7, 2012

The word comes from the German word for early “Früh”  and “Schoppen”, which is a ¼ Liter. “Schoppen” is the size of a small beer and also the way you order a glass of wine.

“Frühschoppen” usually happen on Sunday mornings and is an occasion or ritual which is highly treasured by the participants. It usually brings together some members of the Stammtisch (explained on another page).

On Sundays after church while the women go home and start preparing the “Mittagessen”, the big meal served at noon, the men make a beeline to their local beer parlor for a cool beer and the possibility to discuss the local news, “male” gossip and review the bygone week. Even discussing politics is not taboo and some of these discussions can become quite lively. Yes, they do serve beer before noon in Bavaria. Growing up I remember the pastor of a church in a nearby town actually starting his “Frühschoppen” already before church, when the time came he covered his glass with a “Bierfilz” (What is it? Follow the link), went to church to do his job and afterwards you found him back enjoying the rest of his beer with some of his parishioners.

It also has a daily counterpart called the “Dämmerschoppen”, from “Dämmerung” or dusk. In many cases it is now a mixed gender occasion to relax, informally get together with friends and reflect on the day.

As “Schoppen” or small beer implies, these gatherings do not mean overindulging and most participants really will only have one drink before going home.

The American equivalent would be the men seen gathering at a local diner for a cup of coffee in the morning and others stopping for a drink on the way home from work.

 

 

Dorfwirtshaus Fuchs, Neudrossenfeld-Waldau

Posted on by March 7, 2012
Dorfwirtshaus Fuchs
Neudrossenfeld-Waldau
Hauptstr.30
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“Dorfwirtshaus Fuchs” can be visited in Neudrossenfeld-Waldau which is just about 10 kilometers south of Kulmbach. They have their own farm, fishponds and hunting area which supplies them with the freshest ingredients. With their in-house sausage kitchen and smoke house they offer, besides eating their specialties during your visit, home made sausage and smoked fish for sale to take home.

Award Winning Fish Restaurant

tThey are proud of the numerous awards bestowed on their “fish cuisine” over the years.

Before, during or after your meal you can also enjoy a shot or two from their own distillery.

 

Metzgerei Lauterbach, Kulmbach

Posted on by March 7, 2012
Metzgerei Lauterbach
Marktplatz 7-8
95326 Kulmbach
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Located in Kulmbach right at the market place is one of the most impressive meat markets in this region, the “Metzgerei Lauterbach”. Their tremendous selection of 300 different types of sausages and luncheon meats puts them in a class of their own. Added to this assortment are about 100 different salads and more than 250 types of cheeses. All this makes for a splendid alternative for a lower cost lunch. Select a few slices of luncheon meat, a couple slices of cheese, buy a crunchy “Semmel”(hard roll), have them cut it open for you, add everything together and enjoy it with a sweet-sour pickle.

The other option is a warm meal from their bistro. They offer an always changing variety of six hot dishes from Monday through Friday for a very reasonable price. On a nice summer day take your purchase and sit down outside and enjoy.

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For more information on Kulmbach follow the link to our “Meet Bavaria” website and while you are there, do not forget a visit to the Tin Soldier Museum at the Plassenburg Castle, which overlooks this great little city.

Why visit Bavaria:

Posted on by October 5, 2019

neuschwanstein cezary piwowarski

Through movies, documentaries and even on the History channel, Bavaria is often mentioned and immediately brings to mind; beer, mountains, yodeling, Bratwurst and Sauerkraut. Besides the famous tourist magnets, there are so many diverse places, things and occasions, that it is hard for us to select just a few of them that shows you why this area should be part of everybody’s travel plans. We do believe that a trip there should be included in your bucket list.

 We know that some of the reasons for your first visit are to see and experience something different and new, to broaden your horizons and for some of you to connect to your roots.

We also know that you

Come for the sights

Have a few beers

Enjoy the food

Try to find out what Gemütlichkeit is all about

and there is a great chance that while you are there you will fall in love with this region.

Traveling all over our good old USA we came across many beautiful and very imposing sights that Mother Nature has given us. We stood in awe at the grandiose Grand Canyon, traveled across the beautiful Rocky Mountains, explored many parts of the Great Smokies and experienced many other spectacular sights unique to our great country while meeting wonderful people and having a good time. But somehow a visit to Bavaria is a different experience.

Take our wide open spaces and the immense distance from east to west and compress them. Take the snow covered peaks of the Rocky Mountains and move them 5 times closer to the Smokies, sprinkle in some Alpine lakes and include hundreds of cities and towns, small and large with histories going back centuries before Columbus and even the Vikings reached our shores. Scatter so many places in between, that from top of any hill in the area you will always see a homestead or some other settlements, now add the feeling which no English word describes “Gemütlichkeit” and you will understand why we, besides our wonderful trips throughout North America, like to revisit Bavaria.

We do not get tired of driving through the alpine passes with the switch backs, visiting towns like Nuremberg, Regensburg, Bamberg or Munich again and again. Stepping back in time in the medieval walled cities like Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Dinkelsbühl, searching for charming restaurants in the countryside featuring the local food. We love to roam around the weekly markets, be it for food, drink or unique merchandise offered there or just to have a good time. Attend local festivals and other celebrations and find out more about the history of the events. We also love to revisit the castles, palaces and churches we already know and find amazing details we did not notice the first and second time around and we also try to find new and exciting places we missed before. Even visit some of the local or national museums.

We always hope to get immersed in the Gemütlichkeit which is often part of the local festivals and togetherness with friends.

Now let me bring up the biggest reason for the “Why go?” (this is our opinion, but let’s see if you agree!)

Have you ever stood at the rim of the Grand Canyon?

Have you ever seen pictures or movies of the Grand Canyon?

or

Have you ever been to the most amazing sight in your area?

Have you ever seen pictures or movies of the most amazing sight in your area?

Man, the pictures and movies are beautiful and very impressive, but how do they compare with your actual visit?

Attending a championship game, a concert and also fireworks in person

or

Watching it on TV

See the amazing Neuschwanstein castle on TV or in pictures, can you imagine how impressive it is to actually stand at the entrance and look up to the immense towers, wondering how they accomplished the feat of building the place.

See pictures of Rothenburg ob der Tauber or walking around on the city walls yourself, imagining what life was like and how you would have fit in during the medieval times.

See Hitler’s Eagles Nest or actually taking the 4 wheel drive bus and the Brass Elevator up to it and wonder what events happened here that changed history.

A visit to the Dachau memorial will give you insights and feelings you never could experience through a documentary.

Not even Tom Cruise, with all of Hollywood behind him, can bring you even close to the immense feeling you will have when you visit the places yourself.

 Start planning as

Bavaria’s doors are open and their welcome mat is out!

eaglesnest florian s