Screw Italian food, where in the US can one find the best German food?

[JVS]

you know, the classics: Wienerschnitzel, Sauerbraten, Hassenpfeffer, smoked pork chops, a nice Schweinshaxe, Wursts, Spatzle, and last but not least BEER.

[GOPisEvil]

1. Come to Central Texas.

Between Austin, San Antonio, Fredericksburg and New Braunfels, you can get all the German food you want.

[crispini]

11. Oh yeah.

We even have a few biergartens up here in North Texas way. But I went to a kick-ass German place in Fredricksburg one time. Yummmmmm.....

[GOPisEvil]

16. There is one place in F'burg that's in an old house.

*slobber*

Of course I had German food for lunch here in town last week. At Scholz' Garten. :9

[Blue_Roses]

32. definitely

:thumbsup:

[BikeWriter]

46. ...Or New Braunsfel.

[texas1928]

13. I second GOPisEvil

Central Texas.

[UncleSepp]

31. Ohhhhh I miss New Braunfels!

When I was little, my family went there a lot. I loved it. I'd pester my parents all the time to go. The food was the best part - but the Schlitterbahn was the second best!

[spatlese]

71. Wurstfest in New Braunfels

If you are free in November, check out the Wurstfest in New Braunfels. You get good food, and lots of beer.. :) http://www.wurstfest.com/
There is also a German Restaurant called Oma's Haus.
Have fun!

[Zambero]

77. Portland

The Rheinlander German restaurant on Sandy Blvd. is exeptionally good. Complete with friendly German waiters and authentic live accordion music.

Oops, I forget Portand is in Oregon, not Texas, but it's still worth the drive!

[jobycom]

84. No place like Fredricksburg. Good microbrewery, too. nt.

[GOPisEvil]

85. I think we should take a DU road trip to F'burg for lunch and wandering.

:plotting:

[jobycom]

86. I'm there!!! When?

[GOPisEvil]

87. I think we could combine it with a wildflower viewing, too.

So, maybe the spring?

Oh, I'm considering a Super Bowl gathering at my house again. I'll keep y'all posted.

[jobycom]

89. Keep me posted and remember

I'm hit or miss on the Texas forum, so get someone to PM me!!!

[GOPisEvil]

90. Will do.

And I'll make sure to have some non-meat options as well. :)

[jobycom]

93. Yeah, like

beer and chips? :-)

[GOPisEvil]

95. Heh...I make a good hummus.

Both regular and roasted red pepper.

[yellowdogintexas]

108. that would be a blast! I have not done the German Hill country

thing yet.

[Frank Cannon]

111. November in and around New Braunfels and Fredericksburg, TX!

Oh, my god, it's almost a pornocopia of German food and brew!

There's a microbrewery in Fredericksburg that also runs a "bed and brew". They have terrific beer, terrific food, and last time I was there, they had a German folk band called "The Sauerkrauts" that put on one hell of a fun show.

[ChoralScholar]

2. There is a restaurant in Hot Springs, AR

called the Brauhaus. It is located underground in a former bordello. It is very tasty.

[libnnc]

3. Believe it or not...Manteo, NC

The Weeping Radish
http://www.weepingradish.com/

[supernova]

24. Writing this down

I'll have to try this next time I'm out there. Thanks. :-)

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. There are a couple FANTASTIC German restaurants in Manhattan

though I cannot remember the names nor addresses, though the two I'm thinking of are in the 50s on the west side.

And they are not high-cuisine, either - they're basic, peasant German, cheap, but fucking good.

[sir_captain]

48. Hallo Berlin?

That's got to be one of them, right?

[Kellanved]

51. Is that the beer garden with the Berlin bear on it?

When I first saw it, I found it rather funny as Berlin does not have the Bavarian beer culture :D .

In fact the old native Berlin cuisine is largely extinct; the dishes being either too awful or requiring ingredients no longer grown.

[jmowreader]

106. The famous pea soup?

I went on a tour of Neukoelln once; Neukoelln was our "partnership district." Uhh...yeah. Take the unit with the largest number of troops who can actually speak German and pair it up with the district that's farthest from the American kasernes. If this makes sense to you, You're In The Army!!!

The only thing that Neukoelln has going for it is the distillery that makes lovely plum brandy. Unfortunately, you gotta go to Neukoelln to get any. The guide told us, "this is the only distillery in Berlin." Well...there's a reason for that: Berliner Kindl doesn't get you wasted enough to make you forget you live in Neukoelln, the most depressing part of all Berlin. Fucking Karlshorst wasn't that bad...and that was when the Soviets still lived there.

(In the middle of this bad war story, here's a worse one: The Berlin Brigade had this thing called the School of Standards. We weren't part of the Brigade but we had to attend too. You got to spend two weeks at McNair getting briefed by every agency in the command in the morning, and learning to speak some German in the afternoon.

We're sitting in the barracks getting really fucking shitfaced one evening when this new kid showed up straight from stateside. There was a defined welcoming procedure for all new soldiers to our unit, and it involved a very large amount of beer. We just got the guy really toasted, and while we were drinking we told him about the town, the unit (being sure not to tell him the good stuff because he didn't have his access turned on, we weren't in a secure area, and his instructors at school told him what we did for a living anyway) and other important things.

I looked at the kid with the most serious expression I could muster after a twelve-pack and said "we're going to send you to a school called the School of Standards. We call it SOS. Everyone assigned to Berlin has to go. And part of SOS is German Headstart. On your first day in Headstart they're gonna ask you what district in Berlin you live in. Everyone else in your class is gonna be some dumbfuck grunt and none of them will know where they live. We don't want that to happen to you, so listen close: we live in Karlshorst."

The Soviet Army's base was in Karlshorst.

About two weeks later, this guy went to SOS. And about two in the afternoon, I got a phone call: "This is Special Agent So-and-So (a buddy from Korea) from the 766th MI Detachment. Man, don't get anyone else drunk and tell them they live in Karlshorst. That kid you set up? He told the German teacher he lives in Karlshorst and she shit a brick, man, and don't try to deny it was you because you do shit like that.")

At the end of the tour they took us to this art museum and threatened to treat us to an "authentic Berlin lunch." And I'm all "cool! They're gonna serve doner kebabs!" No such luck: they brought out these bowls of pea soup with a hot dog sticking out of them. Oh, that shit's evil.

[ZombieNixon]

5. Go to a Korean restaurant and ask them to tone down the kimchi for you?

:shrug:

[ohiosmith]

6. The best I ever had.

Hawaii Island's Best Restaurants


Edelweiss
Here's continental cuisine at its finest. At Edelweiss, dining is casual yet satisfyingly upscale, combining Old World splendor with the timeless elegance of Old Hawaii. The service is excellent, and the staff maintains genuine Aloha spirit -- albeit with a German flair. Master chef Hans-Peter serves up a wide variety of dishes from his native Bavaria. For lunch, try the wienerschnitzel for an authentic and delicious German experience. For dinner, we recommend the New Zealand rack of lamb. If you get there early, you can enjoy a cocktail by the fireplace before dinner. Reservations are recommended, but walk-ins are welcome

[libnnc]

7. And there was one in San Francisco that was awesome

Schroeder's in the financial district if I remember correctly. All walnut paneling and brass fixtures, tile ceilings. The place looked like it'd been there forever. And our waiter was an adorable, old, round man who sounded like Col. Klink.

[leftofthedial]

8. Chicago

Although several of the previous suggestions also sound excellent

[JVS]

9. Could you please be more specific?

[BobEPeru]

65. The Berghoff, and the Chicago Brauhaus

Better hurry for the Berghoff, though, as they are closing the restaurant area after almost 100 years.

[Rich Hunt]

80. the Brauhaus is a blast!

Must be pretty authentic - there were lots of REAL Germans in there when I was there.

Not so great for vegetarians but the beer was good. And they had live music.

That's a nice little German section there - Lincoln Square. Very cute.

[JVS]

91. Will the bar still be open?

I've eaten there, had great sauerbraten. This is sad indeed!

[BobEPeru]

97. Yes, the bar will still be open

[gollygee]

92. Both are fabulous

I'm sorry to hear that the Berghoff is closing. :(

[livetohike]

10. Minneapolis, MN

The Black Forest Inn.

http://www.blackforestinnmpls.com/

Or closer to Pittsburgh, Hoovers 1441 Pittsburgh Rd Valencia, PA

[Puglover]

53. Yummie...

I love the patio in the summer. They also have a HUGE photograph I think by Avedon in the bar. It's of very elderly and portly ladies in gowns and tiaras. It has several bullet holes in it from a nut job who let loose with a pistol one night.

The wienersnitzel and red cabbage is to die for.

[xmas74]

12. I've had some decent German food in the US

but one of the better places was in a small town in Missouri called Cole Camp. You don't need a restaurant name-I think there are only two restaurants in the town. In the summer they have their Low German (I believe that's what they called it) festival. That is a fun time to be there.

[supernova]

14. Bavarian Inn - Shepardstown WVA

Certified excellent cuisine by my Viennese former mother in law.


edit: My ex and I went with her once. She had been a couple of times before when she was a travelling sales lady. :9

http://www.bavarianinnwv.com/


I seem to remember this place, but I don't remember if it was Rockville. But I remember the name, and this guy was a hell of a chef. My ex and I ate there several times. :9

Würzburg Haus
Red Mill Shopping Center
7236 Muncaster Mill Road
Rockville
301-330-0402

[CoinOperatedSquirrel]

15. Amish country in E/SE Ohio (Wooster Area) or in PA

Best wienerschnitzel I've had outside of Germany

[JVS]

welcome to DU

[CoinOperatedSquirrel]

18. Thank you! Nice to be here

[GoddessOfGuinness]

17. Here are some good bets in the Mid-Atlantic region

I've enjoyed eating at all of these:

Staunton, VA Edelweiss Restaurant http://edelweissrestaurantva.com/

Front Royal, VA Stadt Kaffee
Their website's down, but Yahoo has info here:
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-5038283-stadt_kaffee_cafe_restaurant_front_royal-i

Hagerstown, MD Schmankerl Stube http://www.schmankerlstube.com/

Shepherdstown, WV The Bavarian Inn http://www.bavarianinnwv.com/dining_wine/index.html

Gute Essen!

[On the Road]

112. In the DC-Baltimore Area,

you can always check out Blob's Park in Jessup, MD -- right off I-295.

Not only is there good basic German food in a massive Bavarian biergarten, there's......POLKA!

[TallahasseeGrannie]

19. My house

when you coming?

[JVS]

20. I'll see you this summer

[Common Sense Party]

21. Amana Colonies, eastern Iowa nt

[Cats Against Frist]

22. That's what I was going to say

Lots of German food, and damn good.

[Common Sense Party]

39. Our favorite was always the Brick Haus

Great breakfast. Ox Yoke Inn is wonderful, as well.

[Hand]

102. Ox Yoke Inn...

If that's the place just off I-80, I had lunch there while driving to Colorado this summer. Can't recall what I had, but everyone was very nice and kind of soft-spoken--quite a pleasant contrast to the usual Interstate madness. The guy at the gas station actually dropped everything to get his ATM working, too. :thumbsup:

[IA_Seth]

99. Yep! Real Germans, real german food, real german beer! n/t

[Blue Gardener]

100. I second that

But you can keep the pickled ham.

[PBR me]

23. Essen Haus - Madison, WI...

and you ca get a "boot" of beer

[JVS]

25. What beers do they offer?

I think I've driven past that place

[PBR me]

27. this is waht thier site lists...

D.A.B.
Spaten
Optimator
Warsteiner
Paualaner Lager
Spaten Lager
Bitburger Pilsner
Spaten Oktoberfest
Koestritzer Schwartz
Hacker Pschorr Edelhell
Franziskaner Weiss
Paulaner Salvator
Hoff Brau Lager
Paulaner Weiss
Paulaner Oktoberfest
Hacker Pschorr Dark
Franziskaner Dunkel Weiss
and more

[jane_pippin]

62. Essen-Haus bonus: Accordian band nights!

Eat, then get drunk and dance with local co-eds to the exciting sounds of accordian music. You might know more traditional accordian jams than you ever thought you did or wanted to, for that matter. After a boot of beer you'll know them all anyway.
And extra depressing bonus--you get to look at the patch of grass next door where our beloved rock and/or roll club used to be before it burned to the ground.
AND extra fun bonus--about a block or so down is a great little record store where you might be able to buy some of the accordian songs that you fell in love with and will be swirling in your head for days.

http://www.essen-haus.com/essenhaus.htm

[fudge stripe cookays]

73. I loved that place!

We went there about 6 years ago. I had always considered even the THOUGHT of sauerkraut to be disgusting.

reprehensor got me to try his, and now I love the stuff (if done right!). As long as I can get my Franziskaner Hefe Weissen with my German, I'm in heaven!

:thumbsup:
fsc

[RevCheesehead]

26. Milwaukee.

Lots of good German restaurants there.

[RetroLounge]

28. Exactly!

Milwaukee, where else?

RL

[RevCheesehead]

30. Ah, isn't the Wursthaus in Wauwatosa?

Best schaumtorte in the state. :9

And there's a bavarian place in Waukesha or Pewaukee... I forget the name.

What's the big one downtown? I can't believe I'm spacing like this!

[book lady]

34. Are you thinking of Mader's on 3rd Street...

[RevCheesehead]

36. Yes!

Thank you... (brain fart. :silly: )

[book lady]

37. Is Karl Ratzsch's on Mason St still around ?

[RevCheesehead]

38. I have no idea.

I've never lived in Milwaukee. :(

[1gobluedem]

82. Just went there last month

It was fabulous!

[book lady]

98. I agree

[JVS]

59. Oooh Wauwatosa, home of the WELS

:scared:

[RevCheesehead]

69. It's also home to the Retro-Lounge!

And a couple of other fine DUers.

[Magrittes Pipe]

72. Correct.

Karl Ratsch and Mader's (unfortunately, Mader's has taken a downturn of late) downtown, Bavarian Wursthaus on the North West side, and Weissgerber's Gasthaus in Waukesha are all premier destinations for fine deutsche Essen.

No greater concentration of good German food this side of the Atlantic.

[RevCheesehead]

74. Ahh, the Gasthaus!

Wie haben das Gasthaus vielen gegessen!

Actually, Dad took Mom there the day she signed up for Social Security benefits years ago. She was feeling really down, so he decided to take her someplace special. Dad don't do that often - but when he does, wow!

[Rich Hunt]

79. I was just gonna say...

Milwaukee! So much German heritage there.

Cincinnati has a large German community and when my brother lived there, we partook of much German food.

[KitchenWitch]

29. There are several places in the Twin Cities area

Most notable Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter, Gasthof, and the Black Forest Inn.

[UncleSepp]

33. My house, c'mon over :-P~ (n/t)

[Wapsie B]

35. Amana Colonies

and New Ulm, Minnesota have fine German restaurants.

[Common Sense Party]

40. I second your choices and I second your signature line. nt

[Wapsie B]

41. Thank you!

And a belated welcome to DU!

:toast:

[Common Sense Party]

43. Thank you kindly...

from a former Iowan.

[JVS]

60. I've been to New Ulm!

[Dr Fate]

42. I'm not an expert, but I like the Suppenküche in San Francisco.

We invite you to explore the Traditions behind the Suppenküche, and the sensations of German food and beer from different regions of Germany, with an emphasis on Bavarian cooking. We want to help you to enjoy our traditional ways of preparing and serving food, and have included some Recipes for you to try out at home. Our philosophy is that simpler tastes in life are the best. We are providing quality to our customers in an atmosphere where they can relax, eat, talk to their friends, and are pleased by a good meal where all the elements are well-considered and prepared in the most authentic manner. Suppenküche is not an ordinary restaurant: it is more like a traditional German Wirtshaus. The atmosphere comes not only from the aesthetics of the restaurant itself but also from the people: the conversations they have there warmed by the heartiness of the food. Our food is simple, honest in every detail and prepared very traditionally-- without combining tastes that diminish the intensity of the meal. People leave the Suppenküche satisfied.

http://www.suppenkuche.com/welcome.html

[Initech]

44. There's a GREAT German place a block away from Angel Stadium

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

45. You talking the Phoenix Club?

There's also Old World German in Huntington Beach

[Initech]

81. No, I was thinking of Jagerhaus.

I've been there a couple of times.

[MissHoneychurch]

47. get something like that

and that


and make your own Spätzle :)

[wildhorses]

49. good German food?

that is an oxymoron...I know...good German BEER, yes!!!! good German food? NO WAY

[MissHoneychurch]

50. HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:spank:

[wildhorses]

52. so sorry MissHoneychurch

invite me over and cook me a meal....Half joking here

but really my grandmother was German and what I had as a child...was NOT good

forgive me????

[MissHoneychurch]

54. I will take you up on that

there are really good German dishes out there. Believe me. Maybe your grandma wasn't the best cook (not trying to bash your grandma here).


:hug:

[wildhorses]

55. maybe there are some good dishes out there and maybe she

wasn't the best cook...I will keep an open mind until I can get over there and you can prove me wrong :hug:

[MissHoneychurch]

57. offer

Rindsroulade, Spätzle und Rotkraut.

:D


:hug:

[fudge stripe cookays]

75. Hey, are we related?

I did not know my great grandmother (she died before I was born), but I have heard stories about her cooking.

She kept the same cooking grease on the stove, and used it for EVERYTHING. Everything tasted exactly the same, no matter what it was. My great aunts and uncles were so happy when their brother married my grandmother, because she was a really good cook, and things tasted the way they were supposed to.

When I was little, my mother HATED the fact that she was German. I remember going to a German place ONCE, and for an 8 year old, nothing sounded appetizing. But I did study the language for 2 years in college, and during the food unit I paid special attention.

It wasn't until I got married, and reprehensor persuaded me to go to a German place that I really was able to enjoy it and try stuff I might not have tried before.

Not all Oma's are great cooks! Trust Miss Honeychurch.

:hi: fsc

[Kellanved]

76. It depends on what one calls "German cuisine"

Germany is pretty young as a nation; there is not one "German" cuisine, there are many regional variations (although the northern variations are pretty much extinct). Most of the common elements can be explained with the bitter famine during the 30 year war; the emphasis on conservation (Beer, Wurst, Sauerkraut, Pickles,...) is thus more visible than in western Europe.

The other factor often seen in people who survived the war and the post-war years in a city is the inability to throw food away: for instance my great-grandmother was incapable of throwing food away, even when it was clearly no longer good. She also had that oil-thing going; cooking oil was one of the most valued goods in the war years.

On top of that, it has to be said: most German everyday dishes, especially so the dishes developed in the cities, are awful. The dishes still in use today were originally reserved for Sundays.

[fudge stripe cookays]

96. Well, this grandma....

was from Gladbeck, Westfalen, and emigrated to Illinois in 1903, so she didn't have that war shortage thing as an excuse.

Unless she'd seen her mother doing it because of one of the previous wars. She was just a REALLY bad cook. :P

[nickinSTL]

56. Have you HAD real German food?

By your post, I'm guessing not.

[wildhorses]

58. did you read the entire post? I just said my Grandma was

German??!!?!? HELLO....



and BTW her parents (my greatgrandparents) immigrated here and the food my great-granma served was none too good either...just not good...not bad...but NOT good either

[MissHoneychurch]

61. I guess he likes German food a lot

don't let it get to you

:hug:

[wildhorses]

63. ok...you guys have to watch me this time of day.

I just came off a 12 hour shift in the emergency room and my nerves are usually shot depending on the cases I worked...I tend to get "punch happy" if you know what I mean



no offense given and none taken....

[MissHoneychurch]

64. just go over to my thread

and let your tension out by spanking the victim of your choice :evilgrin:


:hug:

[wildhorses]

66. you are referring to the naughty girl thread?

:evilgrin: that sounds like fun...

[MissHoneychurch]

67. sure do

come on over :evilgrin:

[wildhorses]

68. be right there

hmmmmmm.... wonder who my first victim should be?

[nickinSTL]

83. I did read the entire post I replied to...

not the ones you posted above.

The post I replied to suggested there's no good German food, and that's what I replied to.

After spending more than 15 years in Germany, I have a pretty good understanding of German food. And yes, some of it is quite good.

[AllegroRondo]

70. Hermann, Missouri

Lovely town in the central hills, overlooking the Missouri River. Settled by German immigrants in the mid 1800's, now the center of Missouri's wine indunstry. About a dozen wineries in the area, many with resteraunts, and the town itself has several authentic German resteraunts. Come in March for the "Sausage Fest".

[AwakeAtLast]

107. The drive alone is worth the trip

I will have to stop by next time we drive through. We always just stop for wine, silly us <hic>!

I love driving through that area, it's great!

:hi:

[momophile]

78. Cafe Berlin in Denver is very good....

my husband and I like it better than the Berghoff in Chicago and the German restaurant in Milwaukee that we went to whose name escapes me.

Good luck in your quest. Sounds like a yummy one!!

[SmileyBoy]

88. Kroll's Diner in Fargo, ND has some real good German food.

You can get Knoefla soup anywhere here also. I personally hate the stuff, but you can get it.:)

[noonwitch]

94. Frankenmuth, MI

Zenders, the place you see billboards for in Florida. Their german food is good, there is lots of good shopping in the area, and Bronner's Christmas store is very cool.

[Bombero1956]

101. Student Prince Restaurant

in Springfield, Mass open since September 24, 1935. Some of their menu:

Paprika Schnitzel
Jaeger Schnitzel
Wiener Schnitzel
Schnitzel a la Holstein
Veal Geschnetzeltes
Sauerbraten
Hasenpfeffer

Some of their beers
Dinkleacker Pilsner
Radeberger Royal Pilsner
Spaten Lager
Spaten Mai Bock
Spaten Optimator
Warsteiner Pilsner
Franziskaner Dunkel Hefe-Weiss
Berliner Kindl Weisse

A sign inside the dining room

SWEARING, LYING, STEALING AND DRINKING
When you swear, swear by your country
When you lie, lie for a pretty woman
When you steal, steal away from bad company
And when you drink, drink with me!

[CatholicEdHead]

103. New Ulm, Minnesota

nice German town.

[mcscajun]

109. Reputedly the Most German Town in America

If you can't find good German food there... :)

[kwassa]

104. Germans make food???????

I never knew that!

I thought Deutschland existed solely on beer and pretzels.

[DanCa]

105. My gammy's house every sunday.

Dumplings made from scratch, topped with kraut, and homemade apple sauce plus beer and pork chops galore yum. Plus a lot of cakes and pastries whose names I can't pronounce.

[mcscajun]

110. New Ulm, Minnesota

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=4642111&mesg_id=4670269

[CBHagman]

113. I go to Cafe Mozart in D.C.

http://www.cafemozartgermandeli.com/zgrid/proc/site/sitep.jsp;jsessionid=aHTtqlUyG57d

On edit: But your best bet is always to befriend real European cooks and get invited to their homes. Lecker!