German food recommendations?

[Arch]

Spezi is at Germersheim:

"Germersheim is a district town located in the south of Germany between Speyer and Karlsruhe (near Heidelberg)"

 

[zacklaws]

Back in the good old days on exercise, we used to live on bratty and chips with either mayonnaise or mustard, swilled down with copious amounts of lager from the yellow handbag or cheap bottles of wine with a crown top on.

Then there was the time we went into a Greek restaurant, but the menu was all in German, so we was totally confused and I still haven't got the faintest what we had but that might have been the lager effecting my memory because I can only remember going into it and reading the menu then everything goes blank.

Then there was the time we managed to pull ourselves away from the bars in the red light district to get something to eat one afternoon and buy a few presents for an hour. We ordered 3 steaks but the waiter was a bit confused and finally managed to explain we was ordering 3 bowls of gravy.

And since you mentioned mushrooms, we went for a two day detailed recce to see our areas we would deploy in if the balloon ever went up, and we were given a bit of spending money to cover expenses as we would be "roughing" it in hotels. On the night, we all went to a restaurant and pooled most of our money together and I have not the foggiest what I had but it was plastered in mushrooms in sauce and once again swilled down with lots of lager and more from the fridge back in the hotel. Needless to say next day I felt a trifle bit ropey as we drove around the area's with me hanging out the back of the landrover. At one point, this big black BMW was tailgating us, when all of a sudden I hooped up and showered the BMW with mushrooms and lager. I don't think the driver liked mushrooms either as he dropped back rather sharpish.

Otherwise I don't really know what to eat in a restaurant, but the schnapps is good stuff, we used to work our way across the optics with all the different flavours, from left to right, and then do it again when we got to the end but with doubles and continue etc and the next thing you knew you was waking up next morning a bit bemuddled.

Perhaps Arch you should have asked what's the best drink.

 

[bikepete]

Here's the seasonal special menu for the place we're going, google translated...

http://translate.google.co.uk/trans...aisonspezialitaeten.php#fruehling&sl=de&tl=en

I usually recommend the fresh asparagus dishes - it's in a major asparagus growing area and the SPEZI is just after they harvest it. Rather different from the stuff you get in the UK. Their 'forest hunter' stew was also very popular but think it probably had mushrooms in it...

The main menu BTW:

http://translate.google.co.uk/trans.../www.knittelsheimer-muehle.de/speisekarte.php

 

[Norm]

I think that someone has already mentioned it but mushroom / mushrooms in German is Pilz / Pilze, so you might want to watch for that.

Heidelberg is pretty close (40 miles) to the French border. I was there for a fortnight a long time ago and there was a pretty strong French influence in the cooking... or should that be cuisine? Snails were a regular part of the menu.

Lovely part of the world, though.

 

[Hover Fly]

Heidelberg is pretty close (40 miles) to the French border. I was there for a fortnight a long time ago and there was a pretty strong French influence...

Was there a lot of Heidelbergers standing around?

 

[Hover Fly]

I'm off to Germany in a couple of weeks, to the Spezi show, and I've never been before. Apparently we'll be going to a restaurant one evening, and my knowledge of German food is limited to a rather nice Alsace thin pizza sort of thing I forget the name of, and the stereotypical knockwurst-with-the-fallen-madonna-with-the-big-boobies.

So, any tips on nice stuff to eat? I'll tackle most things, but don't like mushrooms....

flammekueche? (spelling varies)

 

[yoyo]

Arch,

You must go to Heidelberg. It is a beautiful city and I noticed that there were lots of cycle paths when we were there. Karlshrue is what we geographers call a linear town - long main street. We were there in 1980 on a town and country planning trip on a cold Sunday afternoon when everything was closed. I have only ever driven past it since!

As for food - sourkraut (forgive spelling), Some stew that was very boney and I can't remember its name, dumplings, apple strudel etc. The menus in Heidelberg restaurants were in numerous languages including English so you don't need to worry. Simply check the German and memorise it for restaurants that have no English or French. I am like you, good at reading and getting by in French but have little German. Being close to Alsace means there is some coming and going by the neighbouring French (I know that happens as we stayed in Alsace on holidays) so you may find you can be understood in French.

Do buy some of the lovely wool there. There are woolshops in every town.

Have a great trip.

Yoyo

 

[Arch]

flammekueche? (spelling varies)

That's it! Very nice it was. We had it in an Alsace themed restaurant in Annecy, where I overheard the French waiter serving us asking his boss what the English for 'aperitif' was...

Cheers for the menu link Pete, you've said the magic asparagus word! I remember you talking about it now...

I think I'm going to be splashing out a bit on dinner!

 

[Arch]

Arch,

You must go to Heidelberg. It is a beautiful city and I noticed that there were lots of cycle paths when we were there. Karlshrue is what we geographers call a linear town - long main street. We were there in 1980 on a town and country planning trip on a cold Sunday afternoon when everything was closed. I have only ever driven past it since!

As for food - sourkraut (forgive spelling), Some stew that was very boney and I can't remember its name, dumplings, apple strudel etc. The menus in Heidelberg restaurants were in numerous languages including English so you don't need to worry. Simply check the German and memorise it for restaurants that have no English or French. I am like you, good at reading and getting by in French but have little German. Being close to Alsace means there is some coming and going by the neighbouring French (I know that happens as we stayed in Alsace on holidays) so you may find you can be understood in French.

Do buy some of the lovely wool there. There are woolshops in every town.

Have a great trip.

Yoyo

I'm limited on this trip, it's a 'package' trip to the bike show, but I'll make a note for when I go on my grand tour. I suspect I'll like Germany as much as I've liked France, Belgium and Denmark....

 

[mickle]

I'll be bringing a vegetarian pack-up.

 

[Crackle]

Brattkartoffeln - German fried potatoes normally with (mit) something, is a definite recommend for typical german food, real yummy stuff. Rotkohl, red cabbage is another.

I've never been to that area but generally German food is tasty but heavy and very meat, wheat and potato oriented in restaurants and cafes. Don't forget to top it all off mit Cafe und Strudel in the afternoon, a very German tradition.

 

[TheDoctor]

But what's german for Black Forest Gateau? Schwartz something?

Oh, my German is a bit limited BTW.

Linguist to the rescue!!!

German--------English

Schwartz------Black
Wald----------Forest or Wood
Kirsch---------Cherry
Torte---------Cake

Simples. Anything ending in in torte is something flanny / tarty (I say!!!) / cakeish.

Linzertorte and Sachertorte are both highly recommended, as is Kasetorte.
Kase is German for cheese, and Kasetorte is exactly what you think it is.

 

[mangaman]

Sorry Arch - I fear you'll have to put up with German food - not good generally except pastries, and a nice time away.

People who eulogise about German food (if such people exist) have obviously never eaten in Italy / Spain / Greece / Turkey / Southern France. It's purely a produce thing. You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear and you can only make a limited amount of delicious fresh things if you live in middle/northern Europe compared to the Meditarranean diet.

Still I'm sure you will enjoy some hearty fare. I love saurkraut and sausages if you want an unimagaminative option

 

[Norm]

People who eulogise about German food (if such people exist) have obviously never eaten in Italy / Spain / Greece / Turkey / Southern France.

They do and I did and I have.

There is enough room in my heart to enjoy the produce of more than one country.

 

[Fab Foodie]

The McDonalds in Dusseldorf airport is very good. Big Mac Menu...
McNuggets are the best though...