Today, Bill and I finally ventured out for lunch again. Regular readers might remember that we had Greek food a couple of weeks ago. Since then, the weather got mostly crappy and we didn’t feel like going out in the rain. We didn’t go out at all last weekend and this weekend, which was actually three days because Bill took Friday off, we just went out today.
I had noticed Rocco’s Italian Grill & Bar on OpenTable.com a few times, but knew nothing about Bad Soden, the town where it’s located. Bill noticed it for the first time today and decided that we’d visit today. I’m so glad he did. We had a great time there!
Bad Soden is a spa town not far from Frankfurt… maybe about twenty minutes from where we live. That’s another plus. Actually, that’s a major plus for most everything up here. For once, we don’t live way the hell out in the boonies and can get to Wiesbaden and Frankfurt with ease. It’s a nice change of pace. As we drove into it, we could see that it had the look of a vacation town. The architecture is kind of quaint, particularly for this part of Germany, and there are a lot of upscale shopping venues and restaurants.
There’s a very convenient parking lot near Rocco’s, which we took advantage of with ease. A very friendly young waitress greeted us as we entered Rocco’s just in time for our 1:00 reservation. We had a choice of sitting in the bar area at a “high top” table or at a standard table in the dining room. They also have an outdoor area for warmer weather. I liked the music– it was kind of mod dance music, like one might hear at a fashion show. I especially loved the inviting bar, which was huge and featured lots of high end gins, plenty of excellent wines, and even a few speciality liqueurs.
Our waitress spoke excellent English, but gamely indulged Bill’s desire to practice German as she also willingly accommodated my English. Menus are available in German and English. We used the German ones.
Bill ordered us a bottle of sparkling water and a bottle of Barbera. Rocco’s has an impressive wine list, which included one bottle that sells for 500 euros. The menu was unique and appealing, particularly for Germany. They offer a number of beef dishes… and the beef is American. They have beef short ribs, flank steaks, and rib eyes. They also have pizza, pasta, and pulled pork! It had been ages since I last had beef ribs, so that’s what I ordered. Bill went with a 300 gram (the smaller) rib eye steak.
I loved the bar! It was very inviting! 
This was a nice bottle, especially after it had time to sit and open up a bit. 
Our waitress brought out delicious bread and little fried potato amuses. Both went with the aioli. 
No… we aren’t drunk… we’re just goofy.
When the food arrived, I was delighted by how good the ribs were. Seriously… it’s been ages since I last had beef ribs and it’s not something I would ever expect to find in Germany, let alone enjoy. They were great! I couldn’t finish them, so I had the leftovers packed up for tomorrow. I doubt I’ll need any more food today. Bill was equally impressed by his steak. It was covered with Italian herbs and cooked to medium perfection.
We get silly… 
when we’re bored and drinking wine… 
Beef ribs, smothered in barbecue potato chips. It was sinful. 
As was the rib eye. I considered ordering this myself, but I’m glad I went with the ribs. 
The table next to us was dressed for a party! I think this would be a nice place for a celebration.
I noticed the menu had a few Mexican inspired dishes as well as a few options for vegans and vegetarians. However, I wouldn’t say this restaurant would be a hit with non meat eaters. You can find something to eat there, but it seems to cater more to carnivores… particularly beef lovers. I saw some impressive looking cocktails, too.
We were keen to try dessert, so after a round of espresso, I had the “Black and White”– a scoop of chocolate mousse and a scoop of white chocolate mousse. Bill had “Pistachio cake with Bourbon Vanilla ice cream”. The Pistachio cake was kind of like lava cake. Regular readers know how I feel about lava cake… although at least this one wasn’t chocolate! Bill enjoyed it and I liked the taste I tried. They also had a small surprise dessert in a glass available, as well as cheesecake and cheese courses.
A shot of espresso before the closing act. 
Black and white… lovely mousse– not too much. 
Pistachio lava cake with bourbon vanilla ice cream. 
I need this lamp for my kitchen. 
Richard Wagner slept in Bad Soden once.
When it came time to exit, Bill paid cash, but he could have used a credit card. All told, it was an excellent meal and a really great afternoon in a town we need to explore more. Bad Soden may even invite us for a spa weekend… even though we only live about twenty minutes away!
I know a lot of my readers are in the Stuttgart area, but if you’re coming up here for business, this may be a town worth a visit. And if you live up here and want some beef, check out Rocco’s Italian Grill & Bar. We’ll definitely be back for more… but not before we check out some of the other interesting looking restaurants in Bad Soden!