Because today was a nice day weather wise, and we were still feeling good after yesterday’s outing, we decided to go to Hofheim today. Hofheim is a super cute town near where we live. When we lived in Jettingen, we used to hang out in Nagold a lot. Now, you might say Hofheim has kind of taken Nagold’s place as the cute neighbor town, although thanks to COVID, we haven’t yet explored it as much as we should have after going on three years of living up here in Wiesbaden.
We mainly wanted to walk around and have some lunch, and we decided to drive my Mini, as it needs to be driven more often. I was also hoping to put the top down. Unfortunately, the roof malfunctioned and we could only get the sunroof to open. I’m sure there’s an easy fix, but it’s about time for the car to be inspected and serviced anyway… I’ll let the mechanics deal with it. And then, maybe I’ll go car shopping… 12 years is a long time to drive the same car.
As we passed through the parking lot where we parked my Mini for free, I took note of how quiet and peaceful the town was. It’s a Sunday, of course, but I think Hofheim is just a more sedate town. We need to spend more time there. They have some nice restaurants and shops… and we found a nice restaurant today.
The new eatery, called Schmiede, is Italian, specializes in wines, and is in the same building that used to house an awesome Latin flavored health food restaurant called Blanca Bistro until COVID-19 struck. Blanca Bistro, like some other beloved eateries, did not survive the disease. We LOVED Blanca Bistro and were very sad when it closed. We only got to try it once! But Schmiede is a nice replacement. Below are some photos from our glorious Italian lunch!
This was in the parking lot. No one was heeding the sign. 
The little tower, which is a nice restaurant we haven’t yet tried. 
Hofheim is so quaint. 
Schmiede’s hours. 
Today’s menu… 
Bill in repose. 
We ordered wine… this was a Sauvignon Blanc from Sud Tyrol. 
Good stuff. 
I had scampi with avocados, rucola, tomatoes, Paccheri pasta, and peppers. 
Bill had triangolini with lemon butter sauce, mascarpone cheese, and sage. 
For dessert… we both had ice cream with strawberry coulis! 
Everyone was in a lighthearted mood.
We really enjoyed Schmiede, which is German for “smithy”. I guess the building was once a blacksmith’s forge. Our waiter was friendly and attentive, and the food was excellent. But really, we just enjoyed the laid back and quiet atmosphere, elegant food, and being outside of the backyard again. Lunch was 81 euros, but for that we got a nice bottle of white wine, a bottle of sparkling water, two filling dishes, and dessert. Both dishes were beautifully prepared and presented, and such a pleasure to taste. We will be back for sure. They also served wonderful, fresh, black olive bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which got things off to a good start. I think we could become regulars. It looked like the waiter had already made friends with some of the locals. They were waving and stopping by to say hi.
Below are a few more photos from our outing. It was definitely a different mood and atmosphere than Wiesbaden was yesterday.
Schnell tests available for COVID-19. 
Downtown… so cute! 
House made in 1688! 
Same house. 
Big church. 
No smoking… and no letting your pets take a crap or pee. 
Antifa ad. 
The mood is different up here… not quite like BW, but nice. 
Wedding dresses. 
A library. 
Somewhere else to explore. 
Quick test! 
Cool, manmade creek. Kids loved it. 
We didn’t stop at the Chalet for more wine… but we might next time! 
Use the public WC!
We didn’t spend a lot of time walking around. I had to pee. Hofheim has a public restroom, but I wanted to get home to the dogs. I was sure they missed us, since they have had us at home so much lately. Still, it was so nice to be able to get out and see something new. I love taking new photos and having different food. I hope this downward disease trend continues. There are so many places we want to explore, and we are both ready for long weekend trips again. Bring it on! I’m ready to write about travel and food again!
Schmiede was a real success. We will go back… and try some of the other restaurants in town, too.