Tag Archives: AAFES

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A decadent Sunday lunch at Little Italy Cucina Italiana in Wiesbaden…

Back in October of 2018, Bill and I visited Wiesbaden for the first time.  Our purpose was to househunt.  We stayed in Town Hotel Wiesbaden, a small hotel downtown, with our two dogs, so we tried several restaurants near the hotel.  Little Italy Cucina Italiana was one of the restaurants we dined at, and you can read my write up of that experience here on this blog.

Today, we needed to visit our local military installation for some supplies.  I needed some high-end make up and Bill needed to get my car set up for fueling.  We stopped by AAFES first, and ended up having a very entertaining and longwinded chat with the customer service guy, who’s lived in Wiesbaden since 1974.  He got my Mini Cooper squared away with a fuel ration card and told us all about the history of the military in the area at the same time.  I probably would have enjoyed chatting with him all day, and he seemed willing, but we had more shopping to do.  So once we had my makeup in hand, we headed for the commissary.

We bought some food staples, but discovered we forgot the Bisquik once we got home.  There’s always something we miss!  Sadly, it’s not as easy to rectify things in Wiesbaden, since there’s only one commissary as opposed to the four in the Stuttgart area.  Nevertheless, I got us some cleaning supplies and junk food I’ve been craving and definitely shouldn’t be eating.  Then we stopped by the Shoppette for some wine to help ring in the new year.

After we were finished shopping, it was about 2:00pm.  We went to Wiesbaden, parked, and headed into the city center.  Our journey took us past Little Italy Cucina Italiana.  Neither Bill nor I really felt like hunting for a place to eat and it was clear the restaurant was not taking a pause.  In we walked, and we were warmly greeted by a lovely waitress who spoke excellent English.

Last time we ate at Little Italy, we dined outside.  This is possible in most weather, since they have installed heaters over the tables.  Inside, the dining room is very tiny, as are the tables.  We took a corner table that was situated very close to another table.  Fortunately, it wasn’t busy.

I told Bill I was in the mood for a really beautiful lunch.  Lo and behold, that’s what I got.  As we listened to 80s era pop hits remade into smooth jazz, Bill and I ate our way through three dynamite courses.  Feast your eyes…

Out front.  I noticed the English speaking proprietor in the window.  I remembered him from last time.  He’s very friendly and good at suggesting things.  The guy walking into the restaurant was memorable.  He appeared to be waiting for a staff member and walked in as if he owned the place.  He had on skinny jeans, walked with a confident swagger, and shook the proprietor’s hand as he caught his reflection in the mirror and fixed his hair.

 

This is about half of the dining room.  It’s not the smallest restaurant I’ve ever been to, but it’s pretty small.

 

The “bar”.

 

Obligatory shot of Bill.

We started with super fresh bread, olive oil with tomato paste, and San Pellegrino…

And excellent red wines by the glass.

The last time we visited, I was intrigued by a raw tuna and avocado appetizer.  I didn’t order it the last time, since it was almost 20 euros and I figured it would be big.  Bill and I split it this time.  I’m glad we split it.  It was delicious and super fresh, but a lot for one person.  It was citrusy tuna with avocado bits, along with a tiny salad.  Topped with a bread stick and garnished with pomegranate seeds that helped cut the saltiness, this was a lovely starter.  At the end, I got just a hint of ginger.

 

My main dish was spaghetti sepia, basically dyed with squid ink, and served with creamy hummer (lobster) sauce and shrimp.  I managed half, since I was saving room for dessert.  This was a bit heavy, but satisfying.  Next time, I’d have it without the starter.

 

Bill went with Osso Bucco, basically a veal pot roast served with a tomato and carrot sauce, and garnished with quince.  Again, a bit heavy, but delicious.  I don’t eat a lot of veal, but I did try this dish.  If you like very tender, flavorful meat that falls off the bone, this is for you.

 

Our lunch was very leisurely and enjoyable.  The staff wasn’t rushed, so the service was excellent and the food was delightful.  It was interesting to people watch, too.  This restaurant is located on a somewhat busy street that brings a lot of foot traffic.  I noticed this restaurant is very popular with Italians, too.  Always a good sign in an Italian restaurant in Germany!

I couldn’t resist having dessert.  I gave some thought to having something off the regular menu, but our bald friend had a suggestion.  He had “baba”, which was basically like a very decadent sponge cake soaked in rum, served with candied cherries, and topped with chocolate ganache.  It wasn’t too large and came in two pieces, so it was perfect for sharing.

Yummy!  The perfect end to a lovely meal.

Bill had an espresso, while I finished my Primitivo.

All told, we spent about 100 euros before the tip, which Bill paid for with a credit card.  The proprietor asked us if we had his phone number.  I’m sure he doesn’t mind guests like us, since we ate a lot and tipped well.  And it was very obvious we were having a good time… I left there gushing, “What a fabulous meal!”

The proprietor wished us a happy new year, then told us next time we’re “boring”, to give him a call.  I had to laugh, since our old veterinarian in Herrenberg made the same error.  There must be something in German grammar that causes people to say “boring” when they mean “bored”.  But hell, I don’t speak German worth a damn, so I can’t make too much fun.  I just thought it was funny.  I’ve been called a lot of things, but boring isn’t one of them.

We really like Little Italy and I think we’ll probably be regulars.  The food is always good.  The service is friendly and professional.  And we’re always warmed welcomed by the man in charge.  That makes it a winning destination… especially since they don’t seem to take an afternoon pause and we like to eat lunch late.

I got a couple of shots of the action at the ice skating rink.  Looks like there will be quite a party in Wiesbaden tomorrow night!

Incidentally, I still haven’t finished yesterday’s Five Guys cheeseburger… I better start walking my dogs more before my ass gets its own zip code.

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Hessen

Shopping American in Wiesbaden…

Bill and I spent last weekend getting to know our local military installation.  Wiesbaden is a bit different than Stuttgart, which at this writing, has commissaries on each of its four installations.  In Wiesbaden, there’s only one commissary, and it’s located on Hainerberg, which is not the installation where Bill works.  We wanted to buy a few items that aren’t generally available in German grocery stores.  AAFES, too, is located on Hainerberg, which is also where the American schools and stairwell housing are.  Hainerberg is close to Wiesbaden proper.

This week, I knew I would be getting Internet access and we also planned to get German TV.  Prior to last weekend, we had two TVs.  One was a Hitachi model we bought in 2007, when we lived in the Stuttgart area the first time.  That one is compatible with German TV and is dual voltage, although it’s showing its age.  It works fine, but it’s kind of small.  It’s funny, because I remember we paid $899 for it at Panzer Kaserne and I remember thinking it was a huge, snazzy TV back then.   Now, it looks puny and prehistoric.  Even though it’s a “flatscreen” TV, it’s at least twice as thick as today’s models.  I remember thinking it was such a new fangled set, having grown up with a huge floor model box TV that had no remote control.  Times, and TVs, have really changed.

Our other TV was purchased in 2013 at a Target near San Antonio.  That one I figured wouldn’t be compatible with German TV and isn’t dual voltage.  We used it for DVDs and Apple TV in Stuttgart. Now that I know a bit more about modern “smart” TVs, I realize our Target purchased television probably would work with German cable.

Saturday, we decided to go to AAFES to look for a new TV.  We found one.  It’s a 55 inch Samsung model with a curved screen.  It’s a huge TV for us.  I never thought we’d ever go that large.  At $799, it was $100 less than what we paid for our comparatively puny Hitachi from 2007.

It was probably not the best idea to buy a TV at AAFES, since they really only sell American electronics there.  I mean, there are times when you can find 220 appliances  there, and we did find our dual voltage PAL/NTSC compatible TV at the Panzer AAFES.  However, as a general rule, most of what they offer isn’t really Europe friendly.  If you’re planning to move back to the States after three years, that’s probably not such a big deal.  But we’ve been in Germany four years so far and may be here for at least a couple more years.  We probably should have hit Media Markt.

The sales guy at AAFES explained that the old PAL/NTSC thing of old TVs is no longer a thing.  Now, if you have a receiver, you can access German TV with a smart TV.  We were also under the impression that our new TV is dual voltage and, we thought, like our old Hitachi from 2007, it might even come with both American and European plugs.

Well… sadly, we were mistaken.  The new TV is not dual voltage and did not come with compatible plugs.  Like our other “smart” TV, it requires a transformer.  And, when the Deutsche Telekom guy came to install the Internet and our TV service, he said that we needed more Internet equipment besides the receiver they sent us.  I think he said we needed another router and somewhere to hook up to a phone.  There is a phone outlet in our bedroom, but it doesn’t function.  So… our new TV will handle Apple TV and DVDs.  I don’t know if we’ll get German TV or not.  I guess it doesn’t matter.  I’ll let Bill sort it out.

While we were waiting for pay for the new TV, we ended up talking to a very friendly lady wearing an Irish fisherman’s sweater.  Bill can’t resist interjecting whenever someone starts talking about Ireland.  He overheard her talking about the sweater and started telling her about how fishermen in Ireland all have sweaters with special patterns that apply to their families.  It turned out the friendly woman runs a ministry.  She wanted to know if we have kids.  Nope… just dogs.  I guess I don’t have a problem with ministries for those who like them.  I, myself, am not a very religious person.  If I did have children, I’m not sure if they would be religious.  Maybe they would be… but it was kind of an awkward conversation.  On the other hand, it was also nice to be warmly welcomed.

Anyway, we were not the only ones buying TVs on Saturday.  There was a lady ahead of us who was being rather demanding with the sales guys.  She left with a 70 inch TV that barely fit in the back of her SUV.  I heard the sales guy say it was a good thing she didn’t go for the 75 inch model.  I saw several other people carting huge TVs out of AAFES on Saturday.  As for Bill and me, we managed to get the TV in the RAV 4 with no help from anyone.  However, I did almost lose the receipt.  It was very windy on Saturday and the receipt blew out of my hand.  I went chasing after it, looking like the fool I am.

A very nice teenaged girl helped me chase it down as it skittered in front of AAFES.  Every time we thought we had it, a gust of wind would blow it just out of our reach.  Her reflexes were faster than mine were and we finally captured the receipt after a few minutes of chasing it.  Normally, I wouldn’t worry so much about a receipt, but for $799, I figured it was important to keep it in case the TV didn’t work out.

One thing I noticed at AAFES in Wiesbaden is that there is no Turkish rug store there.  I’m kind of sad about that, since I would like to buy a couple more rugs for our house.  Another thing I noticed is that people are completely oblivious at AAFES.  As crowded as the one in Stuttgart is, the one in Wiesbaden was more so, and has a different layout.  And the aisles were packed with products and people who weren’t paying attention.  This was especially true in the food court area, which is where we entered the building.  Next time we go to AAFES, I’m going to skip walking through the food court.  Not only is it very crowded, it’s also packed with people with a one track mind.  I almost got run over by a woman on the way to the fountain drink machines.

We decided not to eat at AAFES, although as we were gassing up the car, I did notice that Wiesbaden has an Asian restaurant on site.  It looked like it gets good reviews, too.  But we decided we’d rather eat in Wiesbaden, so off we went in search of lunch.  More on that in my next post.

Shots of the outside of our new home…

The license plate on our SUV is now different.  We are Wiesbadeners now…

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Military

On not finding what we need at AAFES…

In a couple of weeks, Bill and I will be traveling to Scotland and taking a cruise on Hebridean Princess.  We have cruised on this ship before, back in November 2012.  We were celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary.  It was actually a rather bittersweet journey because one of our dogs got very sick while we were gone.  Despite MacGregor’s sickness, we had a wonderful time in Scotland and especially on Hebridean Princess.  Scotland felt very comfortable to me, probably because a number of my ancestors were Scots and my earliest memories are of living in England.

Anyway, when we took that first cruise, Bill brought his dress blues and wore them for the galas on the ship.  These are special meals where haggis is served.  The men wear tuxedoes and the women wear cocktail dresses.  Bill made many people, including the ship’s officers, stop dead in the their tracks when he showed up wearing his uniform.  The Brits love it when people dress smartly for a special occasion.  It was one of a few times when it seemed like Bill was so much prettier than me.  Lots of people congratulated him for looking so sharp.

I hope we can get a nicer shot on this upcoming trip…  Yes, we were a little hammered.  We needed some Scotch courage to try the haggis.

 

As it happens when guys get older and retire from the Army, Bill has gained a little weight.  Although I have been nagging him for weeks about trying on the uniform, he finally did it today.  And he found out that his uniform no longer fits him properly.  It’s enough that he needed to invest in a new shirt and jacket.  We went to Panzer today to shop for uniform essentials so he’ll be all spiffy on our cruise.  He lucked into the last jacket in his new size and found a shirt with no problem.  Sadly, clothing sales was missing the piping that he needed for the jacket sleeves and no one there could help him.  He’ll either have to get the piping off of his older jacket or go on a crash diet for the next two weeks.  Maybe he’ll find someone who can help him before we take off in a couple of weeks.

While he was buying the jacket and shirt, I took note of some “fresh fruit” being offered for sale…

I think it might be time for banana bread…  Also, at least one of those apples has seen better days.

 

We stopped by the PX for a potty break and to pick up some feminine hygiene essentials, then we went to the Auld Rogue for a late lunch/early dinner.  Bill tried the chili, which was pretty good but not very spicy.

I might be persuaded to order this sometime, though my chili is much better.  I’m not a big fan of lots of heat, but this was pretty bland for chili.  I liked the cheese.

 

This was pretty good, as usual.  I couldn’t finish it all, though.

 

After we ate and had a few rounds of Guinness, we went to Patch to pick up a couple of things from the Shoppette.  I took the opportunity to use the bathroom because I knew that if I didn’t, I’d really regret it on the way home.  Folks, I’m here to tell you that despite AAFES’ promises of a clean restroom that is inspected every hour, the potty in the Shoppette was even grosser than usual today.  It looked like someone’s abnormally large turd was stuck in the commode.  And there was also no toilet paper.  It’s a good thing I had some Kleenex with me.

Clean restroom promise… HA!

I have ranted about the nasty bathrooms before, but I just figured today’s experiences represented an unusually high level of suckitude.  It truly makes me sad.  I’ve seen some really gross toilets in my day, but they were in developing countries.  I think we should be able to do better in a place like Germany, where there is plenty of running water, people get paid regularly, and detergent is affordable.

Oh well…  Somehow, we’ll get Bill in his uniform so he can be stunning to our friends the Brits.  I’ll try to keep up with his natural beauty.

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Old friends and colleagues…

The weather was nicer today, though still pretty chilly.  We took the dogs for a walk before we did our shopping.  Zane especially enjoyed himself, though it was pretty messy going thanks to the soggy ground and occasional ice patches.  On the way back, we ran into a very pleasant German couple who seemed to enjoy our hounds.  I got to tell the husband that I can’t speak German.  Still working on it, though, and making progress in understanding at least.

Well, it was another typical Sunday in Germany and we’re still in our usual rut over having lunch at The Auld Rogue.  Indeed, we did go there today after stopping at Panzer for two top ups for our phones, a new pie plate, and a bigger mixing bowl.  Somehow, I neglected to pack a pie plate, even though I know we have at least one in storage.  We also didn’t pack any decent sized mixing bowls and I have a hankering to make a blackout cake for my husband.  When I do, I’ll have to take a photo of it.  It’s a thing of beauty.  Bill will no doubt take some to work, too, since there’s no way the two of us can eat the whole thing before it goes stale.

On our way into AAFES, Bill caught sight of a familiar face.  It turned out to belong to a guy Bill worked with at the Pentagon from 2001-03.  He and his wife attended our wedding in Lexington, Virginia, and we bought them gifts for their adorable infant daughter who is now about 11 years old.  Their son, a toddler when we last saw them, must be an early teen now.  Bill traded business cards with his old friend and I expect we might hang out once or twice.  It was nice to see them again.  You never know who you’ll run into when you’re affiliated with the military.

We de-Christmased our house and, I’m hoping, tomorrow we’ll be able to start planning a quick getaway for MLK weekend so I can write about something other than life in Germany.  I am more than ready to travel so I can write more on my travel blog.

No pictures today…  but you can bet there will be more soon.

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My German "closet"…

One reality of life in Germany that may be hard for some American hausfraus to get used to is the lack of closets in many German homes.  I didn’t get used to this the last time we lived here because our house in Pfaffingen actually did have closets, including a huge walk-in closet that our landlord had created by putting a wall up in his daughter’s room (the same room we used as a master bedroom).  Our first German landlord worked for IBM and had obviously done a lot of work with Americans, so his house was kind of perfect for American tastes.

The house we live in now is a bit odd.  It was originally intended to be three apartments.  We have neighbors on one side and then our home consists of two upstairs and downstairs apartments.  There’s even a doorbell by the upstairs door.  And no, we don’t have closets, but we do have a few really small rooms.  Fortunately, because it’s just me and Bill and we don’t need a lot of bedrooms for kids or guests, we can put those rooms to good use.  The first three photos below are of my German “closet”, a room that was originally intended to be the upstairs kitchen.  In many German homes, when you rent a place, you furnish your own kitchen.  Since this house is just one residence now, the downstairs kitchen is furnished mostly by our landlords.

We have an ironing board, a shoe rack, and two clothing racks that I ordered from Amazon.com…

I was going to use clothing racks from IKEA, but as you know, we had the trip from hell there last week.  I think I like these Amazon racks better, anyway.  They were more expensive, but they’re also sturdier and hold more.

Obviously, I have more clothes than Bill does, though a lot of his stuff is hanging in the downstairs bathroom, because there was nowhere else to hang his suits and such.  His dresser is also in the downstairs bedroom because it was too tall to get up the stairs.

I bought this shoe rack at AAFES.

This is a coat rack I also got at Amazon.  I’m not as happy with it as I am with the clothing racks, but it didn’t cost much.  I have always wanted a coat rack, but never needed one thanks to our love of closets in America (and our first German landlord’s pre-installed coat rack).

 

A better shot…

The stuff I got at Amazon I ordered about a week ago and they arrived yesterday via APO.  I bought my German appliances at Amazon.de and they got here super fast.  This “closet” I’ve created will probably not look so neat for long.  I tend to be a slob, despite my housewife moniker.

Special thanks to the folks who lived here before us and sold us the small chest of drawers in the bathroom.  It’s perfect for extra towels and sheets.

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