Those of you who regularly read this blog might know that I spent 27 months living in Yerevan, Armenia, where I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I was there from June 1995-August 1997, and the first half of my time there was during a severe energy crisis. Although I would be lying if I said I loved every minute of my time as an “A3” Peace Corps Volunteer (meaning I was in the third group to go there after the program started in December 1992), I am now left with lots of nostalgia. I still remember some of the language, and I have developed an appreciation for Armenian food, wine, and culture.
Last week, Facebook sent me a random ad for a restaurant in downtown Wiesbaden called La Bohème. This beautiful eatery, named for an opera by Giacomo Puccini, specializes in Armenian and Georgian food. I was excited to see that, as I had no idea that Wiesbaden had a proper Armenian restaurant. I have seen some Georgian places, but none that were really Armenian. I told Bill and about La Bohème, and today, we decided to visit.
This restaurant is located on Taunusstrasse, which runs along the perimeter of the old town. We parked our car in the Kurhaus Parkplatz, and then it was an easy and pleasant ten minute walk to the restaurant.
Wiesbaden’s hot spring!
When we walked into the restaurant, there were only two tables occupied. We took a spot by the wall, and the waiter, who spoke perfect English apologized that they only had German menus. As we’d say in Armenia, հարց չկա– (harts ch’ka, or no problem). We ordered our usual water with gas, and a lovely Georgian Mukuzani wine.
Then, we shared hummus with lavash, and xhorovatz (grilled meat). I had pork and Bill had lamb. I was very impressed by the food. It was beautifully prepared and presented. I was wondering where this place had been all my life!
This xhorovatz were outstanding! We both opted for the potatoes, and the dish came with drilled peppers and Armenian salad with pomegranate seeds.
The funny thing is, I never had hummus in Armenia. I didn’t eat in many restaurants because I couldn’t afford it, and there weren’t that many, anyway, during my time in Yerevan. By the time I left in 1997, more places were opening. Now, there are MANY good restaurants in Armenia.
After the main courses, we had dessert, but ended up taking most of it home. We were well satisfied by the Armenian dishes. Besides, the desserts were not as good as the starter and main courses were.
We finished up with a snifter of Ararat Vaspurakan 15 year old brandy for me, and an Armenian “Moka” for Bill, which just means coffee made in a moka pot. He read his future in the coffee grounds, which he said showed Western Europe. Personally, I thought they looked more like a dog.
Well, this looks more doglike from a different angle.
All told, we spent about 135 euros, and came home with leftover dessert. We both really enjoyed our visit and I think we’ll happily dine at La Bohème again. The food was excellent, and a nice change of pace. The prices were very fair. And the waiters were patient with me when I spoke Armenian. I’m better at speaking Armenian than German, although there was no need to speak either language, as they all spoke great English! Europe really does put us to shame when it comes to learning foreign languages!
Obviously, I highly recommend this restaurant. We’ll be back!
I’m a few days late writing this post about our Easter lunch. I’ve been preoccupied with writing about our trip to Belgium and France. I didn’t want to interrupt the flow of my series with a post about lunch in a restaurant we’ve enjoyed many times.
We decided to have lunch at Villa Im Tal, kind of on a whim. Bill was talking about what he wanted to cook for Easter and I suggested that maybe we should go out to eat, like we did last year. Looking back on my posts, I see that we had Easter lunch at Villa Im Tal in 2024, too. What can I say? We really like this lovely restaurant on the outskirts of Wiesbaden, in its lovely bucolic setting by the woods.
I put on a dress and we made our way to the restaurant for our 1:00 reservation. I noticed no one was hanging around at the natural spring. Usually, a group of swarthy looking men stay there, as if they own the spring. I guess they took Easter off. Villa Im Tal is a casual place, but I felt like putting on a dress… and squeezing into a pair of tights!
The Easter Bunny came all the way from Belgium…Ooh… dramatic!
When we walked into the restaurant, one of the waiters immediately recognized us, but I think he forgot our surname. But then the lovely female waitress who always greets us by name came into the bar area with a big smile. When her colleague couldn’t find our name, she said “I got this!” and found us listed.
It was a bit cloudy on Easter this year.Cute Easter bunnies…
We sat at a table on the edge of the dining room and had a look at the set menu, which is usually what they do for holidays. We’re heading into asparagus season, so I wasn’t surprised to see asparagus on the menu! They had a meat, fish, and vegetarian option for the main course. The rest of the courses were offered to everyone.
I usually go for the fish dishes when we go to Villa Im Tal, but this time, I decided to have the roast beef. First, I made sure the vegetable side was going to be mushroom free. Bill had the saibling (char) filet, which came with barley risotto, basil coulis, and garlic. Both dishes were appealing to me, but I was very happy with the beef, which was more like prime rib than what I think of as roast beef.
Bill ordered a nice bottle of red wine, which was decanted in the novel “snake” decanter. Of course, we also had the house aperitif, too– booze free for Bill. The salad was so pretty, I took two pictures of it! Looking at the vegetarian/vegan offering, I think I would have been pleased with that, too. Of course, we also had the usual bread, with butter and a festive pink spread that tasted of chickpeas.
The roast beef came with what I think of as scalloped potatoes.
After we finished our main courses, we spent a few minutes resting, then had dessert… Red fruits, white chocolate mousse, walnuts, and ice cream, with a white chocolate topping.
A little German brandy…
We were very pleased with this lovely lunch. The food was excellent, as always, and the service was friendly, professional, and familiar. We left there feeling very satisfied and blessed, and of course we were also done eating for the day! I’m glad we went to Villa Im Tal for Easter this year. This weekend, we have plans to visit an Armenian/Georgian restaurant in Wiesbaden called La Boheme. It will be our first time there, so the review should be interesting.
Villa Im Tal is always a pleasure to visit, no matter what season it is.
In my last post, I complained about the neverending winter weather and advised that winter was free to scram as soon as possible. Well… ask and you shall receive! This weekend, we’ve had beautiful sunny days with mild temperatures in the 50s. Since it had been awhile since my last outing, Bill invited me out to lunch at the Restaurant Bootshaus Mainz today. He made a 1:00 reservation, which was a good idea. Although the restaurant wasn’t completely full during our visit, it did get busy!
We found a parking spot somewhat close to the Bootshaus. The place has free spots for guests and employees. It’s near a couple of tennis courts, as well as the majestic Rhine/Rhein River. When we arrived, we were told to sit at any two top table that was open. I chose one near the door, which faced the big windows that offered a view of the river.
Near the entrance of the restaurant…
The table where we sat had one chair facing away from the river, and a bench full of pillows facing toward it. I chose the bench, but had to do some maneuvering to sit comfortably, thanks to all the pillows! Seriously the bench was full of them, and some were pretty big.
An English speaking waiter brought us menus in English. We don’t require English menus, but it’s nice that they had them. A couple of items were not available, including the duck croquettes, which Bill had specifically mentioned when he told me we were going to dine at the Bootshaus. Oh well… now we have a reason to go back! But I would have wanted to go back, anyway, because the food was very good!
I started with sea scallops that came with a luscious carrot puree. Bill had the burrata with fresh tomatoes and crispy bread. The scallops were perfectly grilled and not at all bitter. Bill raved about the burrata, which I also tried. I only wished they’d brought me a spoon, so I could have gotten all of the carrot puree in my dish.
Next, Bill had Saltimbocca made of chicken breast and wrapped with prosciutto, with polenta, broccoli, and jus. I went with the rainbow trout, which was (mostly) deboned and served with beurre blanc, roasted potatoes and spinach with lots of garlic. I loved that the spinach was perfectly cooked and not mushy. That’s not always a feat that kitchens get right. We also had a bottle of locally produced Sylvaner and some sparkling water.
They did not give us bread, but that could be ordered a la carte. Personally, I’m glad they didn’t bring it out, because it would have put me over the edge of being uncomfortably full. They also didn’t serve an amuse bouche, which is also fine with me. The place has a very casual feel, although the food is certainly not what you’d expect to find in a casual restaurant.
My fish also came with beurre blanc– a lovely butter and white wine sauce for the trout.Love the water glasses!
We had a long pause after we finished our main courses. At that point, the couple sitting at the table next to ours abruptly got up and moved to another table. It looked like they had finished eating, too. I wondered if they moved because we’re English speakers, but then I noticed the woman got up a few times and seemed to move stiffly. Bill said she’d been giving us a side eye, but for all we know, they wanted to free up that table for someone else. The table where they sat wasn’t set up for food. Anyway… I will assume they moved for benevolent reasons, and not because they resent us Yanks. 🤭 (of course, under the circumstances, I don’t know that I would blame them…)
For dessert, I had warm cheesecake with ice cream and candy apple cream. Bill had coconut semolina flummery with a pineapple sorbet and a mango ragout. Both desserts were delicious and not too much. However, the cheesecake was definitely served warm, rather than lukewarm. They did have a chocolate lava cake, but if you’ve been reading this blog, you already know how I feel about lava cakes. 🙄 Especially chocolate ones…
Two hours after lunch began, we were finished. The bill came to about 174 euros, before the tip. Bill paid with a credit card, and we made our way home. I might have taken a walk in the very pleasant weather, but I needed to pee, and this restaurant, unfortunately, requires a stout walk and climbing up two flights of stairs to get to the loo. After two trips, I decided I’d rather go at home. There is an elevator for those who can’t do the stairs.
Overall, we had a very nice time at the Bootshaus in Mainz. I think we’ll go back, provided we don’t get deported… 🤭 (I know… I shouldn’t laugh about that, but if I don’t laugh, I might cry…)
A few more photos… the restaurant is also close to the train tracks and the city park, where we attended the wine fest a few months ago. Keep in mind, although we live about twenty minutes away from Mainz, it’s in another state– Rhineland-Pfalz (or Palatinate, if you prefer).
After four nights in Türkiye, I didn’t have turkey on Thanksgiving… This isn’t a new thing for Bill or me. Thanksgiving is not an official holiday in Germany, although some restaurants do offer Thanksgiving inspired options for the Americans. Even if I was a big fan of eating turkey, our oven is not really big enough to cook one properly. And since we’re just two people, it doesn’t make sense to cook turkey, anyway. Even if we just cooked a turkey breast, it would probably take us forever to eat it. I’m partial to darker meat, anyway.
Although we could have cooked a nice meal at home, we decided we’d rather go out to eat. Last year, we did the same thing in the same town– Hofheim– which is a really cute hamlet about 20 minutes from where we live. This year, we tried a new restaurant, Maison d’Amer. It was listed on OpenTable.de, and located in what used to be Ariston, a Greek restaurant that I think relocated to Frankfurt. We only got to eat in Ariston once, although we did get takeout from them a couple of times during the COVID era.
Bill was a little confused about Maison d’Amer, because it looked like it had been around since before 2022, and based on the reviews, it appeared to be the inside of another nearby restaurant called Schmiede. Schmiede is another restaurant we only got to try once. But as Bill was researching, it looked like the concept of Schmiede had changed. It was no longer offering dinner, only breakfast, lunch, and aperitivos. We were curious about what was up, especially since it’s been months since our previous visit to Hofheim. We’ve just been really busy this year, and haven’t had the chance to explore our local environs. After yesterday’s superb lunch, along with an explanation about things from our server, we will have to rectify that!
Getting to the restaurant turned out to be slightly challenging. Our usual Hofheim exit from the Autobahn was closed, so Bill went to a different one, which put us in a part of town with which we were unfamiliar. At one point, Bill almost rear ended some guy who didn’t quite make it through an intersection.
Soon enough, we recognized Hofheim’s familiar old town, and we lucked into a parking space very close to the restaurant. I did make a joke about the guy whose parking space we were taking. He was backing out extremely slowly… I said, “He has tortoise nervosa.” If you were around in the 1980s and watched Night Court on TV, you might remember that joke… but if you don’t, here it is.
I have a condition… LOL!!!! I used to love this show!
As Bill straightened out the Volvo in a parking spot, I noticed something strange hanging on a nearby tree…
What the hell is this? Someone left their keys? And they’re a little rusty, too.
We walked to the former Ariston Restaurant turned into Maison d’Amer. I got a few shots of the outside.
I was surprised to find the restaurant fairly empty. There was one table occupied by a couple of ladies, but the rest of the place was deserted, except for a friendly waitress who spoke excellent English. She invited us to sit anywhere we wanted, so we took a spot in a back corner on a banquette. I immediately noticed the excellent music that was playing– soulful music that I found myself repeatedly Shazaming. I was glad there were none of those weird Bossa Nova cover songs of 80s hits we were subjected to at the Hilton Istanbul Maslak at this place!
The waitress handed us a printed lunch menu, as well as the regular menu, and a wine list. We explained that yesterday was our Thanksgiving as we had a look at what was offered. I ended up selecting a pumpkin soup with a prawn as a starter, while Bill chose a salad. For our main courses, I ordered the tajine, which was chicken, potatoes, green olives, peas, and carrots. Bill had Shakshuka, an African dish that was bulked up a bit with mashed potatoes and sausages made with lamb and beef. He explained to me that he had encountered this dish on his business trips to Africa when we still lived near Stuttgart. We also enjoyed fresh bread with olive oil and rich balsamic vinegar.
Bill was able to finish his main course, but I had to take about half of mine home. That was because I wanted dessert! Last year, we didn’t get to have dessert, because we happened to finish lunch as the restaurant was closing for a pause. Maybe they would have let us order dessert, but they seemed eager for their break, so we skipped it and went to Hofheim’s little Christmas market, instead.
The waitress was not in a hurry to rush us out, and we ended up talking to her about what was going on with the restaurants. She explained that the guy who had opened Maison d’Amer was the former owner of Schmiede. He had sold it to an Italian guy, who had changed the concept, but not the name of the restaurant. She also told us that the place was always called Schmiede, except for a brief period of time in which a woman had opened a place called Blanca Bistro that sadly closed in 2020 because of the COVID pandemic.
Anyway, when Ariston closed in Hofheim, that was a chance for Schmiede’s previous owner to move to a new place, literally next door. Then, we found out that the waitress had worked at Die Scheuer, where we had Thanksgiving last year, and Easter lunch this year. I then remembered her. She had waited on us once, when we dropped in for lunch! And as were talking, I told her we had lived in Baden-Württemberg, and she said that she’s originally from Tübingen! That’s another city that is near and dear to us!
Our desserts were excellent, of course. I had a chocolate lava cake with berries. Bill had an almond parfait with persimmon sauce. I loved the plates they were served on! I don’t usually love lava cakes, but this one was done well.
Another view of the restaurant.
As we were settling up, I had grappa, while Bill had an espresso. Then we made our way home. I took a few more photos. We had sunny weather on the way into the restaurant, but it got pretty cloudy on the way home! As you can see, Schmiede now has a new sign to go with a new concept and a new owner.
That meal at Maison d’Amer was substantial enough that we didn’t need anything else for the rest of the night, although we did sit around and drink beer while listening to music… same as we always do. We will definitely have to go back to that place another time. The waitress did warn that if we want to have dinner there, reservations are a must! But we’re lunch people, especially as we get older!
Unfortunately, our Thanksgiving holiday weekend is going to be cut short. Bill has to go to the US on business next week. But, on the bright side, it’ll give me time to make some music videos and do some shopping. So that’s a good thing, I guess. At least the Christmas stuff is put up.
I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, if you celebrated it! I feel grateful for a lot of things this year, in spite of the shitshow that has been going on since Trump came back to power.
A whole lot has gone on since I last posted in this blog. The biggest thing is that my husband’s fifth grandchild was born on Monday. She’s tiny, but feisty, and very beautiful. The next biggest thing, of course, is that we’re celebrating anniversary number 23 today. And to be honest, we were kind of “meh” about it, mainly because there’s so much happening right now.
My husband’s new granddaughter is a big thing, but so is everything in the news… and the fact that tomorrow, Bill and I are both flying to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. He’s going there to work, and I’m tagging along. I’ve been to Istanbul before. It was about 30 years ago! But even the idea of going to to Istanbul is kind of overshadowed by everything else right now! You’d think I’d be excited about visiting Turkey again, so many years later. To be honest, though, I’m thinking about how it’s time to put up the Christmas shit and hunker down for the holidays.
Anyway, because it’s our anniversary, we decided we should go out. And because Villa Im Tal always offers us excellent service, great food, and a relaxed atmosphere in a beautiful area, we decided that’s where we’d go. And they didn’t disappoint today. As usual, we had wonderful, warm, friendly service, and we spent a luxurious afternoon enjoying delicious food in a gorgeous setting. In fact, they even gave us the prized table in the corner turret…
Right now, it’s goose season. Christmas is just around the corner, and Wiesbaden has already put up decorations. Since the menu had a lot of items that had mushrooms and truffles in them, Bill and I both decided to have the special goose menu, which offered delights that featured goose. Below are some photos from our amazing repast…
Champagne for me, and a non-alcoholic house cocktail for Bill.The bread came with rillets and the local cheese spread. It was delicious!Delicious salad with goose…A wonderful Austrian Pinot Noir that had a smokey essence that reminded me of a succulent ham.We brought about half of the goose home for dinner! It was delicious, but so filling!He was at the next table and was a perfect gentleman.Chocolate mousse and mango sorbet for dessert…And some Spanish brandy for me to help digest everything…One of Bill’s trademark mushy cards… He is so wonderful to me.
I didn’t ask how much Bill spent on lunch, but I feel sure it wasn’t as much as what he spent on dinner at Pizarro Fine Dining last weekend! And this time, their credit card machine was working, so we won’t get a bill.
The very cool wine decanter that looks like a snake…
Tomorrow afternoon, we’ll board a flight from Frankfurt to Istanbul. It will take about three hours, and we’ll debark at about 8 PM Turkey time (two hours ahead of us in Germany). Then we’ll spend four nights in Istanbul. I’ll do my best to get some good photos, and Bill will work… and maybe we’ll do some shopping. It’ll be good to see Istanbul again since 1996. And I’m glad I’ll be there with Bill, who can share the memories. Today, more than most days, I’m reminded that we must enjoy the time we have together and never take it for granted. You never know when it will all be over on Earth.
Watch this space for my reports on Istanbul! Here’s to 23 more wonderful years with my Bill.
A few days ago, Bill asked me if I’d like to go out for lunch on Easter. I agreed, so he found us a 12:45 reservation at Die Scheuer, a Michelin Guide mentioned restaurant in Hofheim am Taunus, a gorgeous town near where we currently live. Yesterday’s visit to Die Scheuer was our third. I think, if not for the pandemic, we would have been more regular patrons at this restaurant. It has a lot going for it. The food is excellent; the service is professional and kind; and the ambiance is very charming. Die Scheuer used to be a barn, hence its Swabian name. Now, it’s a very cozy and comfortable place for a leisurely meal.
Technically, our home is in Wiesbaden, but we only live about two kilometers from the Hofheim border. Likewise, when we lived in Jettingen, we were just near the border of Calw– maybe about two kilometers. Still, it’s a short drive to get to the center of Hofheim. Bill usually goes on the Autobahn, but I wish he’d take the back road. It reminds me that this part of Germany is also pretty, even if it doesn’t quite match the mesmerizing landscape of our previous stomping grounds.
We had beautiful weather on Easter morning, so after our usual morning routine, we headed to Hofheim. We were a little early for our appointment, so we walked around Hofheim. I got a few photos.
Die Scheuer
When we walked into the restaurant, the proprietor seemed to know who we were and greeted us by name. It could be we were the last of the people on her list, or maybe she remembered us from Thanksgiving. I assume we were the last ones she was expecting, although it’s not unheard of for us to become regulars at some places. For instance, when we go to Villa im Tal, we usually get greeted by name! We were seated upstairs, at a nice table next to a window. I really liked the bench seat. In fact, I was admiring the tables and chairs in the restaurant, which were very heavy duty wood tables, chairs, and benches. I told Bill I’d like to replace our Eckbank Gruppe with one of better quality. Maybe we’ll have the chance to shop for one soon.
I looked down at my napkin and saw that there was a colorful boiled egg nestled there. Bill also had one. His was pink, and mine was blue, and matched my dress. It was especially funny to see the eggs, since I just wrote a blog post on my main blog and made a video about how the Rewe Grocery Store was giving them out on Saturday. That gave me a laugh, since eggs are so precious in America right now.
The four course Easter menu was special; there was only a choice of the main course– lamb, chicken, or cod. Bill surprised me by ordering the fish, instead of the lamb. I had chicken, although I thought about getting the fish. We were both pleased with our choices. Below is a screenshot of the menu, all of which was agreeable to me. Bill was surprise, because I can be kind of picky sometimes.
I don’t usually eat veal, but I will make exceptions sometimes.
Below are some photos from the lunch. It was definitely hearty, but was presented at such a leisurely pace that we didn’t get too full. Bill ordered a bottle of Weissburgunder (pinot blanc) and sparkling water, and we both had aperitifs– a non-alcoholic ginger beer and mint concoction for him, and champagne for me.
Veal with green sauce, quail egg, and wild greensLobster medallion with snow peas, lobster butter, and miso foamBill’s cod with green asparagus, and champagne risottoMy black feather chicken breast with white asparagus, and nut potatoes.Rhubarb and strawberries with white chocolate mousse.
Lunch lasted about two hours or so… and it was very nice. As we were eating, I told Bill that I feel so fortunate that we’ve been able to dine in so many excellent restaurants. We have been blessed with a wonderful European sojourn so far… And now, I think we’re trying to savor it even more, given what’s been happening in our country.
The bill came to a bit over 200 euros, which I don’t think was out of line for the quality and quantity of what we enjoyed. One thing I will mention is that the restroom at Die Scheuer is in the basement, which could be a challenge for anyone with mobility issues. I saw more than a couple of older folks being very careful going up and down the stairs. I also noticed some things for sale displayed by the restrooms…
I thanked the chef and his staff as we left the restaurant. They were gathered on the terrace for their well-deserved pause. I thought we were going to enjoy a beautiful afternoon at home, on our own terrace, with sunshine, warm temperatures, music playing, and wine flowing. Unfortunately, the weather turned crappy not long after we got home. We did manage to walk the dogs again. They were super happy to get two walks in one day, and I was glad to burn off some of that lunch!
For dinner, we enjoyed the eggs and some crackers we picked up on our trip to Italy. We really didn’t need much to tide us over after that delightful meal at Die Scheuer.
These are so pretty. And yet, they are available year round in German grocery stores. They look like Easter eggs, but they’re dyed so we know they’ve been cooked.
And then, as we were enjoying the evening music and wine, the sun came out during a rain storm, and we were rewarded with a very intense and beautiful rainbow… He is risen, indeed!
Easter was beautiful this year, in spite of everything… I am reminded of how very lucky we are, on so many levels. Charlie got to show Bill some love, too…
I took this on Saturday, but it was too cute not to share…
After we had our breakfast at Bachmann Confiserie, Bill and I decided to take a walk around the Rathaus area of Basel. I got some photos of the local scene, including the Saturday market, and the very cool courtyard in the Rathaus. I got videos of people who were busking, although they weren’t all that exciting. I think I was too focused on our 12:45 PM lunch reservation at Cheval Blanc by Peter Knogl, the Michelin three star restaurant at our hotel, Les Trois Rois. We went for lunch, because dinner was fully booked. It turned out to be a good thing we had lunch instead of dinner, given how long the lunch took to enjoy.
Below are some photos I took on Saturday morning. It was sunny, but cold and windy. I was really glad I bought more merino wool turtleneck sweaters from Celtic & Co. They really came in handy.
I loved the inner courtyard of the Rathaus, which was beautifully painted.They must have to touch this up often, to keep it looking so fresh.
We ended up walking near the Basel Historical Museum, which was once a church. I took a few photos, and then on Sunday, we paid a visit, which I will write about in the next post. For now, here are some more photos…
I will write about our visit here tomorrow… The local police make lots of PSAs for walking areas. This one was about protecting your bike.Another shot of Les Trois Rois.
We went back to the hotel and got changed. We were advised that we should dress “smartly”, with no athletic wear, polo shirts, tennis shoes, or jeans. I noticed that this request wasn’t strictly enforced, although of the nine tables at Cheval Blanc, most people had dressed appropriately. I was originally planning to wear a dress, but decided it was too chilly. I wore pants and a sweater, accented with jewelry and a pretty wrap from Novica. Bill wore what you see in the below video…
When we sat down, the Maitre d’ immediately mentioned that he had gotten a note about my aversion to fungus. He offered substitutions that were suitable. We were surprised that he mentioned it from the start. The entire wait staff was so polished, friendly, and professional. It was extremely impressive! And just today, I have read about some of the staff members who found themselves becoming gastronomy experts because Chef Peter Knogl recognized their talent and promoted them!
We really enjoyed this experience, even though it was VERY expensive. I love watching Bill’s face when he eats something that blows his mind. That happens a lot when he eats cheese…
This lunch went on for about four hours, and it was course after course of exquisitely and immaculately prepared food. There were a couple of courses I didn’t want, because I don’t eat truffles or mushrooms, but I don’t think mushrooms were on the menu. We both substituted another course that featured foie gras. Bill had the course with truffles, while I had a hamachi course. And since I don’t eat much cheese, I had two desserts, while Bill enjoyed an array of cheeses. The service was absolutely impeccable, and the Maitre d’ was very charming. He reminded me a little of Justin Timberlake… or maybe Rick Astley.
Every time the staff put down a dish, it was delivered at exactly the same time. The staff members were always paying close attention to each other and coordinated everything seamlessly. Everything was marvelous, right down to the dishes used, which my German friend says was Limoges porcelain. We have been to several Michelin one star restaurants. This was our first three star experience. We did notice a difference, especially in the number of people dining at one time. Cheval Blanc only seats 30 people.
The whole “shebang” cost 320 Swiss Francs per person, just for the food. A slightly smaller experience was available for 285 Francs, but what’s the point of that? As long as you’re spending the money, you might as well go for the whole thing. We also had two bottles of water, a round of champagne, a bottle of wine, and armagnac. Check the photos for the eye-watering bill! It was totally worth it, though.
I think the Maitre d’ might have feared that I was going to be overly picky. He asked me if I had a problem with oysters. Since I grew up near the beach, I am a big oyster fan! I just can’t do earthy flavors.
He’s so debonair!Olive breadOyster with sublime lemon sauce.I loved this course… the avocado cream with jalapenos was delicious.Bill loved it too!This was a savory macaroon made with beet root and wasabi. It melted in the mouth!HamachiLobster with bergamot…Red mullet with fried fish scalesPigeon!The cheese cart…I really wish I liked cheese more.This was my substitute… a very delicate chocolate cake.Fruity mousseBill reacts to the cheese!Yet another dessert…Petit fours to soften the blow of the check…Armagnac…It went with the chocolates, presented for us at the end…Wow!
By the time lunch was finished, we were both pretty tired, and in need of some time to rest and digest. It was starting to get dark outside. Dinner at Cheval Blanc starts at 7:00 PM, so I guess the wait staff was enjoying a break before the next meal. I was pretty glad we did lunch instead of dinner. Bill and I tend to want to stay in more at night, these days.
We went to the room and changed clothes again. Bill went out to find some wine and snacks. I took a few more photos of the Rhein/Rhine… We stayed in the rest of the night, absolutely shocked by how delightful lunch was. We missed turn down, and the housekeeping staff left us a note saying they were respecting our privacy and to call them if we wanted them to come back and turn down the room.
An Italian restaurant that bordered our balcony.I think this is the Novartis building. It’s huge, and the sun hits it in an interesting way.A photo of the Michelin Man in the kitchen window.An immaculate kitchen!
Yes, we really spent about $1000 on lunch. That is the most we have ever spent on a meal. I never thought we would ever drop that much money on a meal, especially a lunch. However, we don’t regret doing it, because the food was truly earth shattering. I mean, there were so many flavors and they just burst in the mouth.
Service was flawless and meticulously coordinated; I heard the staff easily speaking German, English, and French. It was one of those incredible culinary experiences that most people just don’t have often… or at all. I feel extremely fortunate that we were able to dine at Cheval Blanc. We also met Chef Peter Knogl, who came around and spoke to everyone at the nine tables in the restaurant. I didn’t know he originally came from Germany. He really impressed us! I can see why he’s earned his stars.
Now, I want to book another stay at the Bareiss in Baiersbronn… They have a three star Michelin restaurant, too! We’ll have to see what the future holds. For now, I’m just so happy we’ve been able to have these experiences at all. And if you have the time and the means, and you like “haute cuisine”, I would absolutely recommend visiting Cheval Blanc. Just make sure you save up your Swiss Francs. Don’t think of it as eating a meal. Think of it as investment in your life experiences!
Tuesday morning eventually arrived, and it was time to pack up and go home. I can’t say I was sad to be going. As much fun as we had in Horben, I was missing Noyzi and my bed, which has a foam topper on it and is easier on my back. The weather had also taken a turn for the worse. It was raining outside, and the temperature had dropped about twenty degrees, at least on the Fahrenheit scale.
We were ready to go back to our normal lives in Hessen, but if we had stayed another night, it probably would have been a spa day for us. I regret not having a massage while we were at Luisenhöhe, if only so I could enjoy that wonderfully aromatic vanilla scented fragrance they used there. But that gives us a reason to go back sometime, if the opportunity ever arises.
Bill loaded up the car while I put on my face. Then we went down to breakfast and enjoyed one last innovative meal. I really enjoyed the staff at Luisenhöhe. Most of the people working there truly seemed to enjoy their work, especially those working in the kitchen. The equipment is state of the art, and the head chef truly is a genius. Or maybe I just don’t get out enough.
Below are some photos from our final breakfast, served once again by the smiling waitress who took care of us the previous four mornings. The night before, Bill had spoken to the bartender about the Chemex filtered coffee system they had in the bar. He wanted to try it, but unfortunately, the barista said it wasn’t possible. I don’t know if it was because he didn’t know how, or because they didn’t have the available equipment. We did learn, however, that coffee drinks are included in the price during breakfast. The barista brought us a couple of Americanos for our trouble. I wish I had thought to ask them where they get their coffee. It was really good.
We had a “sausage salad”, that I suspect was made from the goat pastrami we had in the previous night’s dinner. There was goat yogurt with granola, pears with pistachio nuts, wonderfully fresh brioches, milk rice, fresh fruit, and a poached egg on spinach…
Since we had already packed the car, all that was left to do was check out. So, with slightly heavy hearts, we headed to the reception and tallied up the damage. Four nights at the Luisenhöhe, with the optional dinner board, wine every night, tips, and multiple visits to the bar, set us back 3,400 euros ($3,700). Yes, it was expensive, and in some ways, I think it was a bit overpriced. I think the room rate was too high, but I think the food was worth every euro cent.
Seriously… my mind was blown at just about every meal. It was very healthy and fresh, and there were so many interesting combinations of ingredients that I never would have expected. Everything was beautifully presented, and the staff seemed to really enjoy their jobs. The setting for the hotel is exquisite, with flowering trees, green hills, and when there’s no Sahara dust, blue skies. I bet it’s stunning there in the autumn. I hope I can find out firsthand, even if I do think the room was slightly too “spendy”. I’m sure they need to charge a lot, though, as I read it cost about $60 million to build the hotel, which is very cutting edge. It’s powered by geothermal means and has a green roof.
The receptionist thanked us for staying, gave us a couple of bottles of sparkling water, and a tin of the hotel’s special tea as a parting gift. We headed down to the parking garage one last time. Then we were on our way home. I took a few more photos as we left the beautiful Freiburg region. I do hope to be back someday soon. As you can see in the photos, the weather did change a bit…
We got home in the early afternoon, after a completely uneventful drive north. I started doing laundry, and at about 5:00, Bill went to get Noyzi. I wasn’t there for the reunion, but Bill said he was delighted to be picked up after a few days hanging out with his canine friends at the Tierpension Birkenhof.
I don’t know what we’ll do this year for a big vacation. We usually go away for a week or two. This year, we’re expecting a new canine family member, who will be joining us from Kosovo at some point in the near future. We had been talking about visiting Iceland, but then we heard about the volcanos erupting. I have been getting some tempting offers from Hebridean Island Cruises, which I have to say is probably my favorite cruise line. I just wish they went to places other than the UK. But I do have my eye on a cruise in Ireland that I might decide to book. We’ll see.
Actually, Bill and I have been talking about doing more short trips, but on a regular basis. We used to do that a lot when we had less money and time to travel. It would definitely help keep my travel blog more interesting. But that plan remains up in the air for now.
Anyway, that about does it for my series on Horben and the wonderful Luisenhöhe. I do hope the hotel is a success, as I’m sure it will be. We really enjoyed ourselves. I hope we’ll be back again. Stay tuned for my usual “ten things I learned” post.
The weather on Sunday morning was not quite as picture perfect as it had been on Saturday. The sun was out, but it was pretty hazy. My German friend, Susanne, said it was because of Saharan dust, which has to do with the warmer than usual temperatures in Europe right now. It didn’t block the sun, but it did kind of give it a weird looking glow.
Bill and I woke up slightly hungover on Sunday morning, which meant it was a good day for extra physical exertion. We decided to see if we could ride the Schauinsland Bahn, a cable car that takes people up an Alpine mountain, allowing them to walk around above the plains and get a view of the Feldberg, the Black Forest, and other points along the mountain chain. There is also an observation tower at the top of the mountain, although it is currently closed.
Before we did that, though, it was time for another innovative breakfast. We were treated to that by the same friendly waitress who had served us on Saturday morning. Below are some photos of yet another culinary adventure, morning style.
Excellent “smoothies”…Ham, cheeses, and jams.JuicesQuiche Lorraine bites, bread, coffee…Scrambled eggs with curried pumpkin. It was delicious!Fruit saladWeiss Wurst with Senf (mustard)BreadCrepe with raspberry jam…
Again, these were all small plates. They may look bigger in the photos than they actually were. I ended up having two servings of the eggs. They were excellent.
After breakfast, we headed to Schauinsland to burn off the repast. The Schauinsland Bahn takes about twenty minutes to get from one point to the next. Those who’d rather drive to the top of the mountain can also do that; there is a parking area up there, as well as a mining museum. We didn’t go to the museum, although it would have been a good use of our time. One can also visit the Waldtraut, which is Germany’s tallest tree.
Instead, we walked around the steep summit and worked off some of that fabulous breakfast. I got lots of pictures, noticing people who were riding bikes, walking their dogs, or power hiking with their poles. I’ll confess, I was moving slower than most of them, but I still managed to see some magnificent views. We probably could have spent most of the day up there, although it’s important to remember than the last trip on the cable car is at 5:00 PM. I hope we can go back to Freiburg, because I would like to explore this area a lot more.
After we walked around for a couple of hours, my legs felt a bit like rubber. I noticed the time, and it was about 1:00 PM or so. I asked Bill if he wanted to stop for lunch. He demurred, saying he wasn’t very hungry. I wasn’t either, but I’ve also been in Germany long enough to know that it’s best not to wait too long to have lunch. A lot of places close after 2:00 PM.
We ended up having a delightful lunch at Die Bergstation, a little restaurant at the station on top of the mountain. They had a small menu that included small dishes, which was perfect for us. I had an open faced smoked salmon sandwich with a salad. Bill had potato soup with wurst. It appears this place is especially popular for breakfast. As I was linking the restaurant’s Web site, it indicated that they are fully booked on weekends and public holidays up until October! There are a few free spots available during the weekdays. Luckily, they weren’t booked for lunch last weekend. There’s also a little kiosk outdoors that offers food and drinks.
That sandwich was so good! It was served on toasted sourdough with creamy mustard. I liked Bill’s soup, too.
We made our way back down the mountain by way of the cable car. After a visit to the restroom, we decided our next stop would be at the Todtnauer Waterfall. I got the idea to do that after reading a Facebook post in the Schwarzwald group. There’s also a 450 meter “hanging bridge” at the waterfall. One can either climb up to it from the waterfall, or drive up.
We were a little confused about what to do at the waterfall. There were signs near the gate to the waterfall, as well as a broken ticket machine, indicating that it costs 2,50 euros to go to the falls, and another 12 euros to do the bridge. As we didn’t even know about the bridge before we arrived, we weren’t really prepared to visit it.
Frankly, we were kind of tired after our mountain visit, so we decided to skip the bridge. We did a similar one in Austria in 2015, which involved climbing up a steep mountain, walking across and back again, and then going back down the mountain. I wasn’t sure my muscles could take it. The waterfall ended up being free to visit, as there was no one there to take the money, and the ticket machine was broken. Many people were baffled about what to do and where to go. The guy running the cafe said he fields questions every day from flummoxed visitors.
A lot of people were visiting the Todtnauer Waterfall on Sunday, but I still managed to get plenty of pictures and some video. Here are the pictures for now. I may make a video later. The area around the waterfall is very beautiful, and like a lot of tourist areas in Germany, there’s a cafe where you can sit and enjoy it while enjoying a beverage or snack of your choice. The parking area is basically just off either side of a rather busy road with a lot of aggressive bikers. Be careful!
You can spend a good amount of time at the waterfall, if you want to. There’s a trail that leads down the creek, as well as one that leads up. And of course, you can climb up to the hanging bridge. I think the Burgbach Waterfall is prettier than this one, but mainly because there aren’t as many people hogging the scenery.
After about an hour at the waterfall, we went back to the cafe for a drink. Bill had a non-alcoholic beer, while I had a Hefeweizen.
Hazy skies!
By the time we visited the waterfall, it was getting later in the afternoon. We decided to head back to the hotel and get ready for dinner. I knew I was going to need a shower after all of the walking and sweating I did. So we went back, and I took some more photos, marveling at the beautiful scenery and realizing that we could come back and still have plenty to see and do. Better yet, maybe there wouldn’t be that cursed Saharan dust messing up the atmosphere. We had a quick drink before cleaning up. Bill tried a non-alcoholic cocktail called Luise’s Black Forest. I had my usual beer.
You never know what or who you’ll see on a Sunday drive…
I’ve already written about the unfortunate incident that happened at dinner on Sunday night on my main blog. I won’t get into that here, on my generally upbeat travel blog. Instead, I’ll share photos and some comments about some of the more positive aspects of yet another delightful dinner at Luisenhöhe. That night, we were introduced to a new waiter, a young man who was born in Texas, but is Slovakian and grew up in Slovakia. He was very good at his job, and I was impressed by how confident and skilled he was.
As you can see, I was intrigued enough by the second course that I took several shots of it. It was almost too pretty to eat! And everything was so interesting… I was amazed by how willing I was to try foods I would normally shun. I usually dislike beets, but I found myself trying and enjoying them on Sunday night. And everything was washed down with an excellent local Pinot Noir.
The menu.I would normally shun goat yogurt, but this was very good…BeetrootRainbow trout…Underneath the Kohlrabi was the most tender, delicious pork, ever… The salted caramels were so good…Bill enjoys the blood orange digestive, which I ended up wearing.
If we had just been able to enjoy dinner and the views, this would have been a stellar day. But, as you know, some people have to rain on other people’s parades… or shit in their Easter baskets. Oh well. Overall, Sunday was a success. We had one last full day in the Freiburg area, which I’ll write about in the next post.
Saturday morning, we woke up to a beautiful sunny day. The sky was perfectly clear and blue, and the temperature was warm. I thought it would be a good day to visit the nearby city of Freiburg. But first, we’d have our first breakfast at Luisenhöhe. After our first dinner, I knew breakfast would be an unusual experience.
A smiling waitress, who ended up taking care of us every morning of our visit, led us to a table on the other side of the dining room. We had a view of the surrounding hills and valleys. Bill looked at the waitress’s nametag and got the sense that maybe she hails from Ukraine. She spoke excellent English that was charmingly accented, and she seemed genuinely friendly and service oriented as she offered us coffee. As she poured it, and brought me cream (rather than the usual milk), I realized that the coffee at this hotel was some of the best I’ve ever had, anywhere.
Just as it is at dinner time, breakfast at Luisenhöhe consists of small plates of different things which are brought to you at your table. They offer cold cuts and cheese that you can help yourself to, as well as juices and water. During our visit, they also offered fresh fruits and vegetables and smoothies, with a different thing offered every day. For example, on the first morning, they had vegetables. On the second and third, they had the smoothies. On the last morning, it was fresh fruit. Then after we had our four small courses, we were offered a “sweet” selection. On the first morning, it was a waffle.
Another server brought a big basket of bread, and we chose the pieces we wanted, which ended up being one of each kind. Bill likes hearty full grain breads with nuts and raisins and such. Much to my shame, I like refined white breads. It was no problem. They had several different varieties, all of which were impeccably prepared and very fresh. We had a small “globe” of butter, and jams were available. Below are photos of the first breakfast.
A perfect morning!Bill gets some cheese and Black Forest ham.Fresh veggies!French toast made with “mountain cheese”. That was a mind blower.Porridge with cherries, yogurt with pumpkin seeds, and poached egg in a glass…I loved the butter balls.Waffle with powdered sugar.
I enjoyed the first morning’s breakfast, although the French toast was made with Bergkäse (mountain cheese) that was too strong for me. It was too bad, too, because I really liked the idea of a savory French toast made with cheese. I’d like to try it at home, only I’d use a much milder type of cheese. It’s not even that the cheese they used was that strong. I just have very sensitive tastebuds when it comes to certain flavors. The musty, barnyard flavors in certain cheeses and other foods make me gag, and if I’m not careful, I will vomit. I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t become a chef! Anyway, I think we’ll try to find a recipe for savory French toast and use cheese that doesn’t make me puke.
After breakfast, I decided I needed to get some photos of the surrounding area. It was a good thing I did, since the skies weren’t nearly as clear the rest of our time there. Below are the pictures I took on the biking/hiking trail near the hotel.
Someone’s Porsche at the hotel…
We decided to try out the heated pool after our walk. I had a feeling it would be a good time to do that, since the weather was so nice. I figured people would be out and about. I was right about that, as we would find out after our swim. Below are a few photos from the spa area. We did not have any treatments or use the saunas, but if we go back, I’ll make a point of doing that. One thing I hope this hotel will eventually have is a hot tub or two… I’m sure it’s just a matter of time, especially at their current price point.
This was a kind of rain shower, which took a moment or two to figure out.
I have a feeling they use heavily vanilla scented products in the spa. I came to that conclusion on the first night at dinner, when a young woman sat near us and smelled really good… of vanilla. I thought maybe it was perfume, but then noticed she looked like maybe she’d been at the spa. When I later smelled someone else with that same scent, I realized that was a spa product. I loved the scent, although it did kind of obscure the smell of the food in the dining room. I’m not sure that was the proprietors’ aim.
After a swim, and trying out the massage functions in the pool, we got cleaned up and headed toward Freiburg. I took more photos on the drive there. I was excited to see the city… but alas, the parking garages were all FULL! And there were long lines of cars waiting to park in them. Bill made a couple of wrong turns and we soon found ourselves in “Walkplatzes”, where people were giving us dirty looks and making gestures at Bill. We didn’t know Freiburg was such a “green” city, so unfriendly to cars. The GPS sent us to the wrong part of the town, which was positively TEEMING with people who were walking and on bikes.
Here, I want to make a statement to anyone reading this, thinking it’s helpful to shoot dirty looks and make gestures at people who end up driving into the wrong place. We KNOW we’re in the wrong place, and we’re trying our best to rectify the matter. We don’t need you to add to the situation by wildly gesturing, giving us dirty looks, or shouting at us. It just makes you look like assholes. And before anyone points this out, we know that being in the wrong places makes us look like assholes. But, unlike you, we’re trying to fix the situation, rather than engaging in shaming and ridiculing people who simply made an honest mistake. What? You’ve never made a mistake? It must be nice to be so perfect. /sarcasm
Anyway, we did finally get out of that mess, although any relaxation gleaned from the pool was now totally gone. Bill was trying to figure out where we could go with the car. I looked around at what was admittedly a very cool looking city, and I realized that all of those people were a huge turn off to me. So I suggested that we go to France.
“But I forgot to bring my passport.” Bill fretted.
In almost ten years of living in Germany, no one has EVER asked for our passports at the French border. Of course, there is a first time for everything. But what was the worst that could happen? We get sent back to Germany?
We headed to the border, even though Bill didn’t have his passport. Before we knew it, we were driving over the Rhein… and I realized, we were passing Breisach again! As I was getting my bearings, Bill said “I really need to pee.”
I looked up and noticed a “welcome center”. Bill wondered if maybe there was a public restroom there. He pulled into the parking lot and found the place boarded up. Then he turned his head and saw a sign for a “Piscine.”
“Piscine!” he exclaimed. “Perfect!”
Naturally, I had a good laugh at the joke. Yes, we know that “piscine” is French for pool. But it does sound like one could “piss” there. One probably can, if one pays the entrance fee. I had noticed the pool from the German side of the river the day before. As we were trying to escape the parking lot, we were confronted by a bunch of confusing road signs advising us not to make a left turn. Left was where we needed to go to get out that area.
After a few minutes, we found ourselves being funneled into a parking lot where there were RVs, and then we saw a hotel… and they had the patio open for lunch! As it was almost 2:00 PM by then, I suggested we stop for lunch. Bill could use the potty while we were there.
The waitress asked us if it was okay if we had salads. Yes– it was fine. We were still kind of full from breakfast, anyway. We sat down at a table in France, at Hotel Le Caballin, with a view of Breisach, Germany. We had tarte flambées (Alsatian pizzas) with beer, as I marveled at how we ended up in Vogelgrun, France for lunch.
I’d like to get a closer look at this building in Freiburg…Even if it does contain a McDonald’s…France!
I said to Bill, “I am fascinated by borders. It’s so cool to be sitting in France, listening to people speaking French, as I gaze at the German border town we visited yesterday…”
Bill said, “That’s true. Whenever you’re near a border, you gotta cross it!”
And I said, “Especially if it’s the border of good taste…”
We headed back toward the hotel, thinking maybe we could take the Schauinsland Bahn… but there was no parking to be had. Not surprising, given how beautiful the weather was. So, we went back to the hotel and hung out on the patio before dinner. It was a perfect Saturday afternoon…
And then we had dinner, which was, once again, a stunning experience. My one complaint was that we ended up sitting at the big communal table, which meant climbing up on a stool. However, because people didn’t want to sit in the middle seat at the big table (just as they wouldn’t on an airplane), we ended up with a slightly more private dining experience on Saturday night. As you can see in the menu, they had mushrooms on the menu, and I can’t eat mushrooms. I substituted a delicious wild boar dish for an upcharge of 13 euros. It was worth the extra money.
I enjoyed the langoustine.Wild boar with savoy cabbage and fennel. It was so good.Bill enjoyed the veal with portobello mushroom.For 13 euros, we also had port to go with the dessert.Dessert was with Jerusalem artichokes and plums…The chocolate covered meringue reminded me of Pinwheels… chocolate covered marshmallow cookies.A nightcap before bed… We probably should have skipped it.
Bill selected a Sylvaner wine to go with our dinner. The sommelier praised his choice. Bill told him that we’d visited Würzburg in February and visited a winery that specialized in them. Much to our surprise and delight, the guy said “Weingut Am Stein?”
Yes! That was where we stayed, and we had a wine tasting there. It turned out the sommelier knew all about it, and in fact, they had some wine from Weingut Am Stein on their wine list. That was a pretty cool moment.
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