Less than 24 hours in Stuttgart…

Bill and I just got back from our latest jaunt to Stuttgart. We usually go down there to see our dentist, Dr. Blair, who is the best dentist either of us have ever had. We missed seeing him in October because our appointment was originally made on a holiday, and there was a miscommunication. We went down there and found no one in the office. After that, Bill got busy and/or could never get the receptionist on the phone.

We finally got an appointment for noon today. Ordinarily, we’d stay for a couple of days and do a few fun things down in our old stomping grounds. Unfortunately, Bill is currently very busy with a work project. He also just took last week off work while his mom was here. So, instead of staying for a couple of days, like we normally would, we just went down for a night and came back late this afternoon.

Although our trip was short, it was very productive and a lot of fun! It began with a stay at the Wald Hotel, which is our favorite Stuttgart area lodging so far. I had actually considered booking a different hotel, as I thought maybe Bill would want to take the train instead of driving. There are a couple of hotels that are near the Hauptbahnhof that I thought we might try.

The Wald Hotel is not close to the main train station, but is somewhat close to the U-bahn. However, getting to the hotel from the station requires a walk, which is not fun while toting a bag. Bill ultimately decided he’d rather drive, because we’d have to check out of the hotel and then do something with our bags. We knew we’d be walking around Stuttgart while waiting for our appointments. Once Bill decided to drive, I booked the Wald Hotel, since I knew it would offer everything we’d need.

Instead of booking fancy suites, like I have the last two times we’ve been there, I booked one of the comfort rooms in the new part of the hotel. That was a mistake, mainly because the shower in our cheaper room– unlike the ones on the ground floor– was just an ordinary shower, rather than one of the awesome spa showers that are in the more expensive rooms. In my opinion, the extra money for the bigger room is worth it, mainly because of the spa shower! On the other hand, it has been a few years since I last stayed in one of those rooms. Maybe they took them out.

*This art is horrifying to me. I am a mycophobe.*

We had a pretty easy late afternoon drive down to the Degerloch area of Stuttgart last night, and were rewarded with a fairly empty parking lot at the hotel. We easily found a spot right by the entrance, went in, and picked up our key cards and a voucher for a free round of drinks.

Once we dropped off our bags, we headed down to the bar, where we were greeted by lovely Cosima, who took care of us when we visited Wald Hotel last spring! She remembered us, and was delighted when I said I remembered that she’d told me her name is Italian. Cosima said she was only working in the bar by chance, as she was filling in for a sick colleague. She is in a training program, so she’s been working all over the hotel in different capacities. I thought that was pretty great, since she’s becoming proficient in all jobs required in a German hotel.

Cosima made us a couple of rounds of drinks, and was kind enough to book us a table at Finch, which is the gourmet restaurant at Wald Hotel. We’ve eaten at Finch several times, but last night’s dinner was the best we’ve had there yet. I had a wonderful lamb’s lettuce salad with orange slices, croutons, and hazelnut dressing and crispy duck with Savoy cabbage, and bread dumplings. Bill had a leek soup with duxelles, and wild boar with mashed potatoes and mushrooms. We also enjoyed dessert– white chocolate mousse with blood oranges for me, and a banana almond cheesecake for him. And we had lovely wine from France, as well as a digestive, hazelnut for Bill, and pear for me…

My only complaint about our stay at Wald Hotel is that the mattress on the bed was too firm for my liking. It felt a bit like sleeping on a sidewalk. I remember last year, the mattress was also too firm for me. However, I don’t remember having that problem on previous stays.

After a nice Eggs Benedict breakfast in the hotel restaurant, we went back to the room, packed up, and processed a bit. Breakfast is not included in the room rate and could be considered expensive– but aside from a generous buffet, they also offer hot selections that are prepared to order and included in the price. We both had Eggs Benedict, but we could have chosen from a number of different items.

Then we went to downtown Stuttgart to wait for our appointments with Dr. Blair. It was kind of a special day, since there was Fasching going on. Lots of people were dressed in costumes and there was music. Some businesses were also closed, including the Markthalle, which is a great food and wine market. We were lucky enough to have sunny and somewhat warm weather, for February, anyway. I took some photos…

*Looks like they knocked down a building and exposed an old sign.*

Dr. Blair was glad to see us. Bill broke the news to him about his broken tooth, and the dental implant process in process with a Wiesbaden area dentist. Dr. Blair was very understanding, and wanted to know about the type of implant used and the process the other dentist used for the sinus lift Bill needed. He had good things to say about my teeth, which were thoroughly cleaned… (gums are sore tonight). He gave me an Implant Pass, which shows the type of implant I got in 2016. He wanted me to show it to Bill, so he could get the information about his implant. That way, if it breaks, the next dentist will have the information.

We made appointments for August, then headed out for lunch at Abacco’s Steakhouse, a steak joint where you get your steak served on a hot stone. I hadn’t wanted to eat there, but there was a big Fasching party going on at the Paulaner Bar next door. I wanted to get photos!

Sizzling steak and sizzling dancers!

We both had small rib-eyes with house fries. Bill’s was from Uruguay, and mine was from Argentina. It wasn’t that easy to eat steak after our cleanings. Maybe we should have had pasta or soup instead… but at least I’m still not hungry many hours later. We each had a beer, then went to buy some Berliners, which we had noticed being set up just before we went to see the dentist.

Below are some photos of the Berliner or Krapfen (Pfannkuchen– doughnuts) and other associated doughnuts. Tis the season to get them!

Our drive back to Wiesbaden was very easy, with no traffic whatsoever, and no building projects. The only drawback was the less than beautiful weather. But at least we got some sunshine while we were down in our old stomping grounds! And now, Noyzi is back home, too!

Baden-Württemberg

Stuttgart, Germany… it’s as lovely as ever in the springtime… part two

On Friday, March 24, Bill and I made our way down to a very familiar city. We were both relieved to be on our way. The lead up to this trip had been very stressful, as our dog, Arran, was suffering from lymphoma, and we were very worried about the prospect of boarding him. He’d been physically healthy enough until the evening of March 16, when he suddenly had what appeared to be a stroke.

On the morning of the 17th, it was pretty clear that Arran was fixing to make his way to the Rainbow Bridge. We helped him on his way. While it was very sad to say goodbye to Arran, the timing of his passing was kind of fortuitous. It meant we wouldn’t be worried about him all weekend, as we were in the fall, when we visited Hotel Bareiss just after he was diagnosed with cancer.

March 24th was a rainy and chilly day. Noyzi was delighted to get to go to the Tierpension Birkenhof, though. He hadn’t been there since the fall, when we last went to see Dr. Blair. In November, we had our 20th wedding anniversary holiday, in Ribeauville, France. We took the dogs with us for that trip. For this trip, we needed to board Noyzi. I booked the Wald Hotel’s suite, and though the hotel is very dog friendly, the specific room we were staying in wasn’t, as it is carpeted. Luckily, Noyzi LOVES the hundepension. Arran used to like going there, but as he got older, he made it clear that he’d rather be with us. It was good that he didn’t have to endure a last stay there.

I got a video of Noyzi on his way to the “dog hotel”. He absolutely loves going there– as you can see! I was surprised to see that they’d done some renovation since we were last there, too. But Noyzi also likes coming home. Bill is going to go get him in an hour.

Noyzi is joyfully reunited with his beloved human friend, Natasha, at the Birkenhof.

Once the dog was dropped off, we continued our journey south. I had suggested to Bill that we should stop for lunch in the town of Besigheim, a hamlet known for its wines. It’s just north of Ludwigsburg, a city in the Stuttgart area we used to visit all the time. We had never been to Besigheim before, but I decided it would make for a nice stop when I saw someone share photos of it in a local Facebook group. We didn’t have the best weather, but I did find the municipality to be very charming indeed. Better yet, it had plenty of cheap parking, and a garage that had a public restroom, which Bill really needed. 😉

*Spotted at a rest stop… I should have bought the top sign.*

I managed to get some photos, and then we had lunch at a historic restaurant on the main drag called Ratsstüble Besigheim. It appeared to be a local favorite, and we did have a nice lunch there. I think the waitress was kind of curious about us. Overall, we liked the lunch, although my fish was a little burnt on one side. Bill loved his salad, though.

I don’t think they get a lot of Americans in Besigheim, although I could be mistaken. My German friend says that one of Barack Obama’s forebears was born in that town in 1729. These days, it looks like it’s mostly known for being a place to buy lovely local wines. I’d like to go back, as I noticed a nice looking hotel, a wine bar, and some inviting looking shops. They also had several restaurants that were intriguing, and an Italian Feinkost (gourmet shop).

I would have liked to have stayed in Besigheim longer, but it was getting later in the afternoon and we were worried about traffic. It turns out we were right to be worried. Getting into Stuttgart via Heilbronn and state roads was a bit of a nutroll. There was tons of construction, as usual, as well as the annoying traffic patterns one often encounters in Stuttgart. But, after taking our usual route back today, we can say with all honesty, the Autobahn isn’t a whole lot better. 😉 There is a reason they call it “STAUgart.

We arrived at Wald Hotel in the late afternoon, and were welcomed by a young man who half-heartedly offered to help us with our bags. I was more impressed the last time we visited the Wald Hotel, and stayed in the Junior Suite (which is a better room, in my opinion). That was in May 2019. But anyway, I got photos of the Suite, too… and I don’t think I need to book it again. It was nice enough, but I liked the Junior Suite more, and it costs less. I actually like the rainfall showers better in the newer Superior Rooms. They’re awesome, and have mood lighting. The “suites” are lovely marble, but they don’t have rainfall capacity or mood lighting. I also think the beds in the Superior rooms are more comfortable.

I see in my review of the Junior Suite (502/500) in May 2019, I mentioned a “mysterious stairway”. I think I figured out that it leads to the Suite (501), as the two can be booked to accommodate a family of up to six people. There’s also a little bedroom in the Suite complex (500) that probably gets used for kids.

We also got a free round of drinks in the bar because I am an Expedia gold member and booked through them. Wald Hotel used to have a really cool bartender named Angelo who worked there, but he retired not so long ago. The current bartender was very good too, although Angelo was an old pro, and it really showed. I’m sure the current barkeep will eventually become legendary in her own right.

We decided to eat dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, Finch, so we had our free round at the bar and the bartender beamed when Bill tipped her on the “free drinks”.

It does appear that Wald Hotel is doing things a little differently now. It used to be they offered free drinks in the minibar. Now it looks like the minibar is no longer “free”. Still, we were glad to be back. We got to bed at a reasonable hour and slept mostly well. The mattress was very firm, which we’re not used to, but that could be because I just put a foam topper on our bed.

Saturday, we made new discoveries, which I will write about in part three tomorrow.

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Welcome back to Stuttgart… part 2– back to the fabulous Waldhotel and dinner at Finch

Back in the summer of 2016, Bill and I discovered Stuttgart’s wonderful Waldhotel, a four star property in Degerloch. It’s located in a beautifully forested area in Degerloch, right next to the TV Tower, and a Sportsplatz. We stayed there the first time because we wanted to see Van Morrison in concert and didn’t feel like trying to come all the way back to Unterjettingen from Stuttgart late at night. We enjoyed the experience so much that, counting this past weekend, we’ve been back four times. They’ve hosted us for Van Morrison in 2016, Sting’s March 2017 show at the Porsche Arena, The Rollings Stones’ June 2018 show at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, and now for Elton John’s show.

So far, we’ve only gone to Waldhotel when we’ve had concerts planned downtown, but I can see us staying again whenever we have business in Stuttgart. Waldhotel is very convenient to the U-Bahn, yet in a quiet, scenic area. The staff is friendly and service-oriented, and the facilities are beautiful.

I booked the hotel via Expedia.com a few months ago. Since we had stuff to do besides seeing Elton John, we stayed three nights. I usually book their Superior rooms, but I decided this time, I wanted to try something different. I upgraded us to their Junior Suite. The Waldhotel used to be smaller than it is now; the superior rooms are in the new part of the hotel. The classic rooms and the junior suite are in the older part. Although the price difference wasn’t insignificant, I really wanted to see another part of the hotel, and let’s face it. I’d rather upgrade than downgrade. Waldhotel also has a suite, but I thought that would be overkill.

We were warmly welcomed as we checked in. A staffer showed us the suite, since it’s a bit unique. To reach it, you open a door that is common to room 500 and 502. 502 is the junior suite and, to reach it, you have to climb a small staircase. I think the room also connects to room 500. There was a mysterious stairway in the junior suite, but since we didn’t rent room 500, we didn’t have access. It looked like a really small bedroom comparatively speaking. I’ll admit I only got a peek when the housekeeper was cleaning it. Edited to add: my German friend says that room 500 is a little room connected with the junior suite that can be booked for children. I guess they don’t rent it to people not in the junior suite.

Anyway, here are some pictures of our fabulous room!

Room 502… at the top of a small staircase.

As the receptionist was showing us the features of the room, I mentioned that we’d been to the hotel a few times and this was the first time I hadn’t booked the superior room. It was strictly because I wanted to see another room. The superior rooms are excellent… I especially love the showers in them, which I think are even better than the one in the junior suite. They have this large “square of water” and mood lighting. On the other hand, they don’t boast an enormous bathtub that can accommodate two adults…

This bathtub was the bomb! Bill and I were both able to enjoy it… at the same time!

A view of the suite from the behind the tub. It’s very comfortable.

Nice bed! I missed the headboard, though. The superior rooms have them.

In the sitting room. Two couches, a little desk, a full sized mirror, and a credenza for tea and coffee.

One of the views from the windows…. All of the windows are shaped the same and, to be honest, the views aren’t great because the windows are small. They each have covers on them that can be used to block out light.

The TV emerges from the console. Just push a button. There’s also a small fridge with apple juice, orange juice, water, and beer. It’s free, even in the lesser rooms.

The WC. It’s a bit of a walk from the bed, but very comfortable. I scowl at the square toilet seat. We are replacing the one in our house and those things are expensive! If I ever have my own house, I will not have a square toilet seat!

The shower room. It’s large and the shower is nice, but it’s not quite as awesome as the showers in the newer part of the hotel.

His and her sinks. There’s another sink just like it on the other side.

A nice vanity for the ladies.

Mysterious stairway.

They brought us a lovely welcome treat. Riesling, fruit, and chocolates! That will win me over every time!

We never did turn on the TV.

The receptionist kindly made reservations at the hotel’s restaurant, Finch, for 7:00pm. We’ve eaten at Finch a few times. It’s always a lovely experience, albeit somewhat expensive. Here are some pictures from our Thursday night dinner.

We started at the bar, where the Waldhotel’s awesome Italian bartender, Angelo, was waiting for us. Every time we’ve stayed at the Waldhotel, he’s been there. He makes a mean cocktail, and he’s very charming too. I had a gin and tonic.

Bill had a Campari and soda.

When we were finished with our drinks, we went to the restaurant and sat in one of its very impressive and private booths. The food is nice at Finch, but I have to admit to loving their booths, which are totally enclosed and offer a view of the terrace.

Deciding on dinner.

Bill selected this lovely Chilean red, made from grapes that came from vines imported from France. The French version of these grapes are almost “extinct”, due to an infestation of phylloxera, but have become one of Chile’s most important grape varietals. After the infestation, French vintners opted to grow grapes that were easier to tend. I really enjoyed the Carmenere, which had a distinctive peppery flavor that somehow also reminded me of very fresh Concord grapes, minus the sweetness. I would order this again. It’s considered a “cousin” of Merlot, but it didn’t remind me of Merlot.

Out came the bread and butter…

Then the amuse. This was very fresh salmon. Since we both opted for lighter fare, the waitress asked if we were vegetarians! I don’t get asked that very often!

I started with a delicious vegetarian Thai-Curry-Asparagus soup. It was garnished with peanuts and passion fruit.

Bill had marinated burrata, which was creamy cheese, green asparagus, mango, pine nuts, balsamic vinegar, and plum tomatoes. He loved it! I am getting braver about cheese lately and even I enjoyed a taste of this.

For my main course, I had risotto with saffron, white asparagus, half dried potatoes, and grilled prawns. The risotto was perfect, but I wanted to save room for dessert.

Bill had the asparagus tart, which was vegetarian. It was made with soy yogurt, smoked tofu, and cashews, as well as a wild herb salad. He really enjoyed it. I was feeling pretty virtuous about dinner, but then it was time for the happy ending.

I had semi-sweet chocolate mousse with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, raspberries and meringue. It was a generous serving, but I managed it.

Bill had the passion fruit cheesecake with coconut praline and passion fruit ice cream. He said it was just the perfect size and very delicious.

Finch’s food is usually very good and Thursday night was no exception. They change the menu routinely, so it’s worth repeat visits to see what they have to offer.

After we ate, we went back to the room. I found a nice letter from the manager thanking me for staying again. The housekeeper had kindly left us some very soothing tea and cookies and turned down the bed for us. All in all, it was a nice way to start off our visit.

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Our Rolling Stones weekend in Stuttgart… part one

View from our seats at the Rolling Stones concert in Stuttgart… before the teeming crowds showed up!

I think 2018 will go down as our “year of the concerts”. This year, I have purchased tickets to five concerts, four of which are happening between yesterday and Halloween and one for next spring. In two weeks, we are going to fly to Dublin to see Paul Simon, who will have James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt as guests. In September, we’re going to see Roger Hodgson, formerly of Supertramp. In October, we’re planning to see an Irish folk music festival. Next May, we’re going to see Elton John.

We don’t usually go to a lot of shows. I don’t like crowds and Bill doesn’t like traffic. Neither of us likes overpriced concessions or being too short to see the stage. However, we have found that concerts in Germany are somewhat less obnoxious than shows in the United States, so we have taken advantage of the opportunity to see some of the great entertainers who pass through Stuttgart. So far, in our two tours in the Stuttgart area, we have seen: Lyle Lovett, Diana Krall, Van Morrison, Sting, and now The Rolling Stones.

Last night’s Rolling Stones concert is probably the biggest of all of them… and the tickets were definitely the most expensive. However, having now seen the freak of nature that is Mick Jagger perform live, I can say it was worth everything– the expense, fighting the crowds, sitting next to a smoker who kept hitting me with his jacket, and Bill’s manspreading.

Last February, when I went on my ticket buying spree, I remember gasping at the price of the tickets I selected for the Stones’ concert. They were priced at 497 euros each, but they were on the 13th row. In retrospect, maybe I should have opted for a seat in the stands, since I’m only 5’2″ tall and the 13th row is in the flat area. I probably would have had a better view on the side. But I wanted, just once, to experience a concert “close up”. Of course, if we’d really wanted to be close, we could have gone for the “stehplatz”. There were two areas where people were standing and dancing the whole time; one was literally just a few yards from the stage. Unfortunately, Bill and I are both short, neither of us are dancers, and Bill has a bad knee and needs to be able to sit.

Not so long ago, Bill and I were pretty much relegated to the cheap seats. I remember seeing both Alison Krauss and Eric Clapton while perched high in the nosebleed section. We had better seats when we saw James Taylor, except for the two drunk chicks who stood up and swayed in front of us for the whole show. Probably our closest seats were at Livingston Taylor’s show at the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia, and it was probably one of the best shows I’ve been to, although Liv is not as big a name performer as his brother James, is. Anyway, I figured that if I was going to drop a load of cash on close seats, The Rollings Stones would be the show for which to do it.

I learned a new German word on the way to the hotel. This camper is obviously driven by people who love their dogs. On the bumper, there was a sign in German warning that dogs don’t have a “crumple zone”; therefore, please don’t tailgate…

As is our habit, we stayed at the Wald Hotel in Degerloch the night before and the night of the concert. We started this custom when we saw Van Morrison in 2016. I remembered the nutroll of getting in and out of the concert venues and how late it usually was when we got home. The idea of staying downtown was very appealing, especially since Stuttgart is about 45 minutes from where we live, depending on traffic. Staying in Stuttgart gives us a chance to see more of the city without having to worry about getting home to take care of our dogs, who never stay with us at the Wald Hotel, even though the place is pet friendly.

We checked in on Friday, June 29th. As usual, I booked a “superior room” and added breakfast. The Wald Hotel is a very comfortable four star hotel. It’s situated very close to the TV tower and surrounded by a sports complex and walking trails. I think I booked it the first time because it’s air conditioned. I have booked in on subsequent occasions because it really is a nice place in a convenient location. It has free parking, free WiFi, and a very attentive staff. Even though we’re essentially staying in our home town, being at the Wald Hotel is a treat.

Below are pictures of our room, which was as expected. All three times, we’ve stayed in the same type of room and they all pretty much look the same.

King sized bed… very comfortable with fluffy duvets instead of sheets. We brought pillows because German hotels usually don’t have good ones. We needn’t have bothered. I had forgotten that the Wald Hotel loads you up with nice pillows.

Sitting area and desk.

Awesome shower! It has special lighting and a huge rainforest option that is just heavenly. With the press of a button the ceiling rains down a large square shaped swath of water You can also use the regular shower head, which you can see in the picture.

Since the World Cup has been going on, the hotel gifted us with soccer balls…

And the usual gummi bears, as well as a complimentary mini bar stocked with water, apple schorle, and beer.

View from our balcony.

Ordinarily, I would have liked to have booked us a table at a local restaurant, but we didn’t get to the hotel until about 7:00pm and Bill was tired from a day of hard work. Although there are several casual eateries near the hotel, we decided to dine at the hotel’s Finch restaurant, which is a very pleasant, but rather pricey place to have dinner. Although the weather was perfect, we didn’t have reservations. All of the outside tables were taken, so we were seated in the elegant dining at a private booth.

We ate at Finch on our last visit to the Wald Hotel and remembered the slightly Asian inspired menu to be creative in flavor and presentation. On our first trip to Finch, we both had meat. This last time, we went with main courses from the sea.

Bill decides on a wine. Finch offers menus in English, which I appreciated. Our waitress was the same very service oriented server who took care of us the last time we dined at Finch. She speaks English, but patiently indulged Bill’s elementary German.

Since we were both having seafood, Bill ordered a locally produced white burgundy. It was crisp and refreshing and paired very well with our meals.

We also had fresh bread with an herb spread, olive oil, and fresh bread garnished with black salt.

I had the Avocado Tatar, with included avocados with beefsteak tomatoes, peanuts, and spinach. This starter was surprisingly filling, but nice on a warm evening.

Bill had a lobster bisque; it was unfortunately served rather sloppily, but tasted good.

My lobster came with toasted macadamia nuts, half a lemon, drawn butter, spring onions and a sinful carrot puree. I enjoyed the lobster, but especially liked the colorful presentation.

Bill had “wolfbarsch” (European sea bass). As much as I like lobster and enjoyed my main course, I think I liked Bill’s dish better. It was a bit more flavorful.

I probably shouldn’t eat dessert so often, but I was intrigued by the “oats and nougat”, which was a nougat atop toasted oats (granola) and served with a caramel panna cotta. The dish was garnished with chocolate pieces and raspberries.

Bill had a passionfruit creation that he said reminded him a little of a napoleon. He especially liked the scoop of mango sorbet that came with his dessert. Wald Hotel also offers several cheese plates for those who are less tempted by sweets.

After dinner, we decided to hang out at the hotel bar. Wald Hotel has a very personable Italian bartender who is a master at mixing drinks and making conversation. While we were at the bar, a rather alternative looking couple came in. They heard us speaking English and asked if we were American. We answered affirmatively. It turned out they had come to Stuttgart to see The Rolling Stones. Both had lived in the United States to work and study and both had great love for our country. They were surprised we’d choose to live in Germany.

It turned out our new friends, Bjorn and Rokka, work in the film industry. Rokka is a makeup artist and has put her touch on many celebrities. Bjorn didn’t talk as much about what he does in film, but I got the sense that maybe he was a producer. Both looked a lot younger than their ages and, in fact, they told us they had booked the “stehplatz” up front. I was impressed, since agewise they were probably contemporaries of Mick Jagger’s. They seemed to have drunk from the same fountain of youth he has. Anyway, we had a very nice time talking to them, especially since they were so friendly and Bill has actually been to Iceland. I love it when we meet interesting people. Luckily, it seems to happen to us a lot!

An expertly produced gin and tonic by the barman, who also joined in our conversation. I’ve seen him on each of our three stays at Wald Hotel. He definitely makes booking the hotel even more attractive.

We decided to turn in at about 11:00 or so, which is kind of past our bedtimes. Little did we know how full our Saturday was going to be. More on that in the next post.

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Staycationing in Stuttgart #2… the Wald Hotel and Finch Restaurant

Tuesday, March 28, 2017 was a day Bill and I had looked forward to for months. On the 29th, we would both see Sting perform in concert at the Porsche Arena. On the 28th, we’d have a lovely meal at a hotel restaurant called Finch.

Early that morning, Bill took our dogs, Zane and Arran, to Max at Dog Holiday. In the afternoon, Bill came home early from work. We packed our bags and headed toward Stuttgart. As it turned out, we had appointments to get our teeth cleaned that day. We made the appointments last fall, before we even knew Sting was coming to town. When Bill found the appointment card in his coat pocket, he gave some thought to rescheduling. But then I reminded him that we’d be in Stuttgart anyway and might as well kill two birds with one stone. So our staycation began with getting our teeth cleaned.

After we visited Dr. Blair downtown, we headed to the Wald Hotel, which is located in a sports complex very close to the TV tower (Fernsehturm). We were quickly and professionally checked in and given room 309. The room was familiar, since it was much like the one we had last summer.

Comfortable bed with duvets rather than sheets and blankets.

A small sofa with a table and complementary beverages in the mini bar (beer, water, and apple schorle).

The view from our balcony.

And the balcony itself.

Fabulous rainfall shower. Unfortunately, there is a window that faces into the room, so if someone showers early in the morning, the whole room ends up illuminated.

After we dropped off our bags and got cleaned up, we headed to the hotel’s bar. Wald Hotel has a very nice bar area manned by an Italian gentleman. Bill recognized him from our last visit, after he made us excellent martinis. This time, we asked for gin and tonics, which he made with Hendrick’s gin and garnished with cucumbers. Refreshed by the cocktails, we decided to enjoy some dry red Italian wine while we waited for our reservation.

A very nice gin and tonic.

Bill enjoys a rare cocktail. He usually drives, so he doesn’t often get cocktails in bars.

Yes, we killed this bottle of wine.

At 7:30, we went to Finch and were seated in a beautiful window booth that offered a lot of privacy. The booth was big enough to seat six people, so we had plenty of room. Our server was very professional. When Bill spoke German, she responded in German. And then she graciously asked if we’d like menus in English. We took her up on the offer.

Really nice booth at Finch.

And this gorgeous window in our booth… it was all ours.

The amuse. I think this was chicken with basil pesto. It was very good. We also had very fresh bread with salted butter and harissa spread that was supposedly a little spicy… by German standards, anyway.

I ordered the shrimp tempura as a starter. This was a delightful beginning to the meal. The shrimp were lightly coated in crispy tempura batter, served with a tiny salad with berries, mangos, and a delicious dressing. However, I was especially excited with the male waiter who brought my dish used an old fashioned atomizer to spray port on the shrimp. He beamed at me when I blurted out, “Oh, I love that!” This dish was pricy at 19,50, but it was still very good. I actually liked it more than my main course.

Bill had the game consomme, which consisted of oxtail cannelloni and sherry. I didn’t taste it, but Bill said he liked it. At just 10.50, it wasn’t as costly as my starter.

I had the beef tenderloin as my main course. It came with Savoyarde potatoes, green asparagus, and Madeira. I think they also sneaked in some mushrooms. Fortunately, the wine we had before dinner dulled my senses enough that I wasn’t totally creeped out. Bill tasted what I thought were mushrooms and said they tasted like bok choy. I’ll take his word for it. The beef was extremely tender and the asparagus and potatoes were excellent. I just wish that other ingredient had been mentioned.

Bill had butter glazed venison loin, which came with hazelnut spaetzle and braised chicory. I don’t usually eat venison, but I tried Bill’s dish and I think I think I preferred it to mine. If we had eaten at Finch a second time, I might have gone for the venison. It was very good.

We usually order a bottle of wine to go with our fancier meals… ah hell, who am I kidding? We order it whether our meals are fancy or not. This time, we decided to have wines by the glass. I had a glass of locally produced sekt. Then Bill and I both had malbec to go with our main courses.

As you can see, Bill *hated* the venison…. NOT! I always enjoy seeing him eat game. He’s got Arkansan roots and likes things like deer, rabbit, and the wild boar. My choices are usually more pedestrian.

For dessert, I had the white chocolate and mascarpone cheesecake, which came with cherry Jello and a cherry sorbet. I’m not really sure what the “juice” was next to the sorbet. It was good.

Bill loved his dessert, the Wald Hotel Classic baked French brioche, which came with apple compote and vanilla sauce.

Finch offers a fairly good selection of choices on its menu. If I had wanted to, I could have had fish or a German styled delicacy like schnitzel. There were also options for vegans and vegetarians, although I did not see a children’s menu. But, to be honest, I don’t really think the Wald Hotel is really that suitable for kids, anyway. It’s a very elegant hotel that seems more geared to business people and those who like peace and quiet.

I did think the prices at Finch were somewhat high, but that could be because I’ve gotten used to eating out here in the hinterlands. Also, though the prices were high, portions were generous. My filet was especially big for what it was.

If we stay at the Wald Hotel again, we wouldn’t mind another dinner at Finch. On the other hand, the hotel is close to a few other places I’m still dying to try. So we’ll see… For now, I’ll offer my recommendation of Finch, especially if you’re staying in the hotel. It doesn’t disappoint.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: Finch

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