New friends and fantastic food at Pizarro Fine Dining!

A few weeks ago, Bill and I were still staring down the prospect of him spending three solid weeks in Bavaria on business. I was depressed about the idea of being alone for that long, since I tend to be kind of a recluse. I don’t enjoy cooking for myself anymore, especially in Germany, where we have small kitchens and everything is in Celsius (🤭).

It had been about seven months since our last visit to Pizarro Fine Dining in Groß-Gerau, so I asked Bill if he’d like to go there for dinner. If you’ve been reading this blog, you might remember that we discovered Pizarro Fine Dining in the spring of 2024. I was so blown away by our first experience there that we went back again in late May of last year. Then in February, we decided we’d better go again, because we weren’t sure what was going to happen with Donald Trump re-entering the White House. Pizarro Fine Dining is the kind of place where you don’t forget the food, and if we were going to have to move back to the USA or suffered a loss of income, I didn’t want to miss having another opportunity to dine there. Plus, I wanted to drown my sorrows.

Since we discovered Pizarro Fine Dining last year, we’ve noticed that it seems to have gotten more popular. The Web site has been revamped, and prices are slightly higher. Last night, it looked like there were fewer tables. Bill counted fourteen people, and every seat was taken. And it books up fast now– you have to secure your spot with a credit card!

Well… after last night’s glorious repast, I can see why things have changed. Once again, I left that restaurant shaking my head at some of the incredible flavors I encountered in Chef Julio Pizarro’s cuisine. Bill and I have been fortunate enough to dine in some really wonderful restaurants. The food we’ve had at Pizarro Fine Dining ranks as some of the best of the best.

I love the unique concept of this restaurant. You basically buy a ticket. At this writing, it’s 150 euros for the menu without any extras. The door is locked, so there aren’t any walk ins. It’s relaxed and casual, and feels like a house party, with good music, subdued lighting, and excellent wine pairings to go with extremely fresh Japanese-Peruvian fusion dishes, mostly featuring fish.

Last night, we sat at the “chef’s table”, which is a four top. Another couple joined us. We didn’t know them when we sat down, but by the end of our five hour meal, we felt like we’d made new friends. The couple we had dinner with live in Darmstadt and work for a company that tracks the weather. He’s Italian; she’s German, but she lived in Spain, The Netherlands, and France until she was 12. He speaks five languages. She speaks six! They met Julio at a party, and their friends told them they should book at table at his restaurant. It was their first time dining there, but I doubt it will be their last!

Bill and I pretty much went all out last night. We had the meat course, which wasn’t Wagyu beef last night, but another type of beef from Spain. The name of it escapes me now. It was leaner than Wagyu, but very delicious, and I opted to have a glass of wonderful Barolo wine to go with it. Edited to add: my German friend thinks it might have been Txogitxu, and now that I’ve looked it up, I think she’s right. It came from the north of Spain, and is described as the “world’s best steak.”

We also had the caviar, which we usually skip. It was definitely worth having it last night. I had the alcoholic wine pairing, while Bill had the “drink” pairing, which was non-alcoholic. Some of his drinks were fruit juices, but others were non-alcoholic wines. All were excellent.

And then there was the menu itself, which was titled “The Fire In Me”. Every course was beautifully prepared and delicious, but a couple of the courses were mindblowingly exceptional. I had to actually sit there dumbstruck for a few minutes to register how marvelous the flavors were, even when I wondered if I was going to be offended by something. There are certain foods I don’t care for, but some chefs can work magic and they have a completely different taste. Now– I still won’t eat mushrooms or truffles, so I had to skip those in the meat course– but I did enjoy beet root, daikon, radishes, and a few other items that normally I might not have wanted to try. Everything was exquisite!

After dinner, we had a round of espresso to perk Bill up for the drive home. The couple sitting with us, who had been talking up the train all night, looked crestfallen when they discovered that the train was canceled last night. They had to take a bus. Or maybe they called a taxi. I do think maybe we should take a cab to the restaurant so Bill can enjoy the wines more, but I like that he has the non-alcoholic beverages so we can try everything.

As usual, service was excellent, yet relaxed. The food was astonishing, and the company was a lot of fun. It was a really lucky thing that we hit it off with Susanne and G.G. as well as we did! Sometimes, people don’t mesh.

Anyway… the bill came close to 700 euros, which is a whole lot of money to spend on dinner. But we have a lot of things to celebrate this month. Next week is our 23rd wedding anniversary. Tomorrow, it’s likely that Bill will have a new granddaughter. And his next business trip, slated to begin November 17th, was supposed to be in Bavaria, but has now been changed to…

ISTANBUL!!!!!

And, with any luck, I will get to go with him. I can’t buy a plane ticket until he gets approved and booked on a flight. But, once that happens, I’ll hopefully be shopping for a seat on the same flight, and we’ll spend next week in a truly fascinating city in the Republic of Türkiye! I have been there, but it was in 1996. I am older and more established now, and since Bill will be with me, I probably won’t get hit on by the local men. 😉

So stay tuned… Hopefully, I will be setting this up tomorrow!

Rhein

Another amazing eating experience at Pizarro Fine Dining…

Some readers may recall that on March 16 of this year, Bill and I discovered Pizarro Fine Dining in Groß-Gerau, a nice town kind of near Darmstadt. On St. Patrick’s Day, I wrote about our “five hours of foodie decadence.” We had such a good time in March, we decided to go back to Pizarro Fine Dining again last night, as we were being smoked out of our table at the weekly market.

*We stopped for a selfie… it’s a nice one, if I do say so myself!*

We arrived in Groß-Gerau a bit early, so we decided to take a short walk around the town. The weather was beautiful, and lots of people were out enjoying the sun, pleasant temperatures, and bustling restaurants. We noticed the city is replacing its main drag with an attractive looking roadway. I’m not sure if Groß-Gerau is a tourist destination, but it looked like the powers that be are working to make the town more attractive to visitors and residents. Below are a few photos from our pre-dinner walk.

Last night’s experience at Pizarro’s was just as excellent as the first time. The main difference, besides a mostly different menu, was that there were fewer fellow diners, and the staff recognized us as we approached at 6:45 PM. There was one lone man dining, and a table of four– two German couples– already seated. We were offered a table next to the chef’s table, so it was easy for us to watch him work.

Once again, we had the choice between alcoholic and non-alcoholic wine pairings or choosing a beverage. We chose to do the wine pairing with most of the courses. Since Bill was driving, he went with the non-alcoholic pairing. I choose the alcoholic version. I noticed the other tables ordered bottles of wine. Once again, the emphasis of last night’s meal was very fresh seafood, with Peruvian-Asian fusion flavors. Below are photos of the menus. One has the alcoholic wine pairing, and the other has the non-alcoholic pairing.

Besides the excellent, fresh, inventive small plates we had last night, I was also enjoying the music. I found myself repeatedly Shazaming the Chef Pizarro’s playlist. He had a very eclectic variety of songs playing– everything from Latin to classic R&B. Meanwhile, he brought out course after course… and because there were only three tables, the pace was a little bit faster than it was the first time we visited. Below are photos from last night’s delightful repast.

*The very first snack– smoked trout with a sweet jelly and sprinkled with hibiscus. It looks like a shortbread cookie sandwich, but actually it was soft bread.*

*Snow crab with pike caviar and polleria… The flowers are blooms from garlic. They really intensified the flavor.*

Once again, we had the optional Wagyu beef for 25 euros a person. Once again, it was incredible! However, the first time we visited, back in March, we had a different cut that wasn’t quite as tender as last night’s was. Chef Pizarro told us the beef last night was from a filet, while last time we had a piece of loin. The difference was noticeable. I could have easily cut last night’s beef with a spoon. It was exquisitely marbled and practically melted in the mouth. I had mine without the truffles– just some of the sauce with a sprinkling of crispy Jerusalem artichokes, which were very tasty.

Chef Pizarro said he includes the Hamachi every time because he loves it. I have to confess, I love it, too. It’s served with chopsticks and special spoons from Peru, and I believe the herbs even have healing qualities.

By the end of dinner, we were very satisfied, but not stuffed. I also wasn’t drunk, as dinner took about four hours. But it was not a boring time, as everyone seemed to be enjoying everything at a relaxed pace.

I really like the unique style at Pizarro Fine Dining. Everyone gets the same thing, and there’s just one seating. You have to reserve ahead of time, and when you do that, you get a reminder of how much it will cost. Last night’s dinner was 125 euros per person, without any of the extras. As long as you can accept what is on the menu and let the chef drive, you’re in for quite an experience. It’s definitely for fish lovers, which I am!

I asked last night if they ever had trouble with people trying to come in, and asking for a table without a reservation. The waiter showed us that the door is kept locked from the outside. I noticed a few people passing by, watching through the window at what the chef was doing. I wonder if they are curious about this place, which doesn’t really operate like most restaurants, but is definitely a great experience for the adventurous.

I also explained to the chef why Americans are so big on tipping, after he complained about US food prices and the demand for 20 percent tips. I told him about how, in many states, wait staff only gets a couple of bucks an hour. They rely on tips. Unfortunately, that emphasis on tipping has kind of ruined dining out in America… at least in my opinion. I used to wait tables myself, so I understand why tipping is so emphasized in the United States. But that practice has made servers very fixated on money and turning tables, rather than letting people enjoy their meals at a relaxed pace. Apparently, the chef didn’t know this about the USA. It was my experience when I waited tables in Williamsburg, Virginia, that a lot of Europeans didn’t understand the US tipping culture. I don’t think a lot of Americans necessarily do, either. I didn’t know how little wait staff is paid until I, too, did that work.

Chef Pizarro told us that he went to college in Michigan, but he’s from Peru. He later married a German woman. That’s why we’re lucky to have him in Germany.

All of my experiences dining out in Germany came in handy last night. At one point, the waiter was telling us about Steinbutt, which he thought was maybe like halibut. The chef corrected him that it wasn’t halibut, but from the same family. I said, “Turbot?” That turned out to be correct! I know some German restaurant language, after all!

As we were leaving last night, we thanked the chef and his assistant for the wonderful meal… and we assured him we’ll be back, if he’ll have us again! I think I’d really like to try one of the other experiences he offers, like the Champagne Matinee, which is a brunch served monthly. Or maybe we’ll try one of his themed kitchen parties! Yes, it was a bit spendy– last night we paid close to 500 euros. But the experience is so unique and personal, and I swear, it was some of the freshest fish I’ve ever had here.

Bill and I have been so very fortunate to get to try so many wonderful restaurants in Europe. We are truly blessed to be here… Last night’s experience at Chef Pizarro’s table was yet another reminder of that.

German lifestyle, Hessen, Luxury

Five hours of foodie decadence at Pizarro Fine Dining in Groß-Gerau…

On Thursday afternoon, Bill finally got home from his latest TDY trip. I was delighted to see him, especially since he was sporting a white beard. He said he’d quit shaving while he was working the nightshift in Bavaria. I think Bill is adorable when he has a beard, but I don’t enjoy kissing it, and he doesn’t like the upkeep. So, within a few minutes of his arrival home, he shaved. Then we started talking about future food and travel endeavors… 😉

I showed Bill a few places I found for a potential long weekend. We’re overdue for a trip outside of Germany. He said he’d see what he could do for time off, not to include the two days he’s taking to recover from sixteen days straight of non-stop work. I’ve mentioned before, Bill is not a night person, and he’s no longer a spring buck. He gets things accomplished, but it comes at a price when the job is done. I like this, because it means I can plan elaborate short trips, which often turn out to be our most memorable.

Before we make any serious plans for a long weekend, Bill wanted to go out to dinner. There was a time not so long ago when we used to go out to eat all the time. Nowadays, we’ve kind of lost the desire to get dressed up and go out to a restaurant. I think it’s a combination of us getting older and the pandemic, which got us used to hanging out at home all the time. Also, today happens to be the one year anniversary of the death of our beloved beagle-coonhound mix, Arran. While we wanted to celebrate him, we also miss him a lot.

Now… about Pizarro Fine Dining in Groß-Gerau…

At the time Bill proposed a night out, I was all for it. He went on OpenTable.de and found a new restaurant in the nearby hamlet of Groß-Gerau, which the GPS tells us is about sixteen miles from where we live.

Bill started reading about Pizarro Fine Dining on OpenTable, and then Googled the restaurant. He noted the solid five star ratings people on Google had given the place. He also noticed that the restaurant was mentioned by The Michelin Guide in 2023.

Pizarro Fine Dining has kind of a unique concept. Instead of having people come in and order what they want a la carte, they offer a set “Nuna Inka” menu, which is a tasting menu of different fish dishes coupled with healing herbs. They also offer “kitchen parties” and “daytime champagne matinees” every other week. Additionally, they have wine events, and are available to be booked for business events or parties. The next wine event, according to Pizarro’s Web site, will be held on May 10, 2024.

Last night’s fully booked dinner was the Nuna Inka menu. For 125 euros per person, patrons are welcomed into the restaurant at 6:30 PM, given snacks and an aperitif, and then at around 7:15, the first course arrives. Diners are welcome to pair the tasting menu with wine– alcoholic or non-alcoholic. Bill really liked the fact that there was a non-alcoholic wine pairing, which made it possible for him to fully enjoy the experience without worrying about drunk driving. Additionally, patrons are welcome to purchase a glass or a bottle of wine, and stick with that instead of having the pairings. And, of course, there’s always still or sparkling water. Pizarro has a whole beverage menu with all of the choices.

Yesterday afternoon, I was feeling kind of tired and didn’t feel like getting dressed up and putting on makeup. Nevertheless, I made myself go, because I’ve been cooped up alone at home for weeks. Besides, this blog needed some fresh content… and boy did we get “fresh” in spades last night!

*Probably the Rathaus. We will have to go back and explore.*

Five hours of food…

We arrived at Pizarro Fine Dining at 6:30 PM, parking our car at the handy public lot right across the street from the restaurant. We were greeted personally by Chef Julio Pizarro, and his friendly and capable waiter, who impressed us so much last night by speaking almost perfect English. It’s not that we’re surprised he spoke English so much as that our language is so pervasive in Europe now, and we don’t even have to ask people to do it. To be honest, it kind of puts us Americans to shame. There were only a couple of times when the English word for something escaped the waiter’s memory. Fortunately, ten years of living in Germany this time has made us both pretty proficient in restaurant German.

We had a seat at a table in the corner. My back was to what appeared to be a wine library. I took note of the music, which was a delightfully eclectic combination of jazz, world music, and 70s era pop. I found myself repeatedly “Shazaming”, when it was quiet enough in the restaurant. I’ll be adding more to my personal playlist, thanks to our visit to Pizzaro’s! Aside from the music, I also enjoyed the lighting, which became colorful after the round of snacks. With each new course, the lights changed, which added to the unusual ambiance.

Feast your eyes on the parade of very fresh food we ate last night… As you can see, it was very heavy on fish, which I enjoyed very much. In fact, I commented to Chef Pizzaro that it was a real pleasure to have such different cuisine in Germany.

This meal was– no lie– one of the best I’ve ever had in my life… and I have had a lot of good food. Every course practically exploded with different flavors and textures. There wasn’t a single course that offended me, and the only time I needed any kind of change was with the optional Wagyu course (25 euros per person). I don’t eat mushrooms or truffles, and that course had both. Bill enjoyed his the way Chef Pizzaro created it, while I just tasted the plain beef. Oh my GOD… that beef practically melted. It was so tender and flavorful!

While this was a long evening with lots of food and wine, I was neither stuffed nor drunk when we left there at about 11:30 PM. In fact, I remarked to Bill as we were eating that I was feeling markedly better, physically, than I was when we came into the place.

Remember when I mentioned that I was feeling kind of tired and not wanting to venture out anywhere? Well… I think there really were some healing qualities to the herbs in those dishes. Because after I had the first dish, following the three rounds of “snacks”, I literally started feeling better, physically. It was kind of cool. And I didn’t know the dishes had any healing herbs in them when I made that comment, as I didn’t read up on Pizzaro Fine Dining before we went on this culinary journey.

On our drive home, Bill and I kept talking about how amazed we were by the food and wine experience we’d just had… and how we’re definitely going to have to go back another time. But– word to the wise– this experience is not cheap. When all was said and done last night, we’d spent almost 500 euros, before the tip!

We’ve dined in some pricey establishments before, but this one was probably the most expensive of them all. But that included nine courses served at a leisurely pace, wine pairings, two bottles of water, the Wagyu supplement, a glass of 2001 Pauillac to go with the beef (16 euros), coffee and petit fours. The only option we didn’t add on is a cheese course (15 euros). We could have spent significantly less if we’d wanted to do that. But we were having such a good time, I just wanted Chef Pizarro to take our money.

Thanks to the relaxed pacing of last night’s dinner, we had the chance to chat with the chef, who personally brought out some of the food. After immediately pegging Bill as an American guy who works for the Army, Chef Pizarro told us he’d gone to college in Michigan. He landed in Groß-Gerau because his wife is German. What a gift it is for those of us lucky enough to live close to his restaurant! As we were leaving, we thanked him profusely once again, and promised we’d be back for another visit. And now, I’m spreading the word to others, in case anyone else wants to meet Chef Pizarro. Just be sure to make a reservation and bring your credit card or lots of euros!

I would not call Pizarro Fine Dining a child friendly restaurant, although there was a table with two well-behaved children in attendance last night. Dress is casual elegant, although I did see people in jeans. Chef Pizarro doesn’t do substitutions, except for pescatarian, which must be requested at least 24 hours in advance. Vegetarian options are also not available. If you have allergies or intolerances, you can let the chef know and he will make adjustments for that reason. My advice, though, is to just let Chef Pizarro take the wheel. He really is a wizard!

*We’ll have to visit Groß-Gerau again and check out this town…*

The featured photo is another shot of the Hamachi ceviche, which was my favorite of the courses… although that beef was certainly a contender!

Schwarzwald

Seeing “stars” in Baiersbronn… Part five

We had no plans at all for Saturday. It was rainy and chilly, though, so we figured people would probably be hanging out in the spa area. We decided to take a drive instead. I can’t even tell you exactly where we went. Bill just got on the road, heading north, and we drove through several nice, picturesque towns. At one point, I was enchanted by the sight of rushing water, so we stopped so I could get some pictures. We eventually turned around when we got to the town of Rastatt, which looked to be pretty decent sized.

After a couple of hours of good music and conversation, we headed back toward Obertal. It had started to rain and it was time for lunch. Despite all of the eating we did on Friday, we were hungry. I decided that I really wanted to stop at the Forellenhof Buhlbach, a restaurant owned by Hotel Bareiss.

If you are a food lover, you might know the Bareiss because it is where Baiersbronn’s other Michelin Three Star restaurant is. That restaurant, also known as Bareiss, is led by Clauss-Peter Lumpp, who has been working there for decades. I read about Chef Lumpp in that amazing New York Times Magazine article about Baiersbronn I posted at the beginning of this series. Now that I’m looking at the hotel’s Web site, I’m thinking that maybe if we go back, we should look into staying there!

In any case, we had driven up to the Forellenhof Buhlbach restaurant earlier in the day, so I got a good photo of it before the crowds showed up. It’s only open from 11:30 until 5:30 every day, and it’s a popular place that specializes in serving fresh trout. Reservations are not accepted. When we arrived, the place was pretty full and there was a line to get in. Since we didn’t have anything else to do, we decided to stick around. That was a good decision. Our wait was only about ten minutes and the meal was outstanding. No, it wasn’t fancy gourmet fare, but it was still very good food. I love fresh fish, and it doesn’t get much fresher than what is served at the Forellenhof. We did enjoy trout that was just as fresh when we visited Slovenia in 2016. The place in Slovenia was a bit more rustic, though.

Here are some photos from a fantastic lunch!

There was a covered area near the front door where people could wait. We signed in using Luca and the server checked our COVID pass.

One of the other guests at the Forellenhof was a nun. She seemed to be enjoying her lunch with her companion. This restaurant is quite reasonably priced, especially compared to where we ate on Friday. I think we got out of there having spent less than 100 euros. There are other menu choices besides fish, too, although the trout is definitely the star attraction at the Forellenhof.

Since we were pretty full and lunch was later, we decided to hang out in the bar instead of having dinner. The crowd changed a bit. There were many French people there, no doubt wanting to eat some excellent cuisine. I did notice that there weren’t many Americans around, especially in our hotel. In fact, most of the people in our hotel didn’t speak English, which I found rather refreshing. Bill got to practice his German a lot, and I found that I understood more than I realized.

There were a few things that made our trip a little more stressful than it should have been. All of it had to do with my inability to unplug from social media. I was especially nervous after having read about a gang of women in our neighborhood who have been trying to break in to people’s houses. One of Bill’s co-workers even caught someone trying to break into his car a few weeks ago. After reading about the neighborhood creepers, I ended up buying more renter’s insurance. I am a BIG believer in insurance.

We checked out of Hotel Engel Obertal at about 9:00am yesterday. As a parting gift, they gave us water, a small loaf of fresh farmer’s bread, and salt. Our final bill for the bar and restaurant, taxes, and one night of parking in the garage, was about 400 euros. All in all, we spent about 2000 euros on the hotel. I would stay at that hotel again, although if we go back, I’ll probably book somewhere else for the different experience. To anyone who is looking into visiting Baiersbronn, I would recommend the Hotel Engel Obertal. It seemed pretty popular with seniors, although we also saw a number of young families there. It has a nice family vibe.

Our drive back to Wiesbaden wasn’t bad at all, although I did a fair amount of bitching… mainly due to stuff that was completely unrelated to our weekend. Overall, we had a wonderful time, and now I’m thinking our days of staying in downtown Stuttgart when we need to see the dentist may be over forever. I’m all about staying in the Black Forest now, and am even thinking of other towns I’d like to explore next time. A bonus was that when we got home, our house was fine, and the dogs were delighted to see us. Noyzi even jumped into the back of the Volvo all by himself!

I hope anyone who’s been following along enjoyed this look at Baiersbronn. There are plenty of reasons to go back… more “stars” to see, if the opportunity presents itself. Until next time!

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I needed a vacation like nobody’s business… Restaurants with character and rainy Friday afternoons… Part 3

After a fitful night’s sleep on Thursday, we woke to cloudy skies on Friday morning. Bill went to the store and picked up some bread, eggs, juice, and prosciutto. We ate a leisurely breakfast, complete with the Peet’s coffee we brought with us.

Unfortunately, Bill’s Friday morning got off to a rough start. He had taken the dogs out for a pee break before the sun had completely risen and lost his footing on the steps. He took a spill and turned his ankle. He hobbled around the apartment, complaining a little about the pain. I went into the bedroom to do some reading while he nursed his ankle. In the course of reading, I dozed off and took a short nap.

Later, we managed to take the boys for a short walk, where we caught the first views of Domaso not originating from our terrace.

The first time we encountered a sign directing us left or right. We decided to go left, which took us up a cobbled path that offered lovely views.

Despite the clouds, I was enchanted by this scene.

Then I spotted this king-like donkey and was reminded of my old friend in France…

I had to get another shot. Wish I’d brought my regular camera, so I could have zoomed in.

In some ways, I think the clouds made the scenery even more breathtaking.

A steep walk down to the town, which we didn’t brave. There is a more gently sloping walk a bit past this that is much easier on the knees!

The local church!

After we put the dogs back in the house, Bill and I took our first walk to town. We decided to have lunch at Trattoria Ruffino, which got fairly good ratings on TripAdvisor. As the sky threatened to open, we walked into the restaurant, which was tucked into an alcove off the main drag. I knew it was going to be a good lunch when I saw all the locals pouring in. The proprietors had set out some fish next to a large fireplace, which was burning brightly.

This place is a bit tucked away…

Bill looks at the fish heavy menu. Since we were right next to Lake Como, fish dishes were available everywhere.

Our waitress spoke heavily Italian accented English and offered us fish prepared many different ways. I had a mixed grill of three different types of fish, caught fresh from the lake.

That fireplace was where the fish were cooked… and it made the dining room a bit smokey.

We had bread, water, and a large carafe of local white wine.

Bill ordered a salad and it was enough for both of us.

So were the fries.

Three kinds of fresh fish!

Bill got only one kind.

After a leisurely lunch spent observing the locals engaging in lively banter, we decided to have dessert. I have never regretted ordering dessert in Italy and this time was no exception.

Bill had the “house tart”, which was made with strawberries and tasted uncannily like a very fresh version of the Toastettes that we could still get in the 70s and 80s.

I had a dark chocolate tartufo– basically rich chocolate ice cream covered in cocoa. Our meal cost about 55 euros. Consider how much we got for that price! Especially since the day before, we spent 28 Swiss Francs

The charming outside area. No one sat out there on Friday because it was raining.

We stopped by the toilet… which was one of these old style squat jobs. Yes, this bathroom is unisex, too! How progressive!

A stormy scene on the main drag!

We passed a couple of friendly pets on the way back. That dog’s name was Phyllo and he never missed a chance to greet us with barking as we passed. When Arran offered his chicken bark, the Italian ladies laughed! It was kind of refreshing. Here in Germany, we often get disapproving stares when the boys bark!

Because Bill’s foot was hurting, we decided to stay in on Friday night. We listened to music and drank wine all evening! Our lunch was enough to tide us over until Saturday morning.

And I took more pictures, too… these were a few of the better ones.

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Drinking at a fake German beach and eating at a real German restaurant…

Several months ago, Bill and I were in the charming city of Nagold when I noticed what looked like a fake German beach. It had sand, beach chairs, umbrellas, tables, and a large bar area. Summer was coming and obviously this was meant to resemble a beach bar for landlocked beach loving southern Germans. At the time I noticed it, I made a mental note to come back and try the fake beach bar. We finally made it to Anker Beach yesterday afternoon. It happened to be Anker Beach’s last day of operation. From what I could tell on their Facebook page, though Anker Beach has been in Nagold for four summers, it will not be back next year.

Before we visited the “beach”, I used the ladies room at the nearby Edeka and noticed that the soap dispenser has handy instructions on how a person might properly wash his or her hands. I wonder how many people have actually paid attention to these directions helpfully laid out in diagrams.

It was kind of an overcast afternoon and the temperatures were a bit cooler than they have been recently. Bill and I took a seat on cushionless outdoor couches and started enjoying the last day of the Anker Beach Bar in Nagold…

As you can see, it wasn’t flooded with people right away…

There were lots of dirty ashtrays, too.

But we still enjoyed ourselves.

This was the drink menu. I don’t think they had everything available. You could order whole bottles of vodka or gin if you wanted, albeit at steep prices.

After some time, more people started showing up.

I finally tried an Aperol spritz. It reminded me of fizzy orange Kool-Aid.

This next drink was very good… and very, very potent. I’m pretty sure the bartender was unloading the last of his booze.

All in all, though, the strandbar was a bit sad yesterday.

We finally left as the sun was starting to sink.

Apparently, “beach bars” are a thing in Germany during the summer. There’s also one in Sindelfingen at Breuningerland.

We thought about having dinner at our old friend Gino’s restaurant, but Gino wasn’t open last night. So we went to a different restaurant instead, one we hadn’t tried before. It was called Burg. The food turned out to be very good.

Bill checks out the menu… He had salmon and I had trout.

My trout came with this salad, which was very fresh and delicious. Bill and I shared it.

This trout was sinfully delicious. It tasted like it had come straight from the river and was cooked in butter. The potatoes were also excellent. I couldn’t finish all of this, but I wanted to. I love fresh fish!

Bill was happy with his Scottish salmon, though I think he liked my trout better. The salmon came with rice and simply prepared vegetables…

And naturally, we paired our fish with a lovely Pinot Grigio from the wine list.

This was dessert… It was a digestive that tasted of earth after a good spring rain. However, I probably should have had plain water. Yesterday was a very boozy day for me.

And this was Bill’s dessert, the creamy sabayon of the house. Sabayon is a light Italian mousse/custard. It was delicious.

The menu outside.

I could see they had a nice looking biergarten, though it wasn’t open yesterday.

Nagold is such a pretty town, even at night.

The lady who waited on us was very friendly and offered excellent service. We felt very welcome at Burg and would happily go back, especially now that the weather is cooling down. The food at Burg is traditionally German, so it will stick to your ribs. I also liked the charming interior of Burg. There are lots of adorable eckbank groups in there.

Perhaps today, I will enjoy the rain and bum around as the weather turns into fall.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Tag Archives: fresh fish