For the longest time, Bill and I had been wanting to try Ristorante Pizzeria Il Vecchio Lamm, an Italian restaurant in Gäufelden, which is the town next to ours.  We were always scared away from going there because the parking situation around the restaurant appeared to be horrendous.  When we decided to visit last night, it was still pretty horrendous looking, but we still managed to find a spot at an open lot not far away.  The restaurant is located at the end of a busy intersection between two well traveled streets.  That doesn’t stop people from visiting, though.

I had read reviews of the restaurant and noticed that it’s well loved by people in the area.  That may be because the restaurant has a wood pizza oven.  I don’t usually go for pizza when we dine in Italian restaurants and I didn’t last night, but I think I could be convinced to try it the next time I send Bill out for takeout.

We arrived to a very bustling dining room full of people.  One of the waitresses was holding a baby behind the large bar.  I could tell the friendly crowd were regulars and they all appeared to be having a good time.  We took a spot in the adjoining dining room, which only had only family sitting in it.  Our two top table was right next to a window, where I could watch the traffic pass and the full moon rising.  I noticed the smell of cheese and truffles in the air, as well as a large cabinet full of different grappas and other treats.  On the walls were masks, making me wonder if the family came from the Venice area.

Bill ordered us a couple of glasses of red wine, which came generously poured.  We checked out the menu.  I noticed the prices were very reasonable, though lots of dishes came with mushrooms in them (blecch!).

Bill checks out the menu…

I finally decided on shrimp scampi, while Bill ordered lasagne.  We sat and listened to pop music and checked out Facebook on our phones while we waited.  We actually waited awhile for our dishes, too.  I think it was probably because of the lasagne.

Bill gives me a meaningful look as he hides the lower part of his face.

At last, the food arrived.  This was the very colorful and tasty salad that came with my dish.  I enjoyed it very much, although it had a bit more dressing than I would have used.  The dressing was a mild, creamy Italian concoction, though, and it was good.

Bill got a very large lasagne, which was prepared with peas and mushrooms!  He enjoyed it and brought about half home with him.

Here’s some nice fresh bread– probably pizza dough.  This was a hit as well!

And my grilled shrimp in lobster sauce.  The shrimp were large and delicious, although perhaps just a hair overdone. 

 

Service was pleasant, though a little slow.  We didn’t mind, because we didn’t have anywhere to go.  I was enjoying soaking up the convivial atmosphere in an obviously popular and reasonably priced local restaurant in our area.  I’m sure we’ll be back, now that we know where to park.  Before tip, our bill was 38 euros.

As you can see, the front of the restaurant is where four people parked their cars.  Other than that, there’s street parking.  This restaurant is located between two busy roads, so it’s a bit hectic.