Tag Archives: gourmet

Schwarzwald

Baiersbronn… a sleepy town with many stars… (Michelin, that is)

 

Just like Hollywood?  Not hardly… but there’s good eating in them there hills…

 

Although Bill and I usually enjoy taking day trips on Saturdays and Sundays, we decided not to go out yesterday because it looked like it was going to rain.  Sure enough, it did rain… and then I got hooked on Call the Midwife on Netflix.  I seem to be among the last of my friends to discover this wonderful British series set in the 1950s and based on memoirs by midwife Jennifer Worth.  I started binge watching the show and, sure enough, wasted the day.  On the other hand, maybe it wasn’t too wasted, since Bill watched with me.

 

When it was time for dinner, Bill went to our local chicken man and picked up a couple of doner kebabs.  I don’t like a lot of the yogurt sauce on my doners, so Bill asked for “klein Sauce”.  The Turkish guy who runs the place knows Bill isn’t German and speaks English, but is good enough to do business in German with Bill.  His buddy took it a step further and gave him the right word for “little sauce”.  I’m sure we’ll never forget to say “weniger Sauce” from now on.

Today, we were determined to get out and see a place we haven’t yet been.  We decided to visit Baiersbronn, mainly because I had heard it was a noted place for haute cuisine.  Baiersbronn is just about 45 minutes from where we live in Unterjettingen.  It’s kind of a sleepy little town very close to Freudenstadt that has a lot of hotels and makes a lot of its money from tourism.  I was expecting it to be bigger than what I saw today, especially since I know there are eight Michelin stars in Baiersbronn.  Two restaurants have three stars and one has two stars.  Here’s a link to a 2013 New York Times article about Baiersbronn, posted when there were only seven stars there.  If you like gourmet food, it’s definitely a town you need to know about.

Baiersbronn was formed in the 1960s and 70s when five municipalities were formed.  It’s a well known spa town and there’s even a “natural pool” nearby, perfect for youngsters, called Naturbad Mitteltal.  It was a little cold for swimming today, but this does look like it could be a hit with kids who like to swim.  Bear in mind that if you’re not a member of the pool, the hours for you will be different than they are for card carrying members.  Check out their Facebook for more information.

We did not dine in any Michelin starred restaurants today, but now that we know how close the town of Baiersbronn is to where we live, we will definitely make some plans to visit one or all of them soon.  Instead, we drove through Freudenstadt (still going through major construction right now) and took a short stroll around the main drag before we finally stopped for lunch at Cafe am Eck (Corner Cafe), a cute little Konditorei heading into town.  They serve a breakfast buffet on Sundays, but we arrived too late for it.  However, they did serve a variety of snacks– Wurst salads, Flammkuechens, Toasts, and even Quiche Lorraine, which is what I had.  I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen Quiche Lorraine in Germany, although we’re close enough to France in these parts to have it.

Here are some pictures from today’s jaunt.

 
 
 
 
 

I never get tired of the beautiful flower arrangements in the smallest German towns.

 

The Murg River passes through…

 

It reminded me a little of the little town where I went to college, Farmville, Virginia.  The Appomattox River passes through Farmville, though, and I don’t remember pretty flower arrangements there.

 
 

A couple of cool old buildings.

 

An incentive to visit on a weekday or a Saturday.  I spotted at least one gourmet shop and a beer shop.  I also saw lots of construction hats like the one above.

 

There’s even a red telephone booth with an actual phone in it!

 

We probably missed the main part of the town today, although according to the New York Times piece I linked, Baiersbronn isn’t known for being especially beautiful compared to some other Black Forest towns.  It seemed like we were in the wrong part of town for tourism… although we did hear lots of English spoken by Americans, including at Cafe am Eck, a cute little establishment with decor that reminded me a little of an old style Howard Johnson’s restaurant of my youth.  You younger folks have probably never had the pleasure of dining in a HoJo’s, which were known for ice cream and family friendly dishes.  Cafe am Eck is definitely not a full scale restaurant, although during the work week, they do have a lunch dish of the day.  The waitresses all wear Dirndls and the one who took care of us was very nice, if not slightly scatterbrained.

 

Another construction hat, this time hanging from the grapevines over the terrace.  I have to admit, the terrace was pretty much what attracted me.

 

This was an okay Quiche Lorraine, priced very economically at about 3 euros.  However, I could tell it had been chilled and microwaved, since parts of it were hot and parts were ice cold.  I didn’t care… it tasted good.  Also, instead of bacon, I could see they used shredded wurst.  

 

Bill had Black Forest ham toast.  It was made with wheat bread, slices of ham, tomato slices, and cheese.  The toast wasn’t very toasty, but the top part was good…

 

I have a feeling most people come to this cafe for dessert anyway.  They have ice cream, candy, liqueurs, cakes, and pies.  Bill had a really lovely slice of cheesecake that was smooth and creamy and a little sweeter than usual.

 

And I had my usual Schwarzwaldtorte (Black Forest Cake).  It was very good, although I’ve had better.  I liked that it wasn’t too sweet or heavy.

 
 

A shot of the exterior of Cafe am Eck.

 

We really should have toured around a bit more, but it looked like it was going to rain and I felt like going home and drinking wine.  So that’s what I’m doing now… drinking wine, listening to a live recording of Carole King, and writing this blog post.  However, we will make plans to try some of Baiersbronn’s highly esteemed restaurants.  It’s also a town with some very nice looking hotels, making it a good option for a staycation.  Right now, just like in Freudenstadt, there is a major road project going on.  Maybe that’s what all the construction hats were about.

Below are a few more pretty photos from our drive home.  We feel so fortunate to live in an area right next to the Black Forest.  It’s really awesome to be able to escape there on the weekends and enjoy so much of what Baden-Württemberg has to offer.

 

Near where we parked.  There was a nice looking Freibad there, too.

 
 
 
 

Lucky stop here, as the train was passing.

 
 
 
 

Lots of sunflowers… there are a few fields of them on the way to Baiersbronn.

Now that we know the way, we will have to go back to Baiersbronn and its environs.  The area is very pretty and it’s so close to Freudenstadt, which is also a nice place to visit, although it’s nicer when the main drag isn’t torn up due to construction.

Edited to add: as of January 2020, one of Baiersbronn’s three Michelin starred restaurants has burned down…  The Traube Tonbach went up in flames on Saturday, January 4th.  There are plans to rebuild.

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Five places to get really fancy vittles in the Stuttgart area…

Bill and I had tentative plans to visit a couple of festivals over the weekend.  But then we took note of the weather and decided we’d rather stay in and watch bad TV.  Our area got snow yesterday and last night and that kind of weather makes me want to hibernate.  I do like to post updates to this blog on the weekends, though.

Those who read this blog regularly might know that I tend to write more about restaurants than anything else.  Every once in awhile, I make aggregate posts about places where we’ve eaten.  Since we have just enjoyed two marvelous five star restaurant experiences, I thought today would be a good day to post about where to get really fancy food in the Stuttgart area.

This list is not in any particular order.  They’re just places where we’ve gone and been bowled over by the food, the service, and the presentation.  Not surprisingly, they also tend to be very expensive.  Check this blog for my reviews.

5.  Der Zauberlehrling

Bill and I first tried Der Zauberlehrling in Stuttgart in 2008.  At that time, it was one of just a few restaurants in the area that was using Open Table, an online reservation service.  Der Zauberlehrling is also a quirky hotel that I wouldn’t mind trying someday.  We have only been for the food, which has been pretty magical.  The above link will take you to my review from the spring of 2017, when we attended their Candlelit Theme Night.  This event, which happens every Saturday, is a set menu offered for 115 euros a person and is all inclusive of snacks, a four course meal, wine pairings, and espresso or coffee.  The food is definitely gourmet and the service is outstanding, although it’s not possible to order a la carte on Saturday nights (you can order a la carte on other nights).  As much as I enjoyed the food, I was especially enchanted by the service, which was laid back but very professional.  I love a place where I can feel comfortable enjoying the food.

One of the lovely courses at Der Zauberlehrling.

4.  Alte Post (please note: Alte Post is now closed)

We recently celebrated our 15th anniversary at Alte Post in Nagold.  This restaurant is actually two eateries– the casual Luz Bistro and Bar and the more formal Alte Post, which offers set menus a few nights a week.  Both times we’ve tried the more formal Alte Post dining room, we’ve come away from the experience awestruck by the exquisite flavors and inventive presentations.  A bonus for us is that Nagold is very close to where we live.  Both times, we have been served by the sommelier and proprietor, Marina Hentsch, who has teamed up with star Chef Stefan Beiter to make some truly outstanding food for those of us on the edge of the Black Forest.

Delightful salmon at Alte Post.

3.  Gourmetrestaurant Talblick

My next entry is another hotel restaurant located in Wildberg, a small town in the Black Forest.  Hotel Talblick offers two restaurants on its premises.  There’s the traditional gasthaus, which Bill and I haven’t tried yet, and the “Gourmetrestaurant”, which we tried in 2016.  The two restaurants are different, though they both get very high marks for food quality.  We were the only ones dining in the gourmet restaurant when we finally managed to get a reservation after months of trying.  It was June and it was hot, but the food was absolutely unforgettable.  Chef Claus Weitbrecht has many years of experience and study in France, and it shows.  We spent several hours enjoying course after course of very fancy food!  If you don’t mind a drive and like gourmet dining, this place is worth a stop.

This was the amuse when we dined…  It wasn’t even on the menu!  I see by my review that I was very much enchanted by this quail.

 
2.  Gasthof Krone

Gasthof Krone in Waldenbuch is an unassuming looking place, but it offers a wonderful gourmet experience.  We dined there in the spring of 2016 and I think we’re due for another visit, particularly since the chef changed after we tried them the first time.  Service at this little restaurant is very professional and the food is amazing.  Although I would recommend making reservations at any of the places I’ve listed in this post, I would especially recommend them for Gasthof Krone.  This restaurant is well-known and well-loved by people in Waldenbuch.  The small dining room was hopping when we ate there, although the service remained serene and the food was sublime.

Lamb chops done right.

1.  Delice

Our most recent fancy dining adventure was at Delice last Wednesday.  This downtown Stuttgart restaurant is making a lot of waves lately for its unique ambiance and imaginatively prepared cuisine.  The dining room is very tiny and you get personal attention from the charming sommelier, Evangelos Pattas, who once worked on the cruise ship MS Europa, regarded by the Berlitz Guide as “the best cruise ship in the world” for twelve years running.  Throughout the evening, you will be able to watch Chef Andreas Hettinger work from his open kitchen.  We were blown away by his culinary wizardry as much as we were the very charming Pattas, who kept us in excellent spirits with his inspired wine pairings.

Perfect shrimp presented with flair.

Of course there are other wonderful restaurants in the Stuttgart area and Bill and I continue to try them as time and finances permit.  These are just a few of the really great food experiences we’ve had in the Stuttgart area and I wanted to share them with others living here and hoping for a very European dining experience.  Yes, you’ll spend several hours and plenty of money, but I can truly say that each of these five restaurants have left me dazzled, and not just by the bill!  Every time I try one of these five star eateries, I leave having expanded my comfort zone a little bit more.  I hope this post whets your appetite for a great dining experience.

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Almost stuck in Stuttgart after divine dinner at Delice…

Delightful Delice!

Today’s post will probably be kind of long and potentially convoluted.  I did promise some people that I would return and report after Bill and I tried Delice, a tiny and wonderful restaurant in downtown Stuttgart.  Here I am with the story!  I hope you’ll bear with me!

Our tale begins at the beginning of last week.  It was a few days before our wedding anniversary and we were trying to figure out where to celebrate.  Bill had heard of Delice, which is a tiny place that puts out amazing food.  Neither of us had been before, so we didn’t know just how tiny it is.  He called Delice and spoke to a very winsome man who told us that his restaurant was completely booked for the night of our anniversary.  Then he asked if we could make it on Wednesday of this week.  Bill said that was possible, so our charming host reserved a table for us at 7:30pm.

Bill got home from work a little bit early so we could brave the Stuttgart traffic.  I broke out my glad rags and pearls and Bill exchanged his sweater vest for a blazer.  Off we went.  The first mishap involved me trying to get my iPod to work.  This may not seem like a big deal, but I’m pretty serious about my music in the car.  I also hate German pop.  I hate the current trend of American pop too, when it comes down to it.  Finally, after unplugging and replugging in the dark, restarting the car and restarting the iPod, it started working.

We passed through Herrenberg and directly landed in a very frustrating Stau that took about thirty extra minutes to get through.  Someone had an accident and it had backed up traffic.  Bill and I are very punctual and lack patience, so we were getting a bit annoyed by the delay.  I was sitting in the front seat thanking God that I don’t have to deal with that mess on the daily.  I think I noticed an U-bahn station somewhat close to Delice, but Bill thought it probably wouldn’t have been convenient to use it.  Next time, maybe we’ll study that option more, especially given what happened after dinner.

We got to the Parkhaus right next to Delice at about 7:45.  We parked the car.  I had a bad feeling because all of the spaces had numbers over them, which makes me think they’re reserved.  I didn’t have time to think too much about it, though, because we had to rush off to our dinner reservation.

After finding the restaurant, we walked through a tiny courtyard and down a few steps into what looked like a darkly lit former bomb shelter.  The host who had taken our reservation, name of Evangelos Pattas, met us at the door after warning us about a tricky last step.  Pattas was very welcoming and asked if he should speak English or German.  He and a colleague then took our coats and showed us to a spacious two top against the wall.  On either side of us, there were two guys enjoying dinner.  I counted two large tables, perhaps large enough for four to six people.  The other four tables were two tops.  One two top was unbooked last night.  Aside from me, there was only one other woman in the restaurant last night.

Bill gazed at his lovely wife.  Then he went to use the men’s room.  The restrooms are tiny– just one stall.  The ladies room was equipped with rolled up towels, eau de toilette, and hand lotion.  They also brought us steamy hot towels before dinner started.  I was distracted by my phone and didn’t notice at first when the assistant offered me a towel.  

Prior to visiting the restaurant, Bill had sent an email telling the staff (which consists of the chef, the sommelier, and an assistant) about any food allergies or sensitivities we have.  The chef requests this for planning purposes.  Bill told him about my mushroom hatred, although I think he said I have allergies, which I don’t.  Because Bill had written the email in German, but the proprietor had spoken to him in English on the phone, he said he’d wondered about us.  He did schmooze a bit, asking where we were from and what Bill’s job is.

Pattas explained that the menu is up to five courses and they would like to “surprise” us, although the menu was posted outside.  I’ve become somewhat wary of surprise dishes, since our visit to Five in Stuttgart two years ago.  But I saw the guys sitting next to us getting their dishes and decided to trust the chef, Andreas Hettinger. We also opted for the wine pairing, though I noticed they had a selection of different liquors available.

Chef Hettinger works in a tiny kitchen that can be viewed by everyone in the restaurant.  The “bar”, such as it is, basically consists of a bank of assorted bottles.  As I mentioned previously, it’s a very small venue.  I was amazed by how such a tiny place could put out such amazing culinary creations.  I started with a glass of champagne, while Bill had a locally produced white wine from the Bodensee.  His wine was crisp with a strong essence of pears, while my champagne was dry as air and really hit the spot after our stressful drive into Stuttgart.

We started with the amuse.  Two spoons had tiny crustinis with beef tartare on them.  The other two had smoked salmon and curry.  It was the first time either of us had ever had beef tartare, which is raw meat.  I have to admit it was surprisingly delicious.

Next came this little cup of bisque.  It tasted like lobster with lots of butter and a touch of sherry.  Again, absolutely stunning.  I would love to have this next time I’m in need of something warm and comforting.  The flavors were so delicate.

Out came the bread.  We had walnut bread, pumpkin seed bread, and a plain baguette served with salt free butter.  Our host pointed out the salt in a little dish that came from a river in Australia.  I didn’t try it, though, because the butter on its own was so good.  I love bread, so I have to be careful not to fill up on it.

Next came two red shrimp perched upon greens with a red pepper sauce, black garlic, and avocado… It was paired with a spunky Sauvignon Blanc that I loved.

We had beautiful halibut with water chestnuts, quinoa, curry, and cauliflower.  This was paired with a local Riesling from Mainz.

Next came scallops, which the chef had kindly prepared sans fungus for me.  Bill’s version included black truffle, and you can see him above, enjoying the aroma.  It was topped with an essence of blood wurst and chervil tuber.  To be honest, I think this was my first experience with chervil tuber.  It seemed to add more texture than flavor to this dish.  The blood wurst reminded me very slightly of haggis in flavor only.  It’s probably best not to think too long about what either haggis or blood wurst is.

Finally, we had venison, which was so tender you could probably cut it with a spoon.  Bill’s version came with mushrooms– black chanterelles.  It had a sweet crust made with plums, as well as parsley root.  By this point, I was starting to get a bit full.  The hour was getting fairly late, too.  This was paired with a local pinot noir that had sort of a fruit punch essence to it.  It was about 9:45pm.

Next came a pre dessert, a delicious light cream with minced mangos on the bottom…

And then dessert, a Valrhona truffle cake with more chervil, muscovado, red beet ice cream, and grapes.  I think our host also mentioned that this dessert included spinach, which would have been a first for me.  We had a lovely Italian cherry dessert wine with this.  It was a very pleasing ending for a sumptuous meal.

 

We enjoyed petit fours (chocolate and strawberry candies) and espresso while we surveyed the bill, which came to 343 euros before the tip.  That was about what we paid last week at Nagold’s Alte Post, where we celebrated our anniversary.  I would say food quality wise, last night’s meal was absolutely on par with last week’s anniversary dinner at Alte Post.  The flavors were very unique and worked beautifully together.  Service was impeccable and the wine pairings were outstanding.  It’s a very good choice for a special occasion dinner if you’re looking for really good food and wine.

If I were to compare the two experiences, I think I liked Alte Post slightly more for a few reasons.  First of all, there’s the fact that it’s very close to where we live, so there was no need to sit in traffic for an hour to get there.  Also, parking was not an issue in Nagold (I’ll get to that story soon).

I liked the fact that the tables at the Alte Post were spread out, so I never felt like I was inconveniencing anyone when I needed to get up to use the ladies room.  At Delice, you have tables that are right next to each other.  You can hear other conversations and, if you’re not particularly slim, run the risk of annoying people next to you as you scoot between the tables to use the restroom.  Fortunately, the men sitting near us were very nice and even said goodbye to us in English!

I did enjoy the “bomb shelter” look of Delice.  I noticed they played Sade on repeat all evening.  It sounded like a few of the same songs playing over and over again.  Most people wouldn’t notice because it wasn’t turned up very loud, but I’m a musical person.  Fortunately, the songs they chose were good ones and lent to the ambiance appropriately.

After we paid, our host helped us with our coats and we headed off into the night… only to be met with a closed parking garage!  The doors were locked because the garage closed at 9:00pm.  The gate was down.  Bill started talking about taking a cab all the way back to our little town outside of Herrenberg.  I had unpleasant images of having to drive back to Stuttgart this morning to get my car or even it being towed.  Then I started thinking maybe we’d just find a hotel because our dogs would survive.  But then we went back to Delice and the host told Bill to just go to the bar at the end of the block and ask for help.  Apparently, that’s where the workers park their cars and they work late.

So that’s what we did.  We walked into this very cool looking bar near Delice and told the bartender, who spoke English, that our car was stuck in the garage.  He showed us how to access the Parkhaus; I was right about the numbers meaning spaces were reserved, although it wasn’t a problem last night.  Next time, we’ll know to go down a level.  Bill paid 15 euros, got his ticket, and popped it into the machine.  Much to our relief, the gate rose and we got home at about 12:30am.  The drive home took much less time, too.  😉

All in all, I can say that we did enjoy Delice very much.  The inventively prepared food is absolutely exquisite and the service is outstanding.  The wine pairings were particularly impressive.  I’m glad the wines were noted on our bill, since I have a feeling we may want to look for some of them locally.  Mr. Pattas was keen for me to spread the word about his restaurant and I am happy to do it.  If you want a very lovely meal in Stuttgart, I recommend Delice.  Just be ready to spend some time and money and, if your car gets stuck in the Parkhaus after hours, don’t panic.

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Insane 15th anniversary celebration at the Alte Post in Nagold!

Edited to add: Alte Post has sadly closed.

Yesterday, Bill and I celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary.  Although last year, we went on vacation to Ireland for about ten days, this year we needed to stay in town because Bill is still earning time off from his new job.  At the very least, it’s always been our habit to go out to dinner on our anniversary.  We’ve enjoyed some wonderful anniversary meals over the last fifteen years.  However, last night’s glorious repast will definitely be a tough act to follow!

Initially, we considered finding a really nice restaurant in Stuttgart, like we did two years ago.  In 2015, we tried the “surprise menu” at Five.  As cool as that restaurant is, I think Bill and I have determined that we don’t always like surprise menu concepts, mainly because there are a few things I can’t abide, like truffles and mushrooms.  Also, the prospect of driving all the way from the edge of the Black Forest to Stuttgart was unappealing to both of us, since Bill is working today.  After trying and failing to find the right place to eat, I finally said, “Why don’t we go to the Alte Post’s gourmet restaurant again?”

I have written about Nagold’s Alte Post a few times.  This beautiful former hotel is now split into two restaurants.  There’s the more casual and less expensive Luz Bistro & Bar, which is on the first floor and open daily (except Sundays and Mondays) for lunch and dinner, and then there’s the more formal and expensive Alte Post Restaurant on the second floor.

Bill and I eat at Luz Bistro somewhat regularly, and you’ll find many posts about those experiences in this blog.  Last night was only our second time in the gourmet restaurant, Alte Post, which takes eating to a whole new level.  The Alte Post gourmet restaurant is only open Wednesday through Saturday nights from 6:30pm until 11:00pm.  The “deadline” for coming in for dinner is at 8:30pm, although I recommend making a reservation rather than just walking in.

We tried Alte Post’s gourmet restaurant for the first time in March of 2017 and had some very interesting and expensive new food experiences.  I really broke some boundaries on that visit and was eager to try it again.  I am so glad I did.  Although we dropped a large load of euros on our anniversary dinner, it was money well spent.  Every course was positively orgasmic and I say that as someone who can be picky and isn’t necessarily impressed by culinary gimmicks.

We only live about four miles from Nagold, so getting there is usually easy.  However, last night there was a very bad accident on B28, which is the road that usually takes us to Nagold.  We were met by the police, who directed us to detour.  We drove back through our town and went via Mötzingen, a little village adjacent to Jettingen that we usually only see when we’re being forced to detour.  Even after the detour, we arrived about fifteen minutes ahead of our reservation time of 7:00.

Although there was a function going on in another private dining room in the restaurant, we were the first of two couples to arrive for last night’s multi-course extravaganza!  Yes, that’s right… one of the lovely things about Alte Post’s gourmet restaurant is that your table will be relatively private.  There’s one dining room with a large table in it and the smaller room with four tables set for two.  Only two of the four were used last night, so you get plenty of room to spread out and enjoy.

We were personally attended to by Marina Hentsch, who along with star Chef Stefan Beiter, runs the whole operation.  Every time we’ve visited the restaurant, we’ve seen her waiting tables or otherwise attending to guests.  Besides providing stellar front of the house service, she is also a wine expert (sommelier).  Thankfully, Hentsch does speak some English (and French, apparently), though she claims her English isn’t good.  We found her very charming as she seated us and offered us an aperitif.  Since it was our anniversary, we started with a round of champagne.  And she brought us a little snack, pictured below…

This is tuna rolled in a little “cone” and topped with radish slices and caviar.  Although I was a little timid at first, this set the tone for a perfect evening of fine dining.

Bill looking sharp as we decide how we’re going to do things…

 

The first thing to know about Alte Post’s gourmet experience is that a set menu is offered.  You can have up to seven courses, but you can’t simply pick the courses you want.  Last night, there were courses featuring tuna, lobster, quail, salmon, beef, duck, and dessert.  We opted to have five of the seven courses because the quail included truffles, which I knew I wouldn’t like.  The other couple who came in later (and spoke French the whole time) apparently had the full seven courses.

We also had the wine pairing, which I highly recommend if you like tasting different wines with foods.  Marina Hentsch does a great job choosing wines and explaining them, although it helps to know a little German in that case.  I surprised myself by understanding a fair amount of what she said.

The menu is offered in both German and English.  You can also check it out online and outside the restaurant’s front door.  If you have any food idiosyncrasies, I recommend checking the menu before you book your table.  Otherwise, you may find yourself trying and enjoying calves’ brains, as I did the first time we tried the gourmet restaurant!  The menu does change regularly.

Not the best lighting, but this is an example of one of the tables.  

Last night’s menu in English.  Bill took a German menu.

 

Once we ordered our five course feast, Marina Hentsch went back to the kitchen and returned with the amuse, pictured below…  It was actually in two pieces.

These little bites were mindblowing.  There was a tomato and tuna bite, sushi with goat cheese and shrimp, and a tempura fried shrimp on a rice cake.

They were followed by hollowed out eggshells, painted black, and filled with a warm curry spiced soup.  It had a bit of a kick to it, which Bill especially loved.  Our hostess also brought us delicious potato bread with salted butter.  It was so good!

Our first course– fresh tuna with beetroot and green apple.  The beetroot reminded me of a very dry Fruit Roll Up.  It crackled and was very sweet, almost like candy.  I don’t normally like beets much, due to their earthy flavor.  I have to admit this was kind of a treat.  Under the beetroot curl, there was a little dollop of what tasted like apple flavored ice cream.  You wouldn’t think this would go with tuna, but it all worked surprisingly well.  It was paired with a steel aged chardonnay that was crisper than I was expecting and delightful.

Bill’s reaction thus far…

Next, we had Norway lobster served on top of mashed potatoes with bouillabaisse (fish stew) and beautifully decorated with a flower petal.  This was served with another chardonnay which was aged in oak and imparted buttery notes.  Sorry this photo is a little blurry.  I took two shots and they both turned out this way.  🙁

It was followed by my favorite of all of the courses, the salmon.  Salmon is one of those dishes that I tend to love or can take or leave.  A perfectly cooked piece of salmon is a delight to me, but when it’s dried out or dull, it leaves me underwhelmed.  This particular presentation was very exciting.  The chef paired it with sweet potato curry, avocado, and mangos.  I don’t usually like sweet potatoes much, but paired with the curry and Asian spices, this course practically exploded in my mouth.  I loved it!  This was served with a locally produced Riesling, that had a lovely essence of peaches that married beautifully with the curry.

Next, we had the duck, which was Bill’s favorite course.  It was served medium rare in pepper sauce with Preiselbeeren (cranberries).  I told Bill that I think I’d love a Thanksgiving dish of duck with cranberries and he immediately started talked about getting out his Anova precision cooker.  Again, beautifully done, though the duck had the misfortune of following the spectacular salmon.   

Finally, we enjoyed dessert… a panoply of chocolate.  There was a truffle that was full of warm chocolate “lava”.  I don’t really go for lava cakes much, but this was nicely done.  There was a little cloud of foam on top, along with a smidge of chocolate ice cream topped with mousse and garnished with walnuts, grapes, and something that reminded me of very high end Cracker Jacks minus the peanuts.

 

Once we finished dessert, we were offered a digestive.  Bill declined, since he was driving, but I tried a locally produced Mirabelle (made in Nagold for the restaurant).  I had a Mirabelle last week in France, so it was interesting to try it here in Germany.  It was not served chilled, as it was in France, which I think made it easier to detect the subtle flavors of plums.

Then we had a round of espresso, which was served with yet another two part treat, pictured below…

Four little candies– a marshmallow, a peanut chew wrapped in edible “plastic” (which I still peeled off, but didn’t have to), a very intense spiced jelly gumdrop, and a little chocolate cookie.

And this amazingly exquisite half lemon filled with light cream and topped with crispy, curry flavored flakes that reminded me a little of shredded wheat.  It was surprisingly delicious.

 

So, by now, you may be wondering how much this dinner set us back.  Well, folks, I will confess that hospitality at Alte Post doesn’t come cheap.  Our bill came to 346 euros before the tip.  However, I think it’s important to bear in mind that we were two of only four people in the dining room and both the service and the food were impeccable.  We were both raving about how excellent everything was as we walked back to the car, still bowled over by some of the exotic flavors we encountered last night.  It all worked so amazingly well!

As I mentioned, this was only our second time in the gourmet restaurant.  It really should be reserved for special occasions or nights when you just want to sit for a few hours and enjoy very fresh food creatively prepared.  Yes, it’s very expensive, but I think of it as one of life’s little experiences… ones that make putting up with all the bullshit worthwhile.  I can see why Chef Beiter is a “star”.  If you like gourmet food, I highly recommend visiting Nagold and trying Alte Post.  Bring a credit card and an open mind, and be prepared to spend a couple of hours.

A bonus was that last night, I managed to wear my contact lenses without pain, although you can see my eyes are pretty irritated…  By the way, we did dress up because we like to, but there is no need to do that if you don’t want to.  The other couple who joined us were wearing jeans. 

Next week, we will be visiting Delice in Stuttgart.  I understand that will also be a culinary adventure.  I look forward to returning and reporting!

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Der Weinladen and eating Greek in Jettingen

Last night, we decided to go out for Greek food again.  We stopped by Taverne Beim Griechen.  I have written about this particular restaurant in a sportsplatz more than once, so I will keep today’s comments pretty brief.  I was in the mood for dorade, so that’s what I had.  Bill had wolfbarsch (branzino).  They were delightful.  I think Taverne Beim Griechen probably does dorade better than anyone else in the area.

This fish was sooo good.  I like their gyros, too.

 

After last week’s cave adventures, I came down with a really nasty cold.  I thought I’d be totally over it by today, but I’m still struggling with fatigue and chest congestion.  Consequently, today’s outing was very brief.  We went to Nagold to check out a wine store we discovered last weekend (when I wasn’t sick with a cold, but suffering from extreme muscle soreness).  The place is called Der Weinladen.  Strangely enough, I was prompted to go there today because I saw an ad for the store on a fence at the sportsplatz near Taverne Beim Griechen.

Before we went to the wine store, we stopped by Kaufland, where there was another store I wanted to check out.  I thought it might be a gourmet store, but it turned out it was just a garden variety bakery and snack bar.  It’s hardly worth a mention here, although it looked like they had nice breads.  The Kaufland and the stores surrounding it in Nagold is a total zoo, especially on Saturdays.

We also wanted to stop by a Metzgerei, which had some nice looking gourmet products displayed in their window.  Unfortunately, they closed at 1:00pm and we were a bit too late.  So we only managed wine shopping today…

We happened to arrive just as a bunch of other people did.

The store carries all sorts of wines from around Europe, as well as some from the United States.  We found one red from Washington State today.

There’s also liquor… everything from Irish whiskey to gin.

And they even have Dom Perignon!  I have had Dom twice and I’m not sure it’s worth the hefty price tag.  At least I can say I’ve tried it.

Der Weinladen also has gourmet items like jams, risottos, and savory spreads, as well as pasta and chocolate.

And you can buy stuff “vom fass”.  That involves buying (or bringing) a bottle and tapping one of the containers.  They had a wide variety of cordials available.

 

We left there with six bottles of wine and a couple of bottles of liqueur.  I mainly wanted the liqueurs because of the cool bottles they were in– shaped like a woman’s naked torso.  Of course, my own body is not so attractive after all the beer and wine I’ve been enjoying.  I noticed they had some very nice stemware and decanters for sale, too.  It would be a nice place to shop for gifts for your wine loving friends.

I did notice that no one working today spoke English to us, although the lady who rang us up did keep us waiting awhile while she chatted with someone who seemed to be a regular.  The experience shopping at Der Weinladen was not quite like shopping at the Alte Brennerei in Herrenberg, where we usually end up buying a lot more than we intended because they are so good at upselling and speak English.

We were thinking of having lunch, but I was feeling so fatigued from my cold that we came home.  Bill made me a sandwich with fresh bread from the bakery and cold cuts, paired with a Belgian beer.  I think now, I’m just going to kick back and relax with some bad TV.  Hopefully tomorrow, I’ll be more in the mood to explore.

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Baden-Württemberg, Nagold

Graduate level eating (and spending) at the Alte Post in Nagold…

Unfortunately, the Alte Post is now closed.

Bill and I currently live just five kilometers from an adorable town called Nagold.  These days, we spend a fair amount of time there, the same way we used to spend a lot of time in Tübingen when we lived in Germany the first time.  I used to think Tübingen was the bomb!  I still do, but in some ways, I like Nagold better.  It’s smaller, less crowded, less expensive to visit on weekends (on account of cheap or free parking), and there are some wonderful restaurants there.

Last weekend, we visited Luz Bistro, which is a casual but very nice restaurant in the old Alte Post hotel in the middle of town.  There is also a more formal restaurant called the Alte Post in the building.  The Luz Bistro and Bar is open every day for lunch and dinner, while the Alte Post restaurant is only open from Wednesday to Saturday from 6:30pm.  Edited to add: The Alte Post is now closed.

Although we’ve been eating at the Luz Bistro for a couple of years now, I hadn’t actually noticed the more formal restaurant until I started reading the Web site for Nagold’s charming hotel landmark (which, I gather, is no longer a hotel).  When I read about the more formal dining option, I decided Bill and I needed to pay a visit.  Last night, we went… and we had a glorious five course meal!  And we also spent lots of euros!  Fortunately, credit cards are allowed at the Alte Post.  Otherwise, we might have had to wash dishes!

Bill approaches the impressive front door.  Last night’s menu was posted outside, but it’s also posted online.  The Alte Post restaurant offers tasting menus, which means that diners are all offered the same thing.  For that reason, I recommend checking out the menu before you book a reservation to make sure you’ll like what is being offered on a given night.

I love this old building and its ornate decorations.

We reserved a table for 7:00pm, but we were about twenty minutes early.  It was not a problem.  The proprietor, who is ever present whenever we’ve visited, led us to a large table set for two.  Looking around the dining room, I could see that there were only a few tables set up for five different parties.  Besides us, there were two other couples.  There was also a group of three and another, larger group in the next room.  This is the kind of restaurant where you really should book ahead to avoid disappointment.  I would go as far as saying that reservations are a must.

A first glance at the dining room.  The vibe is different upstairs than it is in the downstairs bistro.

Last night’s menu…  They do have menus in English, for which I was grateful.  I still ate calf’s brains, though.  

Patrons can choose between three and seven courses and portions are sized accordingly.  A three course menu was 68 euros per person.  The whole seven course menu was 128 euros.  We also opted for the wine pairing, which added another 40 euros per person, but was well worth doing.  If you opt for only a few courses, you don’t get to choose which ones you get.  At the bottom of the menu, there is an explanation of which courses come with the 3, 4, 5, or 6 course meals.  Bill and I went for five courses because we thought it would be enough… and also, there were a couple of courses that I had a feeling I wouldn’t enjoy.

We started with glasses of locally produced sekt and some very interesting Spanish almonds that appeared to have been fried in some type of Parmesan.  I had to restrain myself from eating too many of those, especially when I saw the amuse.

This was the very elaborate amuse.  I admit to simply nibbling the foie gras to say I’d tried it.  It was surprisingly tasty, but I have a bit of an aversion to foie gras.  

 

We had a small panoply of little treats.  A lime rind was stuffed with ricotta cheese and tuna and topped with roe.  There was a spoon full of foie gras, which tasted curiously like chocolate pudding and cherry ice cream and was topped with a piece of popcorn.  A shrimp chip, the same kind you might find in a bar, was topped with a shrimp.  There was also a piece of  sushi and an eggshell full of red carrot soup.  The bread you see pictured above was absolutely heavenly.  It was a potato bread, lightly salted on top and served hot with butter.  Oh, it was sooo good.  In fact, I think the bread might have been my favorite part of the meal, but I love bread.

Our first course was raw lamb marinated in tomatoes, garlic, and basil.  Bill loved it and I thought it tasted really good.  The meat was very fresh.  Bill is more adventurous than I am, so he enjoyed this course very much.  I appreciated it, but like my meats more well done.  We drank a locally produced white wine with this course.

 

Had we ordered all seven courses, the next selection would have been lobster with ox tail and truffle. Bill loves truffles, but I don’t care for them at all.  And judging by the fact that I could smell them all the way across the room, it was probably a good thing we skipped the lobster.  Had Bill been dining with a truffle fan, it would have been a big hit.

Next came turbot with Jerusalem artichoke, onion, and kalbskopf…  Kalbskopf is calf’s brain.  Believe it or not, it was actually very good.  I was temporarily entertained by the sperm like decorations on the plate.  A chardonnay, heavy on the butter and sour apples, paired quite nicely with the turbot.

Next came salmon with chickpeas, eggplant, and miso.  I loved this course for its simplicity and the crispy little wasabi flavored bits on top of the fish.  This course came with an impressive Riesling made exclusively for the Alte Post.

Course number four was veal, which was served with broccoli, delicious smoked fish, and barley.  The barley reminded me a bit of polenta.  It was very good.  I don’t usually eat veal, but I will say the little bit we had last night was beautifully prepared and could have been cut with a spoon.  This was paired with a delightful rioja, heavy on the cherries.

 

We skipped the next course, which was dove served with olive, cranberry, and vegetable sauce.  I might have been open to trying dove.  Maybe some other time I’ll get the chance, now that I’ve tasted calf’s brains.

Ahhh… dessert!  My favorite course!  This was chocolate and passionfruit with a bit of banana sorbet and topped with little crunchy cookies.  Delicious!  And there was nothing too foreign about it, either.  This was paired with a lovely sweet sauternes.  

And finally, another little amuse… this one full of sweets!  There was a lemon rind full of cardamom and curry scented cream (which is a lot better than it might sound), apricot with cream, and Turkish delight.  We also had espresso.

Just before the bill came, the proprietor offered us a digestive of locally produced Mirabelle, which is a brandy from Alsace made of plums.  It was delightfully smooth.  I think she told us it was also made specifically for her restaurant.

The wines went beautifully with each course, although the pairing did add a significant amount to the final bill, which totaled over 300 euros before the tip.  We also had sekt and two bottles of water, which added to the bill.  Needless to say, partly due to the cost, this is not an experience we will enjoy often, but I do think the Alte Post restaurant would make for an excellent splurge or special occasion place.  The Alte Post also has special dinners regularly that feature wines or are in celebration of certain holidays.  I could certainly see us coming back again for any of those! I am especially intrigued by their wine dinners, which are usually advertised on their Web site.

Overall, we had a lovely dinner and we both ventured a bit outside our culinary comfort zones.  Everything I tasted, even the stuff I wouldn’t normally choose on a menu, I enjoyed to some extent.  I generally hate the taste of foie gras, but last night, I would not have known I was eating foie gras if no one had told me.  Ditto for the calf’s brains!  I may have to add the Alte Post to my list of great date night restaurants, although I also really enjoy the Luz Bistro downstairs, which offers less expensive and somewhat less exotic choices.

This was us before we left.  No one makes me smile the way Bill does.  

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Talblick Gourmetrestaurant– A lovely date night possibility in Wildberg…

I don’t remember who suggested it to me, but last year, somehow I got wind of the presence of a really great restaurant in Wildberg.  Bill and I happen to live about 7 kilometers from Wildberg and we love good food.  I went searching and finally found it, surprised to find out Talblick Gourmetrestaurant is part of a gasthof.  On further exploration, I discovered that besides being a small hotel, Talblick has two restaurants.  There is a traditional restaurant offering typical local cuisine and a “gourmetrestaurant”, where diners get a very special tasting menu.  Naturally, Bill and I were interested in the gourmet menu.  So, sometime last fall, I asked him to get reservations.  I thought it would be an easy task.

“Sorry, no can do.” they said.  It was October, and party season was cranking up for the holidays. Both restaurants were booked solid.

Bill tried again in November and got the same answer.  And again in December, they were booked and advised Bill to try again in January, because apparently, they book out two or three months in advance.  Finally, June comes around and it’s time for my birthday.  Bill tried again and was told they were booked on my birthday (Monday of this week).  However, they did have room in the gourmet restaurant last night.  Bill took the reservation and we finally got to try Talblick’s Gourmetrestaurant.  Now I get to dish!

It’s such a pretty drive from Jettingen to Wildberg.  I was reminded that we really need to get up that way more often.  In fact, the town of Wildberg itself is really cute and begs to be explored.  Gasthof Talblick is situated at the top of a rather steep hill that overlooks the picturesque surroundings.  Any of my local readers who have ever driven their dogs to the Hunde Hotel Haase might understand when I write that I was reminded of the town where that doggie hotel is located, although Wildberg is a less rural area.

Bill pulled into a parking lot that looked like it was part of an apartment complex.  He was afraid he couldn’t park there legally, so he dropped me off and parked at the bottom of the hill in a spot designated for hotel guests.  He didn’t have to do that.  We saw other patrons parking near the apartment building with no problem.  It was no big deal, though, because we had a pleasant stroll back down the hill after dinner.

Here’s a shot of the hotel and restaurant from the parking lot across the street.  They also have some parking on the property itself and we also saw a few folks drive to the top of the hill and park.

The view of the hill going down.

 

It was rather warm last night.  Bill and I had dressed nicely.  I noticed quite a few other patrons who had dressed up, though many people were wearing casual clothes.  I wondered what we were in for as we walked into the hotel.  We were greeted by a friendly and quirky looking waitress with ink.  She was very pleasant, but busy!  When we told her who we were, she led us to a beautiful dining room.  A very large table was set up, clearly for a family or maybe a business dinner (though I did see a couple of kid seats).  We were seated at a table intended for six people.  I noticed our table was the only one that had been fully prepared with menus and wine glasses.  I wondered if we were destined to be the only guests in the gourmet restaurant.  It soon became clear that we were.

Bill looks at the wine list.  We would both be having the same menu… 7 courses of bliss!

I was seated right next to a very impressive dry bar full of exotic libations.

 

When dinner started, it was 7:00 and the sun was still shining bright.  The dining room was a bit warm, but I was excited about what we were about to experience.  I also looked nervously at the menu, hoping I wouldn’t run into something that I couldn’t eat.  I tend to be a lot less adventurous when it comes to really exotic stuff, though Bill loves to try everything put before him.  Must be those many years of Army life at work!

Seven courses!  The tasting menu is priced at 85 euros a person and everybody gets the same thing.  We paired it with two splits of wine and two bottles of mineral water with gas, which added to the bill.  The splits of wine were great because we got a red and a white which complemented the courses beautifully.  We were under the impression that the tasting menu changes monthly.  Be sure to mention any allergies or extreme food aversions before dinner gets started.

Bill started with a non-alcoholic fruit cocktail aperitif.  It tasted very strongly of tangerines to me, though it was probably something else.  It was very good and beautifully presented.

I had sekt.

The waitress brought out bread and we had the luxury of slathering it with plain butter, olive oil, or a flavored butter.  The bread was outstanding.  I ate two pieces, which I later regretted.  Let’s just say, I may look like I can eat seven courses in one sitting, but it was a challenge last night.

 

Our waitress did not speak English at all.  Fortunately, Bill is somewhat proficient in German (for an American, anyway).  I have gotten to the point at which I understand a lot of what is said to me and can sometimes respond, especially if I’m in a restaurant “speaking food”.  Anyway, our waitress brought out the amuse… and how amusing it was!

This was not on the menu.  It was our amuse, and it was absolutely delicious!  It was quail with lentils, foam, a small fried quail egg, beautifully presented, and what tasted like a really interesting pepper flavor that made my tastebuds explode.  The little dots on either side of the bowl are red and green beets turned into a gel.  They were a little like candy!

Next came the artistically presented first course.  Cobia fish with fruits of the sea– a scallop, langostine, shrimp, and a nest of phyllo with wasabi creme and algae salad.  Again, so creatively conceived and presented!  I really enjoyed this course.

 

I was nervous about the second course.  The menu mentioned “Pfifferlingvariation”, which I thought might mean there were mushrooms in it.  I was once unpleasantly surprised back in 2008 when I ordered something at a restaurant in Tuebingen that included Pfifferlingen (a type of mushroom).  Fortunately, the next course was devoid of fungus.

Pfifferlingvariation mit Allerei von der Ente…  Basically, this was a duck and asparagus treat.  There was asparagus foam in a little cone shaped glass on a metal platform, a piece of breaded and fried white asparagus, a small glass of heavenly asparagus cream soup, and very creamy cheese that reminded me of butter.  The rest was duck in different forms, including a very fresh duck inspired ravioli.  Again, a very enjoyable course.

I have to admit, by the time we got to the third course, I was starting to slow down.  However, I am always up for fish and we enjoyed Seesaibling (Arctic char) with more asparagus, Hollandaise sauce, and beautifully cut mango, snap peas, and carrots.  The little breaded thing on top of the fish is an egg yolk.  When I broke into it with my fork, a small geyser of yolk spurted up, making me gasp in surprise.  Thankfully, I didn’t get any on me!  

 

The waitress was concerned that I only managed half of the fish course.  I assured her it was only because I was getting full and wanted to make sure I could try everything.  Next came the sorbet palate cleanser, which I figured would be somewhat light.  I was expecting a simple scoop of sorbet.  I should have known it was going to be a lot fancier than that!

The sorbet course consisted of a small cone shaped glass of aloe vera juice, a scoop of cactus flavored sorbet (don’t worry, no thorns), and little tequila flavored gum drops.  The spoon was full of what those of us who came along in the 70s know as Pop Rocks.  😉  This was a refreshing course and I did manage to finish it…

 

And then it was time for the meat course.  I will admit, I wasn’t that excited about it because it was lamb and I am not a lamb fan.  Also, there was the issue of less room in my stomach!

But this course was very good.  The lamb was beautifully prepared, set atop fava beans, cooked to perfection, and tasted very clean.  There was no gamey flavor to it, which is what usually turns me off when I try to eat lamb.  As you can see, this course came on two plates.  I ate maybe a third of it and they wrapped up the rest for us.  Bill will enjoy his lunch today!  

Some baby corn and what tasted like a garlic inspired fritter…

 

Finally, after over two hours of dining, it was time for dessert.  You might have expected just one dessert after such a fine meal, but at Talblick, you get two (three if you count the sorbet).  I did manage to make room for most of these two sweet delights…

The first dessert was strawberry inspired, with a scoop of strawberry sorbet, sliced strawberries, strawberry mousse, a piece of strawberry candy, and what tasted like two creams surrounded by strawberry gelatin.  It was a very tasty and refreshing course.  I really enjoyed it.

And then, we had the last course, inspired by lemon and bergamot.  The candle looking thing on the wooden plank tasted like a citrus juice.  Next to it is a cone of chocolate creme topped with a milk and white chocolate twig.  The lollipop was basically straight chocolate ganache formed into a succulent ball.  Then we had a dish of refreshing sorbets and another type of mousse that I couldn’t identify but enjoyed.  

 

It was about 10:30 when we finally finished eating and were presented the bill for 228 euros.  Bill paid by using his brand new USAA Visa card.  We’re happy to report that it worked perfectly.  😉

 

We really enjoyed our meal at Talblick’s Gourmetrestaurant.  The service was impeccable, except that we were left hanging for a bit while the two hard working servers tended to the many people in the regular restaurant.  If there had been others in the gourmet dining room, I doubt that would have been as much of an issue because they might have had another server working.  Because this was such a large, sumptuous meal, we didn’t mind the wait too much, though I can see why we were finally able to snag a table in June.  It gets warm in the dining room in the summer.

The Talblick restaurant does not have air conditioning.  I watched the butter for the bread soften throughout the evening.  At about halfway through dinner, they opened a window and raised the shades, which gave us some much appreciated air.  I would imagine that the dining room gets very uncomfortable in July and August, though we did see some folks really enjoying the biergarten just outside.  I’m not sure if it’s possible for gourmet patrons to eat outside, though it’s probably worth asking.

Each course was universally perfect in its presentation and every item served was absolutely delicious.  In terms of the food, I think the meal we had last night was one of the best I’ve ever eaten.  It’s hard to believe a little gasthaus has such incredible food.  Just be warned that dinner in the gourmet restaurant is a leisurely experience.  Don’t go there expecting to get in and out in two hours.  It takes time to enjoy such a grand experience.  We were there for three and a half hours.  Also, make sure you’re hungry when you get there and don’t load up on the fantastic bread!

We were impressed by how laid back yet professional the service was.  Even though she had to tolerate our halting German skills, the waitress was very friendly, kind, and accommodating.  As Bill and I left, she and her colleague bid us a cheery farewell and I got the sense they appreciated our visit.  On the way home, I realized that it hadn’t taken long for us to get to and from the restaurant, which means that if we ever manage to get another reservation there, we’ll likely be back again!  I definitely want to go and try their regular menu.

Overall, I can highly recommend Talblick’s exquisite Gourmetrestaurant.  Reservations are a must and you should dress accordingly if you plan to dine inside during the summer months.  The gourmet restaurant is probably not kid friendly (unless your kid is unusually patient and adventurous), though the main restaurant likely is fit for youngsters.  Credit cards are accepted and there’s plenty of free parking.  Come on out to Wildberg for a wonderful gourmet meal!

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Breaking boundaries at Five in Stuttgart…

Yesterday, Bill and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary.  Since 13 is a quirky number, I decided to find us a quirky restaurant.  I found it when I booked at table at Five.  No, I am not referring to the time at which I reserved.  The restaurant, which has a Michelin Star, is called Five.   I found the place on opentable.de, and decided to book it when I noticed the stellar reviews on TripAdvisor and OpenTable, as well as the super imaginative Web site.  Well, actually, Bill was more into the Web site than I was.  He gets off on artsy stuff and science fiction movies like Blade Runner.

I snapped this photo before we left… I don’t know how he does it, but Bill makes me smile so pretty.  I usually smirk in my selfies because when I smile, it doesn’t look real.  But when Bill is in the photo, no problem!

Anyway, we battled Stuttgart traffic to make our seven o’clock reservation at the downtown restaurant.  We were warmly greeted by a young, casually dressed man at the door.

The front door.  Directly across the street is a huge parking garage that is open 24 hours.

He invited us to take a look at the bar area while he alerted the wait staff of our arrival.  It turned out we had the first reservation, so he was back quickly. Too bad, because the bar area at Five is really cool looking.  It’s dimly lit, with wooden tables and comfortable chairs everywhere, along with chilled out music on the sound system.  I’m pretty sure they serve light fare there, but again, I didn’t have a chance to check it out too thoroughly.

We climbed a flight of stairs to the restaurant, which was slightly brighter and quieter, but still decorated with an interesting mural that included a nude depiction of a woman’s body.  Seated at a thick wooden table with a rough surface (which Bill said almost gave him a splinter), we gazed around at how the room was decorated.  If you’re into visuals, Five offers a feast for the eyes.  From my seat, I had a good view of the kitchen, which was enclosed with glass so clear I couldn’t even tell it was there… except for seeing one of the staff cleaning it before dinner got started.

The view from our table.  As you can see, the kitchen is easy to observe.  I was enjoying an introductory glass of champagne, which was served in a wine glass rather than a flute.

 

We were taken care of by a man and a woman, both of whom spoke English.  They were handling the whole dining room, though at 7:00, we were the only ones there.  By the time we left three hours later, several other tables were occupied, though the restaurant was not full.  My guess is that it gets a lot more business on the weekends.

Obligatory Bill shot for all his fans.

 

The female server explained to us that we could either order off the menu or do a surprise tasting menu.  Although I tend to be very picky about some things, Bill is more adventurous.  He wanted to try the surprise tasting menu with a wine pairing.  I agreed to be brave.  We told the waitress the foods we absolutely can’t do.  For me, it’s mushrooms.  For Bill, it’s liver or other exotic organ meats (and I wouldn’t want those, either… yecch!).  Also, since Bill was driving, they gave him half pours of the wines.  We also ordered a bottle of sparkling water.  I noticed that both servers wore black gloves when they presented the food.

This was the amuse, which was not part of the four course tasting menu we chose.  It looks like an egg, but actually, it’s not…  The green base is leek soup.  The “yolk” is made of mascarpone cheese, and the white is a different cheese.  It’s garnished with a little ham, some sprouts, and a cracker.  Bill loves cheese, but I’m very particular.  Nevertheless, I took a deep breath and enjoyed this.  I definitely loved the artistic presentation.

When we were finished with the “egg” that wasn’t an egg, out came the first course… which also was a challenge for me because it included more cheese…   As this was being served, I told the male server that I don’t do mushrooms or truffles.  He gave me a horrified look and said, “Not even truffles?”  Ha ha ha.  I wish I could eat them, but I can’t.  I will happily eat turkey corpse, though…  😉

The two whitish half discs in the center of the bowl are sheep’s milk cheese.  They are surrounded with beet root and topped with crackers seasoned with pink pepper.  Bill’s version included mushroom juice.  Sheep’s milk cheese is usually not something I enjoy, but this was very mild and not at all offensive.  And the beets, while usually too earthy for me, were kind of sweet.  The color definitely added to the visual presentation.  I managed half of the cheese and let Bill finish it, since he’s an aficionado.  

 

Next came the bread.  It was very fresh and served with butter infused with walnuts and an eggplant spread.  Bill like the eggplant spread.  I couldn’t really taste it, though I did think the gilded walnut butter was nice.

I really enjoyed the second course.  This was a langostino served with fennel salad and Belgian endive.  They drizzled date syrup over it, which really played beautifully with the slight tanginess of the endive.  And, of course, the shrimp was perfectly cooked.  This was paired with a local Riesling from the Keller vintner.  We really liked the wine and will be looking for a bottle of it soon.  

We had a slight problem with the next course, which consisted of sweet potatoes, pistachio syrup, bacon, and what appeared to be mushrooms.  As I have mentioned so many times, I can’t do mushrooms at all.  It took a few minutes to get the server’s attention, and at first, she explained that they weren’t mushrooms but were kind of like them.  Then she said they weren’t earthy.  I tried to eat one, but couldn’t… So she brought out another version of the same dish without the fungus.  I was able to finish that and enjoyed it.  The pistachio syrup seemed to be infused with citrus, which set off the sweet and starchy qualities of the sweet potatoes.  The salt in the bacon also cut the sweetness a bit.  I don’t usually like sweet potatoes that much, but I enjoyed this.  Later, the server explained that they had sneaked in mushrooms with the first version and she apologized.  Bill loves mushrooms, so none of this was an issue for him. We had another Riesling with this course, this time from the Mosel Valley.  It was more of a semi-sweet wine.  Again, it paired very well.

 

It was finally time for the main course.  We knew we were getting different items, since they laid down different silverware for us and we got different wines.  For Bill, they poured a lovely red from the Rhone Valley.  I knew he was going to love that, since he loves red wines from southern France.  For me, they poured an Austrian chardonnay.  I had just been talking about how I like my whites with a little kick.  But when they poured a chardonnay, I knew I was going to be having fish…

And I was right.  The server said the fish was called “kalt” fish, or something that sounds like it.  She said it was similar to cod.  Having tasted it, I would swear it was sea bass, which happens to be one of my favorite fishes!  This was served with wilted greens, artichoke, potato puree, and a sauce made from potato peels.  I think this was my favorite course.  It was delicious.  And whether or not I was eating sea bass, this was sinfully buttery and delicate.  

Bill was served venison, which came with mushrooms and sauce made from blackberries.  I didn’t taste Bill’s main course because I’m not a big fan of venison.  He loved it, though.  

The above photo is of what they called “pre dessert”, which I think was a palate cleanser.  The star tasted like vanilla ice cream infused with cardamom.  It was paired with apple puree and nuts.  The dots around the star were what they called “hot wine”, though it wasn’t hot.  I liked it… not only was it creatively presented, but it reminded me of apple pie a la mode and was perfect for the fall…

Another obligatory shot of Bill drinking wine…

Finally, we had dessert.  Pictured above is a plum pudding with discs of hazelnut ice cream, chocolate “air” (think Aero candy bars), and drizzled in a plum syrup.  Again, imaginative, creative, and not a lava cake!  It was the perfect ending, paired with a dessert wine from Austria that had the essence of roses.  

We were presented with this little platter of housemade candies just before we asked for the check.  I commented to Bill that in America, no one would ever present food sitting on a tray of rocks.  They’d be too afraid someone would think the rocks were candy!  Lawsuit time!  But here in Germany, people are expected to be able to tell a rock from a Jordan almond and not break their teeth…  I find that refreshing!

As we were finishing up, the restaurant grew louder.  Lots of people were in the bar area, including one woman who seemed to have a really bad case of laryngitis, yet was chattering loudly and incessantly.  Listening to her talk from all the way down in the bar and sounding like she needed complete vocal rest, I quipped that perhaps they should hand out ballgags to go with the rather unorthodox environment at Five.  I’m kidding, of course, but do want to point out that if you’re looking for a quiet, romantic restaurant, Five may not be your venue.  It does get rather noisy.  Also, it’s definitely not a kid friendly kind of place.  I noticed that many of the other diners in the restaurant were somewhat alternative looking, which I thought was very intriguing.  By alternative, I mean they appeared to be somewhat young and sexy, not stodgy, formal, or curmudgeonly.  Five has a youthful, upwardly mobile, ortherwordly kind of feel.

Our bill came to 282 euros before tip and they do take credit cards.  Although it’s been awhile since we last spent that much on a meal, we did enjoy dining at Five.  The surprise menu concept is always risky for me, but I have to admit, it was rather successful last night, even with the mushroom incident.  Bill loved the feel of Five.  I tend to enjoy more traditional kinds of places, but I would certainly not be averse to coming back to Five.  The service is friendly and competent and the food is exquisite.  Besides, everybody needs to venture out of their comfort zones once in awhile.  I’m proud to say that, more than Bill, I did that last night.  Eating cheese and enjoying it was in and of itself a thrill!  If you’re up for a culinary adventure and have lots of money to spend, I recommend Five.  They made our 13th anniversary memorable.

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