Tag Archives: Greek food

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Mother’s Day pro-tip…

It should go without saying, but if you are going to go out to eat on Mother’s Day, make a reservation.  Bill and I were reminded of this axiom today when we decided at the last minute to have lunch at Taverne beim Griechen, a local Greek restaurant we’ve visited a few times since moving to Unterjettingen.

The reason we decided to go out for lunch is because after we took a walk with Zane and Arran, I was feeling really hungry.  Unfortunately, when were at the Real yesterday, we neglected to get stuff for our midday repast.  We are planning to have a light vegetarian meal for dinner, so I wanted a substantial lunch.  We lacked the goods to make that happen.  We figured the Greek place was close and the other times we’ve been, it hasn’t been super busy.  I had a handful of cashews before we left; that turned out to be a blessing.

We got to the restaurant at just before 1:00.  As we walked in, we could see the dining room was almost full of people who looked like they’d come from church.  A huge family group was there along with several other smaller parties.  One of the waitresses, who looked slightly panicked, asked if we had a reservation.  We said we didn’t.  They directed us to a two top, which they very quickly cleared of another diner’s leftovers.  We were brought menus and they said they’d be back for a drink order.  There we sat for the next forty-five minutes, sans drinks.

We finally get beer after a thirsty wait…

I have a lot of patience for wait staff in the weeds.  I have been there before and it’s not a nice feeling.  One of the waitresses seemed to be handling the demands rather well while the other one looked like she was very stressed.  Bill and I sat quietly and talked.  While it was annoying to be sitting there for so long with no service, it occurred to me that this was a first world problem.  It was just food, after all, and neither of us (nor anyone else in that place) are in any danger of dying from lack of nourishment.  Thanks to the cashews, I wasn’t even really “hangry”.  At one point, we thought about leaving, but realized that most any restaurant today is probably crowded.  So we stayed patient and waited as I watched the clock.

It would have been good if one of the waitresses had thought to get our drink order, but I know that when you’re that weeded, you don’t think about such things.  Besides, they might have been silently hoping we’d just get up and leave.  I know when I used to wait tables I used to feel that way sometimes.  Bonus: I actually understood and translated when the waitress said the food was slow.  It was very obvious why.  They really had their hands full.

Despite the wait, this was absolutely yummy!

The less stressed of the wait staff finally got our drink order roughly forty-five minutes after we sat down.  We kept it simple with beer because I don’t think she spoke English and our German sucks.  She brought us our drinks after a few minutes, then we waited a bit longer for her to come back for a food order– maybe twenty minutes or so.  Bill had gyros and I had a Korfu platter, which was gyros and souvlaki.  Fortunately, it was well worth waiting for.  The food was hot and delicious and after the large tables began to finish up and disperse, the two waitresses and the owner himself came over and apologized.  He even gave us the beer for free, bringing our check down to 20 euros.  He didn’t have to do that; we weren’t really upset.  It was a nice gesture, though.  Yet another bargain!

I felt so sorry for the poor waitresses.  I actually had a bit of a flashback watching them and remembering that panicked feeling one gets when behind on waiting tables.  Timing and efficiency is important and if you screw it up while working as a server, things can get bad very quickly.  I’m not sure if making a reservation would have made our lunch get to us more efficiently, but it does seem like it would have been wise.  Of course, if we’d simply bought more food yesterday, we wouldn’t have needed to go out for lunch in the first place.  I usually avoid going out on big restaurant holidays for just this reason.  After waiting tables myself, I know that the experience may not be so good on a hyped restaurant holiday like Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day.

On the way back home, we ran into our landlords who brought the family over for a hike.  After Bill finishes his homework for school, it’ll definitely be cocktail time.  Hope everyone is enjoying Mother’s Day!  Prost!

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Another fine Greek meal at Taverne beim Griechen…

Last fall, Bill and I visited a Greek restaurant in Unterjettingen called Taverne beim Griechen.  This restaurant is located in a sports park, as are many great restaurants in Germany.  I wanted to go out last night, so I asked Bill if he’d like to visit Taverne beim Griechen again.  We were long overdue.  At first, Bill was reluctant because he didn’t feel like venturing out.  But then I charmed him with my disarming smile and raunchy sense of humor and he finally acquiesced.

When we got to the restaurant last night, it was about 7:00.  Lots of folks were sitting at the bar and several families were at the restaurant’s large tables.  In my first blog about this restaurant, I had initially written that I didn’t think this Taverne beim Griechen is very intimate.  I have now decided that I like the interior of this place, which has plenty of cozy Eckbank Gruppes and large windows that overlook a patio and playing fields.  I’d prefer a couple of smaller tables because I hate feeling like I’m wasting space at a big table.  However, Taverne beim Griechen’s dining room is nicely decorated and modern.

A friendly waitress invited us to choose a table.  There weren’t any small ones available, so we took a table for six in a corner near the windows.

Bill trying not to look interested as he enjoys his beer…

Our server didn’t speak any English, but was very kind as I tried out my horrible German.  She laughed as I struggled to tell her that I’m still learning.  Once again, we had to explain that we’re Americans.  I thought it was obvious!  I’m not complaining, though.

We ordered a round of dunkelweizens (by Hochdorfer) as we perused the menu.  I was tempted by the dorade, which I ordered last time and really enjoyed, but wasn’t all that hungry last night.  Our waitress brought us shots of ouzo to go with our beers as we made up our minds.

I eventually settled on a Neptune platter– gyros with pommes, t’zatziki, and calamari, while Bill ordered souvlaki with rice.  We both had small salads that we didn’t really need.  I ended up dripping the light vinaigrette on my shirt.

Small salad with dressing that stained my shirt… keeps me regular!

My Neptune platter.  I almost never order calamari, but I have to admit I enjoyed it last night.  I have to thank one of Bill’s Army buddies for introducing it to me.  

Bill’s souvlaki.  He’s not a fan of raw onions, but he did enjoy this dish last night.  Bill even ended up saying he was glad we’d gone out.  He’s usually not disappointed when he listens to me.

Service was attentive and friendly.  We even got a visit from the proprietor, a gregarious guy who appeared to be very Greek!  We didn’t have dessert, but we did enjoy another round of beer.  Unfortunately, our bill somehow got added to the check of a larger party sitting behind us.  We all had a good laugh as that got straightened out.  As Bill paid, we enjoyed another house shot of ouzo.  They tried to give me a “cowardly shot”, but I gave it to Bill, since he was driving!  I think before the tip, we owed about 35 euros for dinner.  Much cheaper than our meal in Nagold, but not as fancy!

We really like the food at Taverne beim Griechen and the prices are very fair.  There’s also plenty of seating for groups and a huge, free parking lot.  Maybe someday my venting buddies can visit.  One thing to note is that smoking is allowed at the bar.

If you search the tags for my first post on this eatery, you can get a look at their excellent dorade…  It’s very yummy!

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A review of Thermopyle Greek Restaurant in Herrenberg, Germany…

Last night, on our way home from the airport, it occurred to Bill and me that we didn’t have much food in the house.  I suggested we stop for some Greek food in Herrenberg.  We remembered Thermopyle in Herrenberg from the last time we lived in the Stuttgart area from 2007-09.  We only ate there a couple of times, when our friend The Mad Scientist in Entringen was away on holiday.  But we did remember that the food there was very good and it’s a popular place with the locals.  Often, when we pass this restaurant, we see it packed with people.

This would look better in the daytime; but that’s the sign, anyway.

It was snowing last night, so I figured maybe it wouldn’t be quite as busy.  We found a place to park near the train station.  Upon entering Thermopyle, we saw that quite a few folks were out enjoying Greek food, but there was still room for Bill and me.  The very friendly proprietor, whom I remembered from our previous visits, invited us to sit down.

Neither Bill nor I were very hungry.   Fortunately, Thermopyle offers some smaller dishes for people with smaller appetites.  Bill had a small gyros with a Greek salad.  I had souvlaki, which came with a small salad.  He also ordered a half carafe of a Greek wine called Imiglys, which turned out to be a bit sweeter than we prefer.  Next time, we’ll get our usual Nemea or Athos.

My salad.

Bill’s salad.

The food was very good.  Bill’s Greek salad was very large and beautifully presented with butter beans and feta cheese.  My salad was simpler, which was fine with me.  The souvlaki came out on wooden skewers, which were kind of hard to maneuver because the meat kind of stuck to it.  But once I got the meat off the sticks, I was very happy.  I really like the way Thermopyle does t’satziki, with plenty of garlic.  Our dinners also came with crinkle fries, which reminds me of being a kid in the 70s.

Yummy!

We were not offered ouzo when we called for the check, but that was okay.  We both had plenty to drink over the weekend.  The bill came to around 35 euros.

Service was fast and friendly and the proprietor shook our hands before we left!  I’m sure we’ll be back, although I’m still partial to my friend The Mad Scientist at Agais.  As an aside, I think this restaurant is worth visiting if only because of all the pictures in the place.  The guy that owns it has had his photo taken with a bunch of famous people, including Don King.

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Someday, we WILL visit a new restaurant…

The other day, I was on the Internet looking for a new place to try.  I found a French restaurant in Tübingen that looks promising and is in a part of the city with which we are unfamiliar.  I gave serious thought to reserving a table there last night.

Unfortunately, I haven’t been feeling my best this week thanks to a wicked case of PMS.  So we did go out last night, but opted to visit The Mad Scientist instead of the French place.  We went there because we knew what the food would be like.  We knew there would be plenty of free parking.  We knew it would not be any problem getting a table, nor would we feel underdressed if we didn’t dress up.  And we knew our old friend would take good care of us.

I had gyros.  Bill had souvlaki

Afterwards, we had Greek coffee and a shot of ouzo…

I spent most of yesterday baking a Blackout Cake, most of which my husband will take to work with him this week because there’s no way we’ll be able to eat the whole thing.  I was in the mood to bake because of Aunt Flow… and I apologize if you’re male and don’t know about periods or cravings, but that’s honestly what prompted me to undertake this project.  This cake also happens to be one of my husband’s favorites.  It was one of the tools I used to lure him to the altar.

Blackout Cake… it’s the perfect antidote to “PMS Blues”.

For some reason, this particular cake stays moist forever.  Seriously, they usually stay good for weeks.  But I don’t want this sitting around the house, especially when I have an even bigger passion for beer.  My ass gets enough presents as it is.

Anyway, if you’re interested in the recipe, here it is…  I have added my own notes based on years of experience making this cake.

Blackout Cake
Prep: 30 minutes Cook: 35-40 minutes Serves: 12 to 16

1 1/2 sticks softened butter
3 C sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla extract (or powder, which is what I use.  I have also been known to use flavorings.  Yesterday, I used a little rum and kirschwasser in addition to the vanilla.)
4 (1 oz.) squares of unsweetened chocolate, melted
3 C flour
3 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3/4 C buttermilk (note- In the past, I have also used Saco buttermilk powder mixed with water– also works very well)
1 1/3 C boiling water
3/4 to 1 C diced roasted almonds (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees Celsius). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.

2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until well-blended. Add melted chocolate and beat 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to chocolate mixture in two additions, alternately with buttermilk. Beat until well-blended. With mixer on low speed, add boiling water and beat until smooth (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 to 15 minutes, then unmold onto racks and let cool completely.

5. Cover a cake layer with a little more than one third of Chocolate Ganache. Set second layer on top. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining ganache. Press almonds into sides of cake. Refrigerate cake 3 to 4 hours, or until ganache is firm.

Chocolate Ganache
Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 3 minutes Chill 1 to 1 1/2 hours

Makes enough to fill and frost a 2 layer 9 inch cake.
18 oz. semisweet chocolate chips or 3 C semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped  (12 ounces chocolate chips also works fine.)1 1/2C heavy cream (half and half works just as well– fewer calories, too)2 T butter, cut up1t vanilla extract (I’ve been known to use other flavorings, too– raspberry, coffee, or orange liqueurs work well)1. In a 2 qt. glass measure, combine chocolate chips and cream. Heat in a microwave oven on high for three minutes, or until melted or smooth when stirred. Stir in butter and vanilla.2. Cover and refrigerate (or put in freezer for 30 minutes) 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until ganache holds its shape or is thick enough to spread on cake.I got this recipe from 365 Great Chocolate Desserts (1991) by Natalie Haughton.

We will probably have lunch somewhere today.  Since today is Sunday, it’s probably going to be at The Auld Rogue… or maybe not.  We are in need of a change of scenery, even though next weekend we’ll be in Hamburg.  Stay tuned.

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Review of Taverne beim Griechen in Unterjettingen, Germany…

My husband Bill and I were in the mood for some Greek food last night.  Ordinarily, that might mean a trip to Agais, which is a Greek restaurant in Entringen we used to visit a lot when we lived in the Stuttgart area last time (2007-09).  But since we don’t live as close to Agais as we used to and we’re trying to get to know the restaurants in our new area, we decided to try a more local place.  That’s how we ended up eating at Taverne beim Griechen in Unterjettingen, Germany.

A sign by the door…

The menu

 

Taverne beim Griechen is not a place you’d easily find while driving around.  It’s located in a sports club very close to the local Aldi store.  There’s a huge parking lot next to the restaurant and when we arrived, there was a football game going on.  By the time we left, our car was the only one still in the lot, yet the restaurant was doing a booming business.  That must mean it’s popular with the locals who can easily walk there.  If the truth be told, Bill and I could have walked there ourselves.  It’s maybe two miles from our house.

The entrance to the restaurant is around the front of the building and you have to climb a flight of stairs to get to it.  Taverne beim Griechen has a good sized bar area and a couple of big flat screen TVs are mounted on the walls.  There are a lot of tables available, making it less intimate or charming.  Still, the restaurant’s interior is pleasant.  I can see how it would be popular with the sports bar crowd.  Smoking is allowed at the bar and I was reeking of it last night.

Bill waits for the waitress…

Pretty napkin fold.  Hadn’t seen one done like this before.

The woman who waited on us was very pleasant.  I don’t know if she spoke English, since Bill and I both used our elementary German skills when we ordered.  I did notice she said a couple of words in English to us, but they were as basic as our German is.  We’ll have to go back to determine if she’s bi or trilingual.  I won’t mind doing that, because the food was fabulous!

We started with an obligatory shot of ouzo…

Bill had the Korfu Teller, which at 11 euros was gyros and suflaki with vegetable (tomato and pepper) rice and t’zaziki.

I had the dorade royale, which was 16 euros and came with vegetable rice and garlic sauce…

 

Both of these dishes were excellent.  The dorade in particular was beautifully done, grilled to perfection with moist flesh.  Bill was raving about it as he helped himself to some of my fish, which was more than I could eat!  I love dorade.  I discovered it during our first stay in Germany when we first tried Greek food because I wasn’t sure I’d like t’zaziki and wasn’t feeling brave.  Of course, now I love a good plate of gyros or suflaki, but in 2007, I was new to Greek food.  And now, when I see dorade on a menu, it really tempts me.

We enjoyed a couple of glasses of red wine and some mineral water.  At the meal’s end, our waitress brought us a couple of more shots of ouzo.  She brought me a “cowardly” shot, which is basically a less alcoholic fruity liqueur typically presented to women.  It was kind of brownish and tasted like passionfruit last night, though I’ve had some that were blue or green.  I gave it to Bill and took his ouzo, since he was doing the driving.  The bill was about 45 euros.

I noticed a couple of people staring at us, probably because we obviously aren’t regulars.  I have a feeling that Taverne beim Griechen mostly serves a very local clientele who both know how to find it and are close enough to walk to it.

Taverne beim Griechen offers delicious food at a fair price, though Agais remains a favorite because I love visiting the people who own it.  Taverne beim Griechen is less intimate and charming than Agais is, though I think it might make a great venue for groups.  I can see why it’s popular with the locals in the Jettingen area.  I have a feeling we’ll be back.

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Another trip to Agais to see "The Mad Scientist"…

Last night, Bill asked me what I wanted for dinner.  I said I wanted to “go see The Mad Scientist”, which is code for “I want to go out for Greek food at Agais in Entringen”.  When we lived in Germany last time, we used to dine at this restaurant all the time.  Now that we’re here again, we can come back.  It’s not as close as it used to be, but it’s close enough.  Entringen is on B28, on the way to Tuebingen.

As for “The Mad Scientist”, that’s not really his name or anything.  That’s just a nickname Bill and I gave him.

 

We started with our usual Nemea.  I love this wine.  It’s very full and dry and has the essence of ripe cherries.

I usually have the gyros, but last night I decided to have grilled salmon.  Agais has it farm raised salmon or organic.  I had the organic, which was garnished with t’zaziki and vegetables.  Bill had souvlaki.  Both dishes came with salad and bread, which was warm from the oven.

The salmon was delicious!  I was glad I ordered it, even though the gyros are also a hit.  It was a bit pricier than my usual, but a nice change of pace.

 

We don’t usually have dessert, but I didn’t want to go home.  So I had a tartufo and Bill had baklava.  I don’t usually like baklava that much, but I liked the baklava at Agais last night.  It was light and not too sticky or sweet.

I washed down my tartufo with retsina… and a little ouzo.  No wonder my head is swimming this morning.

It was really nice to see the couple that run Agais again.  There was one other family eating there with us.  We’d seen them before.  The owner said they had been coming to his restaurant for years.  I liked that he and his wife sat down and talked with them for awhile.  You don’t see that so often in American restaurants.  The Mad Scientist’s wife asked if we brought our dogs to live with us in Germany.  I was impressed that she remembered!  We did bring dogs, though not the ones we had with us last time we lived here.

The Mad Scientist said that in the five years we were out of Germany, he had more Americans visiting his restaurant, but lately things have been slowing down a bit.  I’m just glad we got to come back again and will keep coming back as long as we’re around and the restaurant is running.

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Dinner at Agais in Entringen, Germany…

When Bill and I lived in Germany last time, we were living in a little town south of Stuttgart called Pfäffingen, which is close to both Herrenberg and Tübingen.  To go north from where we lived, we had to drive through a town called Entringen, which had B28, the highway between Herrenberg and Tübingen running right through it.

Bill and I really enjoyed Pfäffingen and the whole Ammerbuch kreis and we were kind of hoping to move back down there with this tour.  As it turned out, we moved to Jettingen, which is not too far at all from our old stomping grounds, though it is– just barely– in the Böblingen kreis.

Last night, Bill asked me what I wanted to do for dinner.  We are still waiting for our furniture, so we have to eat standing up.  We have very limited refrigeration space and few cooking utensils.  And I have been cooped up in our new house in the country all week and was ready to have a little fun.  I said, “Why don’t we go visit the Mad Scientist?”

Naturally, that’s not the actual name of the restaurant I was wanting to patronize.  The Mad Scientist is just a nick name we used to call the proprietor of Agais, a Greek restaurant in Entringen where we used to eat quite frequently.  We call him that because he has wild, curly hair and a personality to match.

Prior to last night, it had been about five years since our last visit and we were itching to go back and see if our favorite Greek place was still operational.  Moreover, it’s just plain beautiful near Entringen, which, as it turns out, is only a short drive from where we live now.

Bill was agreeable, so we changed clothes and hung around the house for a few minutes until our dogs quit protesting our absence (they get a little upset when we leave them).  To be honest, I was a little worried Agais might have closed, but it was lit up brightly last night and when we entered the place, it was just as we remembered it.

The Mad Scientist was there, looking a little grayer and moving slightly slower.  He offered us a table, then did a double take.  He said, “I remember you!  You are back in Germany?”

Bill explained that he retired from the Army and now works for the Army as a civilian contractor.  Our host was delighted.  I’m sure he enjoyed having us as customers because we used to be pretty regular patrons.  I was glad to see his restaurant was doing a brisk business with several tables occupied.  The man’s son, who was a gangly teen the last time we saw him, is now a poised, friendly young man who was helping serve everyone and obviously knows the business.

Bill and I enjoy a glass of Nemea, a dry Greek wine, before dinner.  I noticed the proprietor’s wife, who is the cook, in the back.  She gave us a big smile and looked like she hadn’t aged at all in the past five years.

I had my old favorite, the gyros platter, with potatoes, tzatziki, and a small salad.  Bill had souvlaki.  Afterwards, we enjoyed ouzo and eucalyptus bon bons.  Sometimes he also serves pistachio nuts, though he didn’t last night.  The bill came to just under 50 euros.

The outside of Agais.

We didn’t get much of a chance to talk to the Mad Scientist last night because he was pretty busy with his tables.  But when we got up to leave, he said he was glad we were there and he hoped we’d be back as he’d been wondering how we were doing.  I told him we would come back to see him again soon.  He advised us that he now only does lunch on Sunday, though he’s open for dinner from 5:30pm.  There’s plenty of parking near his place, which also has a garden area for those who like to eat al fresco.

Though the food is good, it’s not so much the food that I like best about Agais; it’s the company.  The Mad Scientist is a very charming guy who, if he knows you, will go out of his way to show you a good time.  Last time we were in Germany, we brought several of our houseguests to his restaurant and they always left it impressed and entertained.

Anyway, it’s good to know he’s still in business and still remembers us, even after five years.  While we no longer live two kilometers from his restaurant, we are close enough to visit often and we very likely will.

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Super cheap eats in Kemnat…

Last night, Bill and I decided to eat dinner in town because he was super tired from his trip to Chad and we didn’t really have much in the apartment by the way of dinner fixings.  It appears that the two main restaurants, Hermes and Krone, were closed last night.  They probably went on vacation, as is very common for restaurant folks to do in Germany during August.  They just close up for two or three weeks and recharge.  Personally, I think that’s a great thing.  I’ve worked in restaurants and they can be pretty horrible if you want to have a life outside of work.  I think it’s very healthy that restaurant owners in Germany take a break.  Ultimately, it’s probably healthier for their patrons, too.

But given that we were in need of food last night, we had to find somewhere to dine.  We ended up at a little hole in the wall bar/bistro obviously owned by Greeks.  There were two rowdy tables of older folks there, holding court, drinking beer, and smoking.  And when we walked in, the proprietor very kindly greeted us as we chose a table toward the back (away from the smoke).

At first, it seemed a little awkward in there… almost like we were crashing a party.  But the regulars were actually very nice and eventually seemed kind of welcoming.  One said “Guten appetit!” on his way to the restroom.  And talk about cheap eats!  Everything on the menu was priced at 5.50.

No frills eats!

This is what we got when we ordered the gyros! 

 

I wasn’t able to eat all of this… and it was a little saltier than I like it.  On the other hand, for 5.50 euros, it was quite a bargain and it was pretty good considering how cheap it was!  We each enjoyed a couple of beers, which were also very reasonably priced.  I can see why the locals like this place so much.  I left there reeking of cigarette smoke, but I’d go back for the atmosphere.  There was a large TV on the wall behind us tuned to action movies with Greek subtitles.

On the way back, we stopped at Netto!, the local mini mart, to pick up some Viennetta.  I took a photo of the mural on the building opposite the store.

 

The mini mart was interesting.  They had a lot of beer, wine, frozen foods, and a small produce section.  One could also purchase hard liquor there.  And there was a lady ahead of us who was apparently determined to pay entirely in small change!

And this very pretty traditional building, that appears to be part of a church…

 

We came back to the apartment with our ice cream treat.  I always get a thrill in Germany when we find Viennetta.  It used to be available in the United States and was marketed by Breyer’s.  Now it’s marketed by Unilever.  One thing Europeans do right is ice cream.

Yum!

Bill is without a rental car right now, so I guess we’ll be holed up in the apartment again today.  Bummer.  But at least we now know where a good local dive is for super cheat eats!

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Biergarten lunch at Anno 1897!

We enjoyed a very nice lunch at the same biergarten where we went to drink beer the other night.  It was attached to the same restaurant where we hoped to eat, but ended up leaving because all the service was outside.  I’m glad we gave them another chance.  The place is called the Anno 1897, I think, because that was the year their restaurant was built.

When we sat down, we were immediately recognized by a young man who helped served us a couple of nights ago.  He remembered that we are Americans and offered us a menu in English.  We said we were okay with a German menu, but he brought an English one anyway.

Fortunately, there was nothing on the menu that confounded me, despite never having studied German.  I easily picked out gyros and a beer, while Bill had a turkey dish inspired by Indian food.  He paired his dish with a Radler, while I had a beer.

Both dishes were delicious and filling!  I finished mine with ouzo.  Bill skipped the ouzo because he has to drive to a couple of places this afternoon.

A shot of the tree-lined biergarten entrance… this is a very nice place to sit and eat… and of course, drink beer.  I notice it’s very busy during the week at lunch time.  

Our bill was about 26 euros and well worth the cost.  I love biergartens, though…  it’s one thing I missed most about living in Germany.  This particular restaurant has a full bar and a broad variety of dishes, everything from Greek food to Italian food, as well as the Indian style dish Bill had.  The wait staff is friendly and charming and they speak excellent English, too… though if you want them to, they’ll speak German.

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And a follow up…

More on the Mad Scientist!

A lesson in communication

May 1, 2009

The Bottom Line Sometimes it doesn’t take language fluency to catch the drift of a conversation.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband Bill and I visited Agais, our favorite Greek restaurant, for a bite to eat. Bill was fresh from a business trip to Latvia and it was cold and rainy outside. Neither of us felt like cooking and knew the proprietor of the restaurant, a man I affectionately refer to as “The Mad Scientist”, would welcome our business.

When we arrived at Agais, we found that our favorite booth was occupied. Luckily, the folks who had been sitting there were paying their bill and about to leave. While they were gathering their things, Bill and I took a seat at the next table. There was a large, noisy party of six Germans, three men and three ladies, seated at a table that was perpendicular to it.

The Mad Scientist was very happy to see us and quickly cleared the booth for us. He brought out our usual glasses of red wine, perfect for such a chilly, wet evening. While we looked at the menu, I noticed that the large party had gotten louder. Aside from Bill and me, this party was the only other one in the restaurant. And they certainly behaved as if they were the only ones in the room. One man, sitting at the end of the table, seemed to be holding court. I don’t speak German, but I heard him loudly mention the word “Schweiz” several times in a mocking tone accompanied by gestures. I got the feeling he was making fun of the Swiss and not in a good natured way.

Bill and I chatted quietly over gyros and red wine while the folks at the other table kept sneaking glances at us. The ladies’ laughter had grown ever more shrill as they continued to drink wine and chatter. I noticed that The Mad Scientist was playing different music, as well– not his usual Greek party music, but some kind of live recording. I liked the change, but noticed the large party loudly protested when The Mad Scientist made a move to switch it.

As I watched and listened to the group, I got the feeling that they were trying very hard to look like they were having a good time. They ordered more drinks and dessert, laughed boisterously and spoke in tones that suggested they were having the time of their lives. And yet, underneath their conspicuous show of merriment there seemed to be a subtle veneer of hostility, especially from the guy who had been making fun of the Swiss. He got up to smoke a cigarette and I noticed that the tension in the room had lessened a bit. Still, it seemed like there was an undercurrent of rudeness that was hard to ignore, not just toward us, but among the group members.

Finally, the group paid their bill and got up to leave. When they were gone, The Mad Scientist came out of his kitchen chuckling. He looked at me and Bill and asked, “Do you understand German?”

Bill speaks a little German, but sadly I don’t.

“Do you know why those people are here in Entringen?” he asked us.

We said we didn’t.

He was still chuckling as he said, “Those people are here for marriage counseling. They’re taking a class here as a last resort effort to save their marriages.” The proprietor, who recently starting renting out an apartment above his restaurant, indicated that one of the couples was staying there and the group had been eating in his restaurant regularly. I certainly didn’t know that the little town of Entringen had a marriage counselor that would merit a retreat.

Suddenly, I started to understand why the room seemed so tense. I said, “That guy at the end of the table… he seemed to be making jokes at everyone else’s expense.” I didn’t add that I had a feeling he’d been making fun of me and Bill, too.

And The Mad Scientist laughed and said, “Oh yeah! He’s the worst off of all of them.”

Then he smiled and said, “You know, I can tell that you and Bill don’t have those problems.” He gave Bill a fond look and said, “He has a big heart! I can tell that you two love each other.”

I heartily agreed with that, of course. Besides love for each other, we also have mutual respect. From what I could observe, even with my limited German skills, mutual respect was something that was lacking in the group who shared the atmosphere at Agais with us that night. Nevertheless, it was one of the more interesting experiences we’ve had since we moved to Germany!

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