Tag Archives: Italian food

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Hedonist’s dream– two naked hours at the Kaiser-Friedrich Therme and lunch at La Cantinetta

Back in November 2018, Bill and I celebrated our 16th anniversary in Baden-Baden.  While we were there, we tried the all nude Friedrichsbad Irish Roman Baths.  When we told people we were moving to Wiesbaden, they nodded knowingly, since Wiesbaden is known as a “spa” town.  In fact, the best known spa in these parts is the Kaiser-Friedrich Therme, which is an Irish Roman bath hall, sort of like Friedrichsbad, only smaller, less crowded, and significantly cheaper.

I had reviewed Friedrichsbad on TripAdvisor and someone who read my review and travels to Germany often on business, asked me if I’d had the chance to go to the spa in Wiesbaden.  I’m sad to report that although Bill and I are quite assimilated to being naked in front of German strangers, today was our first time visiting.  In fact, the TripAdvisor guy went to the Kaiser-Friedrich Therme before I did, and he lives in the United States.

Nevertheless, today was our day to go.  Bill was, as usual, a little bit reluctant.  Once we were there, he loved it as much as I did.  One thing I like about this particular Therme is that not only is it historic, it’s also kind of low key.  The facilities are on the old side and it’s not the biggest, fanciest, spa, but it has many historic elements.  It’s also inexpensive and, at least today, not that crowded.  I’m sure it fills up when the weather isn’t so beautiful.

This was the best I could do for photos.  It’s a nude spa, so I wasn’t going to bring my camera in there.

 

The first thing to know about this spa is that it’s entirely textile free.  Do not bring a bathing suit, because they are not allowed– EVER.  In fact, there’s even a sign on the reception desk in English and illustrated with pictures of bathing suits with red lines through them.  Do bring towels, a robe, and shower shoes.  I usually bring two big towels and a robe, just in case one of the towels gets too wet to dry off with.  If you don’t have a towel or a robe, you can rent them.

The next thing to know is that you can book packages or simply pay by the hour, settling up your bill on your way out of the spa.  It was our first time, so we just went in, wearing the customary wristwatch one gets at German spas, and found a locker.  You can choose whatever locker you want, change in the privacy of a stall in the unisex locker room, and use your watch to lock the locker.  Take a quick shower in the men’s or women’s shower (which seems kind of silly, since everyone’s naked anyway), and make your way into the spa area.

The first thing you’ll see is the pool pictured below…

This iconic pool is pictured on everything advertising this Therme. 

 

The Therme has a very small parking lot, so we parked at a garage a couple of blocks down.

You should know that the big pool is COLD.  There’s a much smaller hot pool, which reminds me of a baptismal font, just behind the big pool.  Save them for the end of your time.  I noticed that this spa has a lot of the same elements Friedrichsbad has, only there are no “minders” telling you where to go or keeping the crowd going.  Unlike Friedrichsbad, there’s also no obvious set schedule of activities, although they do post a suggested sequence in the cafe area.  The list is in German.

Bill and I started with a quick dip in the freezing big pool, followed by a couple of sauna sessions.  The first sauna was kind of mild and comforting, while the next was a much hotter Finnish sauna.  We spritzed off in the “Eisregen” (ice rain) shower, then hit the two big “jacuzzi” like pools.  One was heated at 37 degrees Celsius and had lots of bubbles.  The other was 39 degrees Celsius and had very powerful jets that hit my lower back at just the right spot.  I really enjoyed sitting in that tub, pounding the stress and pain out of my back and right outer hip.

Throughout the Therme, there are really nice loungers where you can have a rest.  Be sure to put a towel down before you lie on the loungers or use the sauna.  Next, we used the foot baths, then went into the “Lumenraum”, which is a very dark, quiet, room with loungers and twinkling colored lights in the ceiling.  It was so nice to just lie in there and chill for a few minutes.  I may have to find one of those loungers for home.  After another session in the hot sitting pool, we tried one of the steam rooms, which didn’t seem to be operating properly.  It was just very warm in the room; there was no steam.  I left my shower shoes outside and regretted it, because the tiles were hot in there.

Then, we hit the big cold pool and the hot pool, then spent some time in the Tepidarium, which reminded me a lot of the one at Friedrichsbad, minus the crowds.  We skipped a couple of the other rooms since they either appeared to be closed or beyond our comfort zone.  I probably could have taken a freezing cold plunge after the Tepidarium, but I was so warm and cozy I decided I’d rather just hose off and get dressed.  While we were sitting in the warm, damp room, I quipped to Bill that I felt like we were really “going native” with these nude spa jaunts.  I don’t know what I’m going to do when we’re back in the States someday and I have to suit up.

One thing I noticed today was that it was not at all crowded in the Therme and there was plenty of room to try everything.  We were finished within about two hours, feeling very relaxed and happy.  The price for our two hour stay?  Just twenty euros.  The Therme does have a snack bar that serves juices, water, beer, and light snacks, but we decided we wanted to have lunch at La Cantinetta, a great Italian place we discovered a couple of months ago.

I think the Kaiser-Friedrich Therme may be my favorite spa yet.  No, it’s not super fancy or new, and it doesn’t have any deep pools you can do laps in, but it gets the job done at a reasonable price.  Plus, the historic features are really beautiful and the place is very clean.  I saw no children in the spa, which was a great thing.  The atmosphere today was very calm and inviting, rather than akin to a souped up Schwimmbad.

Bill and I are very used to the naked spa experience now, but I understand that some Americans may be reluctant to try it.  I can’t speak for everyone, but I have found that every time I’ve gone to a textile free spa, I stopped noticing nudity within seconds.  Everyone is naked and, trust me, no one cares what your junk looks like.

When we were finished at the Therme, we made our way to La Cantinetta, where a saxophonist was playing for Euros.  The waiters invited us to sit down.  We got there about five minutes too soon.  If we’d waited just a few more minutes, we could have had a table in the shade.  Oh well…  Here are some photos from our pricey, but outstanding, lunch.

La Cantinetta has an extensive menu, with pasta, pizza, and lots of beautifully presented Italian dishes.

I settled on scallops with tomato, bacon, chilis, and avocado…  this was a pricey appetizer at 18,50 euros, but I was very curious about it.  I’m glad I ordered it, because the scallops were done to perfection.

Bill went with the cream of asparagus soup.  Seems that every restaurant in Germany has its own version, this time of year.  It was very creamy, comforting, and a little sweet.  We also had fresh pizza bread with a choice of garlic or butter.  We went with garlic, but only ate a little of it because we knew lunch would be substantial.

 

Last time we ate here, there were fresh cut tulips on the table.  This time, it was roses.

 

We had a slight lull in business.  Maybe we should have moved up a table and gotten out of the sun…

 

For the main course, Bill ordered branzino (wolfbarsch– or European sea bass).  They brought out a special shelf on which to debone the fish for him.

The set up…
 

Expertly done… and the fish was excellent, as expected.

And nicely presented, too…

I went with sesame seed encrusted yellow fin tuna, served with sugar snap peas, mangos, avocados, and risotto.  I could almost finish this, although tuna tends to be a bit too dry and heavy for me to eat a lot of.  The sesame seeds added to the bulk of this dish.  I loved the way it was presented, though.  It, too, was rather expensive at 32,50 euros.

While we were eating, a German couple sat at the table next to us.  The male half, who wore a striped polo shirt with a popped collar, asked in German what we were eating.  I am proud to report that I was able to understand and respond.  It turned out he spoke English, as did his female companion.  They were nice, and had a good sense of humor as they observed the large Italian family sitting across from us.  At least one of the guys in that group, too, had a popped collar.

Popped collars were popular in America back in the mid 80s, but they apparently never went out of style in Europe.  I counted at least three or four guys with them today.  I had to break Bill of the habit of popping his collar when we were dating.  I guess old habits die hard.  No offense to anyone reading this who likes to pop their collars.  I once thought that looked cool, too.  Kidding…  really.

Anyway, we decided to finish up with the dessert special of the day, which featured the fruit of the season– strawberries.  Feast your eyes!

Three little strawberry cheesecake cubes with fresh cut strawberries, dried, pressed strawberry “leather”, and a scoop of strawberry sorbet!  We split it, and it was the perfect size.  Bill especially enjoyed the crust, which was much like our beloved graham cracker style, though they tasted more like biscuits to me.

We enjoyed San Pellegrino– one large bottle and one small– and a couple of glasses of white wine with lunch.  The first round was a pleasant Lugano that got a bit warm in the intense May sunshine.  The second was a Sauvignon Blanc.  The waiter opened a fresh bottle for us and then suggested it to the Italians sitting across from us.  I noticed two other tables bought whole bottles of the same wine, which the waiter initially seemed surprised I’d asked for.  The waiter, by the way, was really cute and reminded me of Ray Reyes of Menudo fame back in the 80s.

Our total bill came to about 130 euros before the tip.  I’m glad the Therme was so cheap today.  La Cantinetta can be expensive, although they have plenty of more pedestrian dishes that aren’t expensive.   A person won’t go broke having pasta or pizza, for instance.  I do enjoy their more gourmet offerings, though, and their waiters are very charming and professional… and good at upselling.

I can definitely see us making a habit of visiting the Therme on Sundays.  That was a real hit for both of us!  I don’t know that it’s always as “chill” as it was today, but we really enjoyed ourselves.

Tomorrow, we venture to Cologne for yet another concert, so my travel blog will get some extra love this week.  Stay tuned!

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Another lazy lunch at Little Italy…

I’ve been having some issues with my lower back this weekend.  I think it’s due to the sudden cold snap we’re experiencing.  I have a feeling I’m a little arthritic down there and, when the weather gets chilly, I have more pain.

Anyway, although I really wanted to visit the Kaiser-Friedrich Therme, which is a historic (and nude) Irish-Roman spa here in Wiesbaden, Bill had some more to do with his latest batch of home brew.  So I took a nap with Arran and then we went into town to have a late lunch at Little Italy.  I’ve come to really enjoy this Italian eatery downtown; since October, we’ve been there four times.  Each time, we’ve been really impressed by how good the food is and the professional level of service.

I know I’ve reviewed Little Italy three times already, but I also know I have a few readers who come just to look at pictures of food.  So, to oblige those readers, here’s a look at today’s wonderful meal.

It’s asparagus season in Germany, so I decided to start with an asparagus cream soup with basil oil and a sea scallop.  I love soups, especially when the weather is chilly.  It’s unusually chilly today, so this was a nice way to start the meal.  It was also delicious, with its mild flavor and creamy texture.  I’d love to make this at home.

 

Bill had the carpaccio, with beef and Parmesan cheese.  I did have a chance to taste this.  It was very fresh and tasty, if you’re into that sort of thing.  I don’t really love carpaccio, though, because raw meat, even if it’s thinly sliced, kind of weirds me out.  He liked it, though, and finished the whole thing.

 

See how happy he is?  I cracked another joke to get this smile.

 

Next came our main courses.  I went with the paccheri, which is a type of pasta that is supposed to be shaped like a very large tube.  It tasted homemade and was served with a creamy asparagus and pancetta flavored sauce.  This was very satisfying, reasonably priced, and not too much.

 

Bill had veal with a side of white asparagus and Hollandaise sauce.  I try not to eat veal, although I like how it tastes.  He said this was excellent.  I did try the asparagus and Hollandaise sauce, which was, of course, excellent.  He especially appreciated that the sauce came on the side.

 

We took a few minutes to finish our Montepulciano and San Pellegrino, then decided to finish off lunch with dessert.

I had the divine tiramisu, which the owner has told me is the “best in the city”.  Of course he’d say that, although I believe him when he makes that claim.  This was sinfully creamy and light, served with a side of mangoes and pears and some blackberry compote.

Bill had panna cotta.  We both learned to like panna cotta during our first Germany tour together in Stuttgart, from 2007-09.  We love the way they do it at Little Italy, because it’s very creamy, instead of firm and gelatinous.  His dessert was similarly decked out with blackberry compote and mangoes and pears.  It was not too much, either.

 

The total bill for today’s marvelous lunch was about 125 euros, which is a lot, even for us.  However, it was another leisurely and sumptuous meal, which we kind of live for when we can’t travel.  I’m definitely itching for a real trip somewhere soon, although we will be visiting Stuttgart next weekend.  Stuttgart, of course, feels like home by now.   Hopefully, we won’t have any veterinary surprises this week, so we can enjoy Elton John’s final tour.

 
 
 
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A beautiful lunch at La Cantinetta in Wiesbaden…

After an evening in last night, Bill and I decided to venture into Wiesbaden for lunch.  He needed to turn in his rental car and pick up our Toyota and we had tentative plans to visit the commissary.  But lunch turned out to be so sumptuous that we ultimately skipped the commissary and simply indulged in a wonderful meal.

When Bill goes TDY, especially for over a week, both of us suffer in terms of food. I usually spend at least part of that time “on the wagon” and I eat whatever is quick and simple to make.  Bill pretty much does the same thing.  When he comes home, we celebrate.  After we picked up the Toyota at Clay Kaserne and dropped off the rental car at the train station, we took a long stroll into inner Wiesbaden.

Our walk from the train station took us past the Bonifatius Catholic Church in Wiesbaden.  It was built in 1824 and is one Wiesbaden’s many landmarks.

The square in front of the church.  Lots of people were congregating there.

The architecture in Wiesbaden is great.  Reminds me of brownstones in New York.

There was a lit candle by the fountain.

We passed this on the way, too… 

 

We don’t usually park near the train station, so we ended up walking past some places we’d never seen before.  Eventually, we ended up on Goldgasse, which was a bit of a “restaurant row”.  Ordinarily, I don’t like these kinds of “gauntlets” because the wait staff is usually aggressive and annoying and the food winds up being mediocre.  But today, Bill and I were preoccupied and let ourselves be ensnared by a friendly waiter who invited us to sit at a four top.

I took this picture on the way out.  When we arrived, no one else was sitting in front of La Cantinetta Ristorante and Wine Bar.

 

Obligatory shot of Bill looking at the choices.

 

Beautiful fresh cut tulips.

 

The waiter spoke excellent English and offered suggestions.  I told him of my hatred for fungus.  We were just going to order main courses and dessert, but the waiter talked us into trying the homemade pasta.  He brought Bill a small order of homemade gnocci with black truffle sauce, along with a bottle of Barolo, which was elegantly decanted for us.

Bill pronounced this dish heavenly.  I could smell the truffles.

 

I had homemade raviolis filled with beef and Parma ham, as well as pasta stuffed with tiny shrimps and fish.  It was glorious, especially after my Kraft mac n’ cheese fiasco earlier this week.

My main course was sliced roast beef topped with rucola, roasted potatoes, and Parmesan cheese, and drizzled with balsamic vinegar.  The beef was exquisite; it was very tender and flavorful and married beautifully with the potatoes and rucola.  When I sat down at this restaurant, I was tired and cranky, but this meal really perked me up.

 

 Bill ended up having what I had originally chosen for myself, a delicious Iberian pork dish with bacon wrapped green beans, and baby corn…  The pork was delicious!  I would have been just as happy with Bill’s dish.

 

Although it was a struggle to finish, we did manage to get through our main courses.  After we ate, we enjoyed the rest of the wine, conversation, and people watching.  Many more people came as we were dining.  I noticed the waiters were very welcoming and friendly, inviting people to sit down.  A couple of trips into the restaurant offered a glance at the elegant interior.  They were playing the Italian version of the song “Gloria”, which Laura Branigan made famous in the early 80s.  I believe it was originally an Italian hit.

For dessert, we shared the Dolce Misto, which was a panoply of mini versions of their desserts… and I had another glass of wine…

A nice Italian white.

And the Dolce Misto, which included creme brulee, profiteroles, panna cotta, tiramisu, and fruit.  My favorite was the profiteroles.

All told, about 126 euros… not a cheap lunch, but we left happy and satisfied.  We will definitely be back, especially since I noticed so many other beautifully presented dishes coming out of the kitchen.  The chef definitely has an eye for presentation… and everything tasted and smelled wonderful.

 

Very close to La Cantinetta is an Argentinian steakhouse.  We will have to try there, too.

This restaurant also has pizza and pasta, as well as schnitzel, although I can’t imagine getting schnitzel at this place.  The food is quite lovely.  The waiter was a little more assertive than I like and I did notice that someone complained on Trip Advisor about the upselling.  I agree, it was noticeable. On the other hand, we were in the mood to indulge and everything we had was uniformly excellent.

On the way back to the car, we saw a Saks… Wiesbaden is definitely a ritzy town.

 

More architecture.  Wiesbaden is very gracious.

The train station.  Our car was parked in the garage next door. 

We stopped by the train station so I could pee.  It’s expensive there.  One euro to use the public toilet, which is very clean and has toilet paper.  I don’t really mind paying as long as it’s clean and stocked, however, one euro is a lot for a whiz.

We ended up not visiting the commissary.  I suppose we should have, especially given how much Bill has to do since he’s been out of town.  But I just wanted to come home, write about this lunch, and enjoy the afterglow of a good meal.

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He’s back in town!

Last night, as I was about to go to bed, I found Bill’s flight on Dulles Airport’s Web site.  When I discovered his flight, he was somewhere over Kansas City.  I watched the flight until it landed at Dulles, then went to sleep.  When I woke up this morning, I found his departing flight to Frankfurt.  At about 5:00am local time, he was just off the coast of Ireland.  His plane was scheduled to land by 8:05am, but he got in about a half hour early.

He was at home by 8:30am, which was a nice improvement over our Stuttgart days.  When we were living near Stuttgart, it took about an hour to get to and from the airport.  We now live about 20 minutes from the Frankfurt Airport.  Not only did his bags not get lost, but he was able to get off the plane and come home, rather than connect in Frankfurt and fly to Stuttgart.

Needless to say, the dogs were delighted to see Bill!

Zane was actually the first to meet Bill at the door, but when we sat down to coffee, Arran had to get some snuggle time.  He came over and nudged his head under Bill’s arm for a hug.  I definitely wasn’t the only one missing Bill this week.

 

There wasn’t a lot of food left in the house, so we decided to have lunch at Little Italy.  It was our third visit there and I booked the reservation through OpenTable.de.  Our reservation was for 12:30pm, but we were a little early.  The friendly proprietor didn’t mind.  We were the first ones in the restaurant, but it was only a few minutes before the place started to fill up.  We proceeded to have a sumptuous 120 euro lunch that lasted about 90 minutes…

I started with a glass of prosecco… first alcohol in over a week.  I probably should have stuck with the bubbly, as this was very nice.

 

Then, the friendly proprietor sold me on the special appetizer he was selling.  He said it was the last one.  Basically, it was fresh ravioli stuffed with cheese, pistachio nuts, and lime.  It was delicious!

Bill went with the burrata, which is a northern Italian speciality.  Cherry tomatoes, sweet onions, balsamic vinegar, and very fresh, mild, “buttery” cheese…  I don’t even like cold cheese, but I will definitely eat burrata, which is the Italian word for butter.  That’s pretty much what it’s like.

 

I had a salmon filet with a side of pureed celery and a ginger butter slathered on top…  I paired it with a peachy white wine.  My guess is that it was pinot grigio, although I’m not certain.  

And Bill had the “Wolfbarsch”, aka sea bass.  The sea bass in Germany isn’t like the sea bass I’ve had in the States.  It’s not quite as decadent.  But his fish went beautifully with pureed aubergines and fresh peppers.

 

Finally, we had dessert.  I had a “colonel”, which was lime sorbet served with a bit of Absolut Vodka infused with lemons.  If I’d wanted to, I could have have mango or cassis sorbet.  The proprietor brought out the chilled bottle of vodka and poured it over the scoop of refreshing sorbet.  It was a bit cold outside for this, but I wanted to try a dessert I hadn’t yet had at Little Italy.  Bill had the best panna cotta ever.  The first time I had panna cotta, it was rich and creamy.  Every other time, it was like milky jello… firm and not creamy.  At Little Italy, the panna cotta was like it was the first time I ever had it… rich, creamy, buttery, and delicious.  Next time, if there isn’t an enticing special, I’m having that.  It came with Johannesbeer (red currant) puree and mangoes.

I finished up with a double espresso.

 

After lunch, we went to the commissary to get something for dinner tonight.  We were in and out of there quickly.

I usually like to try different places whenever I can, but Bill is understandably tired from his long journey and we have yet to be disappointed at Little Italy.  I think it’s going to become one of our go to local restaurants.  The food and service are always excellent, and like we did the first time we went there, we even chatted with a single lady sitting by herself.  She was intrigued by the burrata.

 

Hopefully, that will be the end of Bill’s TDY trips for awhile… or, at least I hope I can go with him on the next one.  I hate sitting at home alone all week.  I will admit, he was a sight for sore eyes.  And now that he’s back, he’ll probably want to rest his…

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The nicest hardware store I’ve ever seen… and more Italian hospitality!

Now that we’ve settled in somewhat, Bill has decided to try to fix the holes in the wall where the curtain rod is in our living room.  The holes were left by the previous occupants, who apparently hung heavy drapes that pulled the screws out of the wall.  Once he fixes that, I can hang my drapes and raise the Rolladens.  Actually, I’m trying to decide what we can put in our big living room so it doesn’t look so empty.  It’s like we have two living rooms now and one side has art, a rug, and our Bose speaker.  The other side has the couches.

So anyway, we needed to go to the hardware store to pick up some stuff with which to fix the holes.  In our old town, we used to go to the hardware stores in Herrenberg or Nagold.  They weren’t bad hardware stores.  In fact, they reminded me of slightly upscale American big box stores.  Our Toom in Herrenberg even had a small restaurant in it.  Germans are very civilized.

I didn’t have especially high expectations for the MS Holz Fachmarkt.  I figured it would be like all the other hardware stores I’ve been to.  I see by Google reviews that this store gets average ratings.  People seem to either love it or hate it.  I enjoyed my visit today…

The front facade.  Apparently, this is a new location with a nice big parking lot.  Check out the cool kids’ play equipment.  No, they aren’t for your kids to play on, but you can build one for your house.

As soon as I walked inside, I was greeted by the cashier.

All of your garden needs… even Crocs and hats for your kids.

 

I found Bill and a friendly staffer, who spoke English, showed Bill what he needed to fix the hole.  Bill had helpfully taken a picture of the hole, which was useful to show the man so he could advise us of the right product.  The guy even explained the directions to us in English, since the packaging didn’t have them translated.

Then I noticed this “wallpaper”.  In both of our German houses this time, I’ve noticed the walls have this texture on them.  I saw that it looked like wallpaper, but was curious if that’s what it really is.  Sure enough, my curiosity was satisfied.

There were a couple of things I was hoping to find… the kind of things you might find in a Lowe’s or a Home Depot.  Unfortunately, Germany doesn’t embrace one stop shopping quite as much as the United States does.  Still, it was interesting to walk around the store, which was clean and quiet and had some very attractive displays.

Ideas for when the weather improves.

A lounger with a shade!

Isn’t it beautiful?

This was a cool looking door, with the shattered look.  I think it was selling for about 1500 euros.

An artist who makes furniture with trees…

 

I loved the chair, though I don’t know how comfortable it is.  It was made with a cherry tree.

 

Then I spotted a most impressive sight!  This store has a slide in it.  Your children take off their shoes and slide down to the bottom, right next to the coffee bar.  Didn’t I tell you Germans were civilized?

Weee!  My German friend Susanne says that there was a shoe store in Stuttgart that had a slide that went to the children’s section (smart thinking) and a drug store in her little town also had one.  As an American who was denied such coolness as a child, I now feel deprived!

 

When we were finished shopping, we decided to search for lunch.  We drove around a bit, noticing the Hofladens near our house.  We eventually ended up in Hofheim am Taunus, where I spotted a pizzeria called Amici.  It looked promising.

Bill is ready for lunch… and we had a big one!

A little local water in a bottle that reminds me of perfume.

They brought out some bread and olives, and poured generous glasses of Primitivo.

We split an avocado salad that was made with tiny shrimp, pineapples, and garnished with cherry tomatoes, walnuts, and balsamic vinegar.  This was about 13,50 euros and I’m glad we shared it.  It was a lot even for the two of us, but it was very nice.

 

There was an older couple sitting near us and they were obviously regulars.  The very pleasant waitress took excellent care of them, joking and laughing.  Another couple of ladies brought in an adorable six month old baby and a toddler with red ringlets.  They were easily chatting with the older couple, who appeared to be having a great time.  I can see why they’re regulars.  The waitress was super nice and the food was great.

Bill had Rigatoni 435, which included beef and “Stein Pilze” (stone mushrooms).  He loved it, but that plate reeked of fungus!  It was a bit overwhelming for me, especially since I hate mushrooms.

I went with Linguini Scolo, which was basically linguini with “fruits of the sea”.  I couldn’t finish it, because that was a lot of protein.  It was yummy, though… shrimp, “crevettes” (little shrimp), mussels, and vegetables– tomatoes, peppers, and leeks.

Naturally, we had dessert.  Bill had creamy panna cotta, which came with caramel and was probably the best I’ve tasted in a long time.  Panna cotta is often like Jello, but this was a lot creamier.  

I had zabaione with vanilla ice cream.  We had this at Little Italy in Wiesbaden back in October.  To be honest, I liked the way they did it better.  This dessert is really more like a beverage the way it’s served at Amici.  At Little Italy, it was more like a thin pudding.  It’s basically a liquid custard made with Masala wine.  We also had a round of espresso.

As we paid the check, we enjoyed a house shot of Limoncello.  We could have also had grappa or another digestive.  I think it’s a nice touch when European restaurants do this.  It kind of softens the blow of the bill.

 

Hofheim am Taunus isn’t far from where we live, so I can see us going back to this place.  Maybe we’ll even be regulars.  I think that would be alright.  If we’d taken the first house we looked at when we were househunting, which was too small for us, we would have been really close!

Out front…  They had a nice display of wine in the front window, too, with multiple bottles of “Why Not” Primitivo.

And someone’s artistic rendition of Yosemite Sam…  There’s a large train station in this town.  We’ll have to explore it more when the weather improves.

 

All in all, we had another nice afternoon in our new area.  It may soon be time to start a new “Good eats” post, like the one I made for Stuttgart.

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A decadent Sunday lunch at Little Italy Cucina Italiana in Wiesbaden…

Back in October of 2018, Bill and I visited Wiesbaden for the first time.  Our purpose was to househunt.  We stayed in Town Hotel Wiesbaden, a small hotel downtown, with our two dogs, so we tried several restaurants near the hotel.  Little Italy Cucina Italiana was one of the restaurants we dined at, and you can read my write up of that experience here on this blog.

Today, we needed to visit our local military installation for some supplies.  I needed some high-end make up and Bill needed to get my car set up for fueling.  We stopped by AAFES first, and ended up having a very entertaining and longwinded chat with the customer service guy, who’s lived in Wiesbaden since 1974.  He got my Mini Cooper squared away with a fuel ration card and told us all about the history of the military in the area at the same time.  I probably would have enjoyed chatting with him all day, and he seemed willing, but we had more shopping to do.  So once we had my makeup in hand, we headed for the commissary.

We bought some food staples, but discovered we forgot the Bisquik once we got home.  There’s always something we miss!  Sadly, it’s not as easy to rectify things in Wiesbaden, since there’s only one commissary as opposed to the four in the Stuttgart area.  Nevertheless, I got us some cleaning supplies and junk food I’ve been craving and definitely shouldn’t be eating.  Then we stopped by the Shoppette for some wine to help ring in the new year.

After we were finished shopping, it was about 2:00pm.  We went to Wiesbaden, parked, and headed into the city center.  Our journey took us past Little Italy Cucina Italiana.  Neither Bill nor I really felt like hunting for a place to eat and it was clear the restaurant was not taking a pause.  In we walked, and we were warmly greeted by a lovely waitress who spoke excellent English.

Last time we ate at Little Italy, we dined outside.  This is possible in most weather, since they have installed heaters over the tables.  Inside, the dining room is very tiny, as are the tables.  We took a corner table that was situated very close to another table.  Fortunately, it wasn’t busy.

I told Bill I was in the mood for a really beautiful lunch.  Lo and behold, that’s what I got.  As we listened to 80s era pop hits remade into smooth jazz, Bill and I ate our way through three dynamite courses.  Feast your eyes…

Out front.  I noticed the English speaking proprietor in the window.  I remembered him from last time.  He’s very friendly and good at suggesting things.  The guy walking into the restaurant was memorable.  He appeared to be waiting for a staff member and walked in as if he owned the place.  He had on skinny jeans, walked with a confident swagger, and shook the proprietor’s hand as he caught his reflection in the mirror and fixed his hair.

 

This is about half of the dining room.  It’s not the smallest restaurant I’ve ever been to, but it’s pretty small.

 

The “bar”.

 

Obligatory shot of Bill.

We started with super fresh bread, olive oil with tomato paste, and San Pellegrino…

And excellent red wines by the glass.

The last time we visited, I was intrigued by a raw tuna and avocado appetizer.  I didn’t order it the last time, since it was almost 20 euros and I figured it would be big.  Bill and I split it this time.  I’m glad we split it.  It was delicious and super fresh, but a lot for one person.  It was citrusy tuna with avocado bits, along with a tiny salad.  Topped with a bread stick and garnished with pomegranate seeds that helped cut the saltiness, this was a lovely starter.  At the end, I got just a hint of ginger.

 

My main dish was spaghetti sepia, basically dyed with squid ink, and served with creamy hummer (lobster) sauce and shrimp.  I managed half, since I was saving room for dessert.  This was a bit heavy, but satisfying.  Next time, I’d have it without the starter.

 

Bill went with Osso Bucco, basically a veal pot roast served with a tomato and carrot sauce, and garnished with quince.  Again, a bit heavy, but delicious.  I don’t eat a lot of veal, but I did try this dish.  If you like very tender, flavorful meat that falls off the bone, this is for you.

 

Our lunch was very leisurely and enjoyable.  The staff wasn’t rushed, so the service was excellent and the food was delightful.  It was interesting to people watch, too.  This restaurant is located on a somewhat busy street that brings a lot of foot traffic.  I noticed this restaurant is very popular with Italians, too.  Always a good sign in an Italian restaurant in Germany!

I couldn’t resist having dessert.  I gave some thought to having something off the regular menu, but our bald friend had a suggestion.  He had “baba”, which was basically like a very decadent sponge cake soaked in rum, served with candied cherries, and topped with chocolate ganache.  It wasn’t too large and came in two pieces, so it was perfect for sharing.

Yummy!  The perfect end to a lovely meal.

Bill had an espresso, while I finished my Primitivo.

All told, we spent about 100 euros before the tip, which Bill paid for with a credit card.  The proprietor asked us if we had his phone number.  I’m sure he doesn’t mind guests like us, since we ate a lot and tipped well.  And it was very obvious we were having a good time… I left there gushing, “What a fabulous meal!”

The proprietor wished us a happy new year, then told us next time we’re “boring”, to give him a call.  I had to laugh, since our old veterinarian in Herrenberg made the same error.  There must be something in German grammar that causes people to say “boring” when they mean “bored”.  But hell, I don’t speak German worth a damn, so I can’t make too much fun.  I just thought it was funny.  I’ve been called a lot of things, but boring isn’t one of them.

We really like Little Italy and I think we’ll probably be regulars.  The food is always good.  The service is friendly and professional.  And we’re always warmed welcomed by the man in charge.  That makes it a winning destination… especially since they don’t seem to take an afternoon pause and we like to eat lunch late.

I got a couple of shots of the action at the ice skating rink.  Looks like there will be quite a party in Wiesbaden tomorrow night!

Incidentally, I still haven’t finished yesterday’s Five Guys cheeseburger… I better start walking my dogs more before my ass gets its own zip code.

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A late lunch at La Fonte in Breckenheim, Wiesbaden…

A little gift left by our new landlords… They gave us a gift bag with a huge Lindt Swiss chocolate bar with hazelnuts and a bottle of locally produced Sekt.  

 

The sun came out today and, unlike last week, this past week was rather quiet.  Although I probably would have been happy to hibernate, Bill decided we needed to go out and have lunch.  It was after 2 o’clock when he made this decision, so we were kind of limited in where we could go.  Fortunately, our new neighborhood has an Italian restaurant that doesn’t do pauses and has a Monday Ruhetag.  So once Bill managed to convince me to get dressed and prettified, we beagle proofed the house and drove the one kilometer to La Fonte, the local Sportsplatz’s restaurant.

I have mentioned before that a lot of German communities have sports clubs, and many of the sports clubs have restaurants.  In our old town, Jettingen, I remember two sports complexes, both of which had Greek restaurants next to their sports fields.  The neighboring town, Haslach, had a German restaurant.  Likewise, our new community of Breckenheim also has a Sportsplatz, which has an Italian eatery.  I noticed it got great ratings, so it was easy to convince Bill to visit.  It turned out to be a nice place to spend a couple of hours.

The first thing I noticed was the smell of horses.  There’s a barn nearby.  It seems to be my luck to live in places where there are horses… which only serves as a reminder that I need to buy a place with land so I can have horses in my life again.  I spent the 80s showing horses.

 

When we arrived at La Fonte, it was busy.  It looked like there were a couple of parties going on.  Nevertheless, we were welcome, and once they realized we were English speakers, the staff switched to excellent English.  We’re pretty good at speaking food, but I have to admit it’s nice to run into English speakers, even if it cuts down on my German practice.  I am somewhat consoled, though, because I heard some German youngsters leaving the restaurant and actually understood what was being said.  A young boy was eager to get outside and play, but his older brother admonished him to wear a jacket, even though the young boy said he didn’t need to bundle up.  It’s funny… suddenly understanding German is like suddenly tuning into a clear radio station.

Bill checks the menu.  We were seated “outside”, but it was warm enough.  They had a heater out there and the area was enclosed by glass and an awning.  I never would have known we were “outside”.  I’m sure in the warmer months, it’s nothing to open up that area.

 

We settled on salmon with shrimp sauce and noodles for me and veal with Gorgonzola sauce and noodles for Bill.  Both dishes came with generously sized salads and bread.  My dish had a slightly different dressing.  Bill’s was the usual yogurt dressing, while mine was more like a red wine vinaigrette.  

This little guy, name of Milo, is obviously the restaurant’s mascot.  He’s well known and loved.  I noticed the place had many apparent regulars and they were all greeting this adorable dog. 

 

He was so cute in his “I love New York” hoodie.  I might be persuaded to abandon my love of beagles for this little guy.  I was impressed by how well behaved he was, too.

 

Bill enjoys veal, noodles, and Gorgonzola sauce.  He managed to finish everything, even the salad.  I had to take half of my stuff home, even though I was hungry when I went in.  They were happy to pack up my leftovers.

 

Grilled salmon with shrimp sauce and noodles… it came with tiny shrimp and the sauce had a hint of nutmeg.  I really enjoyed it, but only managed half before I was full.  

 

This couple came in with a black version of Milo… and obviously, the owner knew Milo, and so did his cute little dog.  I noticed Milo and the other pooch played nicely in the dining room.  This is a very dog friendly place.  I saw at least two other dogs visiting during our two hour lunch.

We had another glass of Sangiovese for dessert, as well as espresso.  Note the generous pour!

We really enjoyed La Fonte.  I have a good feeling that we’ll be regulars.  The food was good; there was plenty of parking; it’s dog friendly; the wait staff were welcoming; and we can literally stumble to our new home from there.  We told the waiter that we were new in town and he gave us this…

Panettone— Italian cake/bread, just for Christmas…  I guess these folks are from northern Italy.  This was a nice hospitable touch.

And he warned us that if we want to have dinner on a weekend night, to call ahead.  I could easily tell La Fonte is a very popular local hangout.  It was nice to see.  Lots of people seemed to know and love the staff, which is always a good sign.  I am certain we’ll be back repeatedly.  It appears to be a very kid friendly place, too… the kind of place where friends and families gather.  I love those kinds of places.

A moonrise…

 

So we no longer have the enchanting view from our house, but we can still see one not far from where we live.  And the bonus is, I can smell horses from here.  I trust none of them are on La Fonte’s menu.  I’m kidding, of course.  I feel better now, though… even if I didn’t really feel like going out.  It’s time to get back to normal and start having some fun again.  Of course, we did come home to a big mess caused by Arran, the troublemaker.  He got into the trash.  I guess our new system needs refining.

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Lunch at Vapiano in Wiesbaden…

The first time we visited Wiesbaden, back in October of this year, we stayed at the Town Hotel Wiesbaden, which is located in the heart of the city.  While we were there, I noticed an Italian chain restaurant called Vapiano.  Last time I visited Stuttgart, I noticed that Stuttgart has a Vapiano outlet, too.

I was weirdly attracted to the Wiesbaden Vapiano when we were downtown for our first visit.  I’m not sure why.  I usually prefer individual restaurants to chains.  Saturday afternoon, we were hungry and not wanting to search for a particularly special place.  We stopped by Vapiano in Wiesbaden and had a rather different restaurant experience.

The view from the parking garage at the theater in Wiesbaden…  They had the ice skating rink set up for the Christmas market…

The first thing that happened when we walked through the door is that a smiling woman behind a desk– the cashier– handed us each a plastic card.  Having never been to Vapiano before, I didn’t know what the hell was going on.  Then I saw that people were ordering at a counter.  You get into the line that corresponds with what you’re eating.  If you want pizza or lasagna, you get in one line.  If you want pasta, you get into a different line.  Salads are in still another line.

Bill decided he wanted pasta with spicy tomato sauce.  I wanted lasagna.  Since we didn’t know how things worked, I stood next to him while a line cook prepared his dish for him.  You can actually watch the guys boil the pasta and put sauce on it for you.  They scan your item on the plastic card.  If you want a soft drink, they’ll get that for you, too.

Bill an I wanted wine, so after we ordered my lasagna in a different line, he went to the bar and got us a couple of glasses of Montepulciano.  This is also where you get your desserts.

Bill’s pasta was ready before my lasagna was, so he was about halfway through his lunch when the beeper went off for my lasagna.  In retrospect, we should have ordered the lasagna first… not that I think we’ll be regulars at Vapiano.  It was a little too busy and noisy for my liking, although I noticed the workers were good about picking up plates and keeping things reasonably clean.  If I were about twenty-five years younger, I probably would have liked it a lot more.  The food was good and reasonably priced, but I’d rather eat at a place where there’s table service and less noise.  Vapiano is very kid friendly, so it has that going for it.

As we were leaving, we stopped by the cashier, handed her our cards, and paid.  This is also where you can leave a tip, if you like.  I’m pretty sure Bill paid with a credit card and I did notice they were equipped for that.

Below are some photos…

Vapiano has outlets all over the world, including in the United States.  This was our first visit.

 

Go up to the counter with the plastic card they give you.  Get in the appropriate line.  Order what you want and have the cook scan it.  They’ll cook your food and you’ll take it to your table.  You pay at the cashier as you leave.

Go to the bar for your adult beverages and desserts.

Bill’s ravioli with meat sauce.  It wasn’t bad, though it was done a lot sooner than my lasagna was.  Bill liked that the portion size wasn’t huge and the sauce was spicy.

 

My lasagna.  This was very cheesy and it took some time to actually get to the pasta.  My first few bites were all melted cheese, not that I minded.  It wasn’t a huge serving, which was a good thing.  I have had better lasagna, but this wasn’t too bad.  I just felt sorry for whomever has to wash the lasagna dishes.  A lot of the cheese was stuck to the pan.

Bill had cheesecake for dessert.  It wasn’t very sweet or creamy, but it kind of hit the spot after the pasta.

I went with their version of “Death by Chocolate”.  I used to work at a restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia had a far different and vastly superior “Death by Chocolate”.  Vapiano’s version is basically a rather dry, plain, chocolate cake.  I wouldn’t get it again.

On the way back to the car, I took some pictures of Wiesbaden’s holiday finery…

I am kind of tempted to ice skate, but it’s been about 40 years since my last trip around the rink.  I’m not sure why I never noticed the ice rinks in prior years.

We stopped by our local Rewe for provisions.  I was surprised to see a whole lot of condoms on sale…  As a former public health worker, I’m glad to see them selling condoms.  I just think it’s funny that they do it so openly.  I don’t remember seeing a display like this at an American grocery store.  Not that I mind, of course…

For when you’re feeling festive…

I think we’re going to like living in Wiesbaden.

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Things aren’t bad in Baden-Baden… Part three

Friday, November 16th, was our anniversary.  We woke up bright and early and decided that since it was our special day, we’d eat breakfast at the hotel.  Brenners Park Hotel and Spa offers a lovely buffet breakfast at 41 euros a person.  However, I would say that as expensive as their breakfast is, it’s probably the most economical of all of the meal options there.  You get your choice of whatever’s on the buffet, which includes breads, cold cuts, cheeses, yogurts, fruits, cereals, and an array of fresh juices, sekt, and coffee or tea.  You can also order a hot dish, like eggs or pancakes.  It’s all you can eat, so if you play your cards right, you can eat enough in the morning to last you all day.  Service is, of course, impeccable.

We were seated at a nice sized round table and served excellent coffee.  Then we loaded up at the buffet.  I wasn’t thinking too much about having anything else until the very charming chef came out and asked me if I’d like him to make me some eggs.  It so happens that I love Eggs Benedict and was about to say yes to that, when he offered Eggs Florentine.  Eggs Florentine are pretty much like Eggs Benedict– a poached egg on an English muffin with Hollandaise Sauce.  Instead of bacon, you get spinach.  He offered to shave some black truffles on the dish, too, but I told them to save them for Bill.  I am definitely not a truffle fan.

Eggs Florentine, brought out by a very friendly chef.  I liked that he didn’t give me the stinkeye when I told him of my aversion to fungus.

Christmas trees are coming out…  We happened to see them putting up decorations for the big holiday.  Ours won’t be going up until we’re in our new house next week.

 

After breakfast, we decided to visit the fitness/pool area.  Brenners Park has a very nice spa, which we did use on Saturday.  On Friday, we were content to try out the very beautiful pool area.

The water was slightly warm and the pool was pretty deep.  At one end, it was over my head.  I loved that, since so many of the newer pools in the United States are shallow now.

As you can see, the pool is empty.  A couple of other people showed up a few minutes after we did.  I believe they allow children to splash to their hearts’ content from 4:00 to 5:00pm.  I didn’t see too many children at this hotel, though… only a few.  And the ones we saw were mostly beautifully behaved.  I liked the view at the pool, which offered a lovely view of the trees and the river.

Bill takes to luxury like a duck to water.  

 

After a couple of hours lounging at the pool, we decided to have lunch.  I noticed a sign for Osteria Stomboli and decided it looked like a good bet.  I was in the mood for pasta.  I did take note that at least two times on the front door and once in the restaurant, I saw signs that emphatically stated that this restaurant does NOT take credit cards.  Did you read that clearly?  Credit cards are verboten!  No plastic!  Cash on the nail!  Just so we’re clear.

Luckily, Bill is used to carrying cash.  He brought plenty so we could enjoy wine with lunch.

I had a tantalizing tagliatelle with salmon.  It came with a creamy tomato sauce and cherry tomatoes.  The sauce was delicious and the salmon was cooked perfectly.  It wasn’t too dry and went beautifully with the sauce.

Bill went with linguini with a white wine sauce and shrimp.  He liked his dish, which was also loaded with garlic, but I think we both agreed that my dish was the winner.

 Despite how good my dish was, I couldn’t quite finish it.  The waiter looked stricken when he saw that I had left about half of the dish uneaten.  What can I say?  I wanted dessert.  Also, I get to a point at which I can’t eat any more protein.  Luckily, Bill had room to finish what I couldn’t.  He didn’t want dessert.

This was a lovely Sicilian white we had with lunch.

I took this picture of Bill for his mom, who’s always wanted him to enjoy this lifestyle.

I had Limoncello gelato for dessert.  It was perfect because it was very light and refreshing.  Bill shared it with me and had an espresso.

Sign out front.  No credit cards.  None.

We kept passing this Konditorei and I noticed all the luscious desserts.  We didn’t try any there, but I sure was tempted.  On Saturday morning, we had breakfast at the Cafe Koenig, where these delightful sweets were on display.

A sunny shot of the church.

The building near the hotel.  For some reason, I never got around to taking pictures of the Brenners Park Hotel.  It is, in and of itself, a very beautiful property.  It’s decorated with lots of BMWs and Porsches, too.  This is a town where the rich like to congregate, even if it did sort of have a sleepy feel to it.

I took this photo from the balcony in our room.  This time, the mallards had some female friends with them.

Soon, the trees will be bare.

 

We were pretty full after lunch, so Bill went out and found a couple of bottles of wine and some snacks.  We stayed in and talked on Friday night, sipping wine and reminiscing the best parts of our marriage.  You’d think we’d want to hit a nice restaurant like we did last year.  But last year, we stayed local and celebrated our 15th anniversary in Nagold.  This year, we also stayed pretty local, come to think of it.

Bill did present me with chocolate, though.  He said, “These are for you.” as he held them out to me.  This kind of thoughtfulness may be why we’re still going strong after sixteen years.

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Wiesbaden, take two… the dog friendly housing quest continues. Part four

EDITED TO ADD: Castello Romano is now permanently closed. 

Friday night, we decided to walk to a nearby Italian restaurant.  Bill noticed it got good reviews and I was wanting to have a nice dinner somewhere.  Our trips to Wiesbaden have so far been all about business, so we haven’t had too much of a chance to enjoy our new area.  So we wisely made a reservation and walked up the hill from GL Suites to Castello Romano.  It turned out to be a great choice for Friday night dinner.

We arrived at the restaurant a little early for our reservation.  It was no problem and we were quickly seated in a comfortable booth.  The wait staff spoke German, Italian, and once they realized we were Americans, they switched to English.  Once again, I remain impressed by how easily Europeans switch languages.  I’m actually kind of jealous, too.  I need to stop being so lazy and learn more German, at the very least.

Below are some photos from our Friday night dinner.

We passed this cool looking building on our way there.  Looks like they do art retreats or maybe offer space for workshops?  Don’t know… 

Charming area near the restaurant. 

The front door.

I probably said something inappropriate to provoke this response.

Bill enjoys bread and tomato/spicy pepper spread, along with olives.

We shared an antipasto plate, with smoked salmon, vitello tonnato, carpaccio, prosciutto and melon, and mozzarella and tomatoes.

Bill had one of the specials… a John Dory filet with salted potatoes and vegetables.  

I had turbot (Steinbutt) with the same setup.  I love turbot.  

We shared a lovely red wine…

Service was very attentive and friendly, and I got the sense this was a local favorite.  At least two more parties came in, one of which had a tiny baby who was born two months ago.  The grandma was walking around, showing off that baby to the staff.  It almost felt like we were visiting family.  We enjoyed dinner so much that we decided to have dessert.

I had coconut creme brulee with mangos…

Bill had panna cotta with red berries.

Total damage was 105 euros, but we had a three course meal with wine and water.  Service was very friendly and professional and the food was excellent.  I’d go back if I am ever in the neighborhood again.

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