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El Mero Mexicano… damn fine Mexican food, especially for Germany!

Yesterday, Bill asked me if I wanted to go out this weekend.  I was game.  He told me to find a place, so I went to OpenTable.de and noticed a listing for El Mero Mexicano in Fellbach.  I had heard a lot of good things about this place, from both here in the Stuttgart area and back in the States.  A German friend of mine living in North Carolina said she and her husband used to go there whenever they needed a fix.  Although I never have a whole lot of expectations for Mexican food in these parts, I decided to book us a table for 6:30pm.  It’s a good thing I did that, too.  El Mero Mexicano opens at 6:00pm and is open until 11:00pm, but it was already hopping when we arrived about ten minutes before our reservation.

We had to drive quite a way to get to Fellbach.  Then it took some time to find a place to park.  There is a lot of street parking in the area, but there are also one way streets.  If you aren’t familiar with the area, you might want to give yourself some time to find a place.

A shot of the door.  They aren’t kidding when they say the food is authentic.

A nice looking young guy led us to a table for two in the back.  I heard several American accents as Bill and I took our seats and looked at the menu.  English menus are available and we were given them, even though we said it didn’t matter.  Having seen the crowd tonight, I’m guessing they wanted to save the German menus for the locals.

Bill is excited.  He loves Mexican food.

The noise level in the restaurant was very energetic tonight.  I would say it’s a good place to go if you have young children.  They have a play area for kids, stocked with plenty of Legos, as well as a kiddie menu.  I didn’t see anyone chased out of there for bringing a stroller, either.  😉

I kept changing my mind about what I wanted to order, which was a good thing.  The wait staff was a tad weeded tonight, so it took them awhile to get to us.  I had plenty of time to decide if I wanted the steak with tomato sauce or the combo platter.

Bill and I started with a round of beer.  Bill started with a Modelo and I had a Cave Creek Chili Beer.  The Chili Beer was interesting, only because it had a chili pepper in it that gave it a little kick.  The beer had zero head and, had it not been for the chili pepper, would have been pretty uninteresting.  The menu listed other Mexican and German beers, as well as a variety of cocktails and non alcoholic drinks.

Chili Beer… note the little chili pepper floating in it.  It was worth a try, but I think I’ll stick to regular suds from now on.

I finally decided to try the Pozole Rojo, which is a Mexican red corn soup with pork.  I was hungry when we came in and it was a good idea to get something before the main dish for that reason.  However, that particular starter, which is apparently only offered on weekends and perhaps only this month (they have a menu that changes),  is pretty large.  It comes with a small salad and a corn tortilla, along with some excellent guacamole.  I ordered the combination platter for my main dish, realizing that I can get a good steak in a number of places in Stuttgart.  Bill ordered spicy enchiladas for his main dish and helped me with the soup, which we didn’t finish.

The soup was awesome.  I noticed they had a sign on the door confirming they had it tonight.  It had a great kick to it, which Bill especially enjoyed.  I enjoyed the guacamole, which wasn’t overprocessed or slimy green.

Check out the guac!  It’s definitely not snotty.

When the noise level got to be too much for me, I decided to try a margarita.  I asked for one, and they brought me one on the rocks.

I like Bill’s margaritas better, but this was pretty good tonight.  I also got a glass of water to help douse the spices.  I tend to be a wimp when it comes to spicy food.  

In the foreground, you can see my combination platter.  Tonight, it consisted of a potato flauta, a soft taco with chicken and grilled red onions, and a mild enchilada.  The flauta and enchilada were covered with sour cream and cheese.  It also came with rice and a choice of pinto beans or salad.  I chose beans.  My only complaint about this dish was that it didn’t arrive very hot.  I have a feeling that was because they were so busy tonight and it might have sat for a bit.  I should mention that this platter has the potential to change, since the flauta and the taco came from the “weekly menu” (which looked to me more like a monthly menu).  If I went back in a month or two, the choices might be different.

Bill’s spicy enchiladas with green sauce.  They also have a mild version with tomato sauce and will adjust spiciness on request. 

This is one contented man…

I asked Bill if he’d want to drive back to Fellbach from Unterjettingen for more Mexican food and he said, “Absolutely!”  It took well over an hour to get there, but it was worth it.

 

Our bill came to 61 euros before the tip, although we certainly could have gotten away for significantly less if we’d wanted to.  Again, that soup was a meal within itself.  We paid in cash, although I noticed that they take credit cards.  The staff also kindly boxed up our leftovers, so I’ll be enjoying them tomorrow afternoon after we have brunch at another new restaurant.

El Mero Mexicano seems to specialize in tacos and enchiladas.  Don’t go there looking for burritos, fajitas, or chimichangas.  What they do, they seem to do very well.  This was by far my favorite Mexican food experience in Germany; it probably comes as close as we’re going to get to authentic in these parts.  The owners are from Mexico.  Suffice to say, it beats the hell out of Chilli’s, La Cocina Mexicana, and El Chico.  I highly recommend it to those who are missing a taste of home.  Just be sure to book a table.  If you drop in, you may have to wait.

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Baden-Württemberg, Sundays

We finally made it to lovely Schloss Lichtenstein…

Bill and I have now lived in the Stuttgart area for a total of four years.  We were here from 07-09 and we have been here this second time since August 2014.  We have seen a lot of cool places in the local area, especially since we moved back here the second time.  The first time we lived here, we spent way too many weekends cooped up at home.  That was a huge mistake and we have been doing our best to rectify our error during our second Germany experience together (Bill had a third experience back in the 80s, but it was when I was still jailbait…)

Today, we finally made the trip to Schloss Lichtenstein.  I am ashamed to admit that the first time we lived here, I had no idea this beautiful little castle near the town of Sonnenbühl even existed.  It wasn’t until we moved back and my new Facebook friends from the local community started posting pictures that I realized what I had missed.  I have now seen several castles here in Germany and I think Schloss Lichtenstein may be among my favorites.  I think I like it even more than the much hyped Neuschwanstein, which I did manage to see during my first time living here.

Bill and I set out for Schloss Lichtenstein at around noon.  We expected our journey from Unterjettingen to take about an hour via B28.  What we didn’t know was that traffic was going to be absolutely horrendous driving through Tübingen and Reutlingen.  Turns out there’s a lot of construction going on in those towns, plus it was a beautiful day.  Lots of people were out and about, so traffic was backed up.

Having studied the route before we left, I was surprised Bill didn’t opt for B27, which would have taken us south of the construction.  We did come back that way and it was much easier going!

The drive to the castle is absolutely gorgeous and it was so nice to have the top down on the convertible, speeding along country roads.  As we approached the parking lot and saw all the cars there, I could see there were lots of people who decided today was a good day to see the castle…  or perhaps they had come for the Abenteuer Park…

 

Here are a couple of shots I got of the ropes course.  Lots of people were there today, enjoying the zip lines and climbing challenges.  Much to my great surprise, Bill said it looked like fun and he wants to come back and try it!  I might have to sit at the biergarten when he does…  

 

We momentarily thought it would be a good idea to eat before we visited the castle, but did not realize that the onsite restaurant Altes Forsthaus (Old Forester’s Lodge) had been booked for a wedding reception.  It was closed.  So we went on to the castle.  Here are some photos I took. 

You can either pay a couple of euros to walk around the grounds or opt for the tour.  The tours run for about 30 minutes and cost 7 euros for adults and 3,50 euros for children.  Our tour was done in German, although you can purchase a card that explains everything in a different language.  I understand English tours are also available on request.  We muddled through with German; consequently, I didn’t understand everything that was said.  Guess I’ll read up on it.

Stunning views!

I was kind of sad that we didn’t get to go to the top of the tower.  The tour was very short and really only consisted of the first two floors.  The inside of the castle is beautiful, though, and well worth seeing.

I think it was worth the price of admission just to get the pictures!  Wow, this is one pretty little Schloss!

I think this is my favorite photo of the day!

This is the chapel, which I understand can be rented for weddings or baptisms.  There is also a tiny chapel in the castle itself.  The ceiling looked like it came straight from Florence.

After we toured the castle, we decided to go have lunch at the Castle’s Tavern.  This is basically a snack bar that offers a few items of substance.  I noticed they had a few specials today to include a vegetarian dish and Maultaschen.  They also had turkey schnitzel and the usual wursts with pommes. Bill got us two schnitzels while I waited.  He ordered in German and the lady behind the counter answered in perfect English as she handed him a “beeper” to let him know when our order was up.

I took a photo of our spot in the biergarten… little did I know, this was the calm before the “storm”.

Ahh… refreshing export beer…

Our schnitzels…  they came with substantial salads.  We probably should have just shared one.  We almost forgot the salads and the lady from the counter brought them out to us with a gentle reproach.  I didn’t get a picture of the salads, but they were substantial and surprisingly tasty.  I especially liked the pepper relish that came with it.    

 

Just as we were sitting down to eat, a German family came over and joined us.  It was a young mom, dad, and two little boys close in age…  I’d say one was probably two and the other was perhaps four.  They were a boisterous lot.  I think Oma was also in tow, along with another woman who might have been a friend or an aunt.  They filled up our once roomy picnic table.

I didn’t mind them too much, although the older boy startled everyone when he spilled his drink all over the table.  His dad started yelling at him in German.  I am surprised to say that I understood much of what he said and it sounded a lot like what many parents yell at their kids in English!

As we were finishing up our late lunch, we heard lots of honking and saw cars driving up the road to the castle.  The wedding party had arrived!

There is a playground next to the biergarten for your little ones to go burn off some steam.

And a rather dark photo of the Castle’s Tavern.  It does have an indoor dining area, too.  I don’t think anyone was sitting in there today.

A map of the area.  There is a lot to do near this castle.  I want to go back and visit the Easter museum and the caves…  

 

We didn’t bring Zane and Arran with us, though we did notice a couple of folks with their pooches walking around the grounds.  If we do go back, though, it’ll probably be so Bill can try the ropes course.  And I will most likely be talked into trying it with him… which would mean Zane and Arran would need to stay home again.

All in all, we had a great day!  I would definitely recommend visiting the Lichtenstein Castle with your kids and any visitors coming your way.  It makes for an excellent day trip from the Stuttgart area.

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Baden-Württemberg

There’s something fishy near Pforzheim…

Thanks to our local Facebook group, last week I became aware of a great place to get fresh fish.  Fischzucht Zordel is a delightful trout farm in Neuenbürg/Eyachtal, a scenic little hamlet not too far from Pforzheim.  Someone posted about this place on Facebook and, being a lover of fresh fish, I knew I had to try it.  My husband, Bill, is going away on business next week and has to leave tomorrow morning, so I told him I wanted to go there today.

We hopped in the Mini and drove north on a beautiful stretch of highway on the edge of the Black Forest.  It took about an hour as we made our way through cute little towns, over hills, and along a swiftly rushing river.  I was reminded of the drive to Colmar, France we took last fall.  We actually missed the turnoff for Fischzucht Zordel because we were enjoying the scenery and my collection of cheesy 80s rock so much.  But we managed to turn around and correct ourselves.  We drove along a lane with the hills in the background and a picturesque river rushing on the left before we came to a generous parking lot.

A welcoming sign… open every day from 8:00am until 8:00pm.

 

Bill and I noticed a number of couples walking around as we easily found our way to the fish grill.  Here, you can order trout soup, potato salad, a grilled trout stuffed with onions, and bread.  Beer, wine, soft drinks, and water are also available.  The menu is very simple and inexpensive.

A side look at the case where the trout is available for sale to take home.  They have fresh trout and smoked, as well as roe, filets, and condiments.  

Bill anticipates a good lunch.

If I weren’t going to be alone all week, we would have bought some fish to go.

 

We decided to order one trout, a cup of the trout soup, a side of potato salad, and two beers.  I’m really glad we shared everything.  That was plenty of food and cost just over 18 euros.

 

I loved the piping hot soup.  It’s a bit salty and made with smoked trout, peppers, and a hearty broth.  

The rest…

We had a bit of a wind today, which made holding on to all the plasticware tricky.

That fish was very fresh and delicious.  The potato salad was also very good.  This was a simple but very satisfying lunch!

The view from where we were sitting…  Can’t you just hear the water rushing?  An indoor seating area is also available for when the weather is bad.

As we were enjoying lunch, an older gentleman came by with what looked like a big empty bucket on wheels.  A few minutes later, he passed us again, this time with a bucket full of fish destined to be processed.  I ended up making a very inappropriate joke that I probably shouldn’t repeat here…  I actually felt a little sorry for the fish, even though they are definitely delicious.

Obligatory shot of Bill looking disinterested.

Once we were finished eating, we walked around the grounds and I took lots of pictures. As you can see, the surrounding area is beautiful. 

Fish in the ponds waiting to be harvested.

This picture reminds me so much of Goshen, Virginia… It was like being home.

A friendly looking horse was enjoying a snack of carrots and bread.

This house is beautiful, right down to the trout carvings on the balconies.  I envy the people who live here and run this business, though I’m not sure I’d really want to deal with fish processing.

As the weather gets better, these tables will fill up…

 

For fifty cents, you can feed the fish.  A few kids were enjoying feeding the fish in the first pond, so I went to the one being ignored a ways down.  It was a lot of fun feeding the fish because they are eager to eat and will jump to get the food.  A word of warning, though.  The fish food smells a bit like a mixture of dead fish and ass.  You will definitely want to wash your hands after you feed the fish.  Fortunately, there is a generous three stall restroom available perfectly suitable for washing up.

I’m not sure what kind of fish these were… they were huge.

Poor fishies… so close to freedom.

A couple of resident mallards…

I was dying to pet this horse.  Another one was in a nearby paddock.

These fish were jumping for the ass smelling fish food.  I had fun delivering, until I noticed what my hands smelled like afterwards.  I would advise using one of the plastic cups offered to catch the food as it comes out of the machine.

We really had a great time at Fischzucht Zordel today.  I bet we’ll be back, especially as the weather improves.  It’s a lovely place to have a simple lunch and enjoy nature.  I highly recommend it!  Kids seem to love it, too.

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