Tag Archives: Osteria da Gino

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A visit to Taverne Mykonos in Nagold…

Bill and I had been wanting to try Taverne Mykonos in Nagold for a long time, but never managed to get there until last night.  The weather was perfect and, as usual, I was game for Greek food.  Taverne Mykonos is very close to another of our favorite Nagold haunts, Osteria da Gino.  The weather was so nice I was almost tempted to just go have dinner with Gino last night.  But I pride myself on trying new places, so we stuck with the plan and had yet more Greek food.

The outside of the restaurant is nice…  

The inside is even nicer.  Bill looks at the menu.

 

When we arrived at about 6:30, Taverne Mykonos was hopping.  The biergarten appeared to be pretty full and so was the main dining room, which is where we were seated.  Service was a bit slow, likely due to the large influx of people, some of whom had to wait at the door or get takeout.

I decided on dorade, so Bill ordered me a glass of white Athos.  It was fine, though nothing really eye opening.  He had the red version of Athos to go with the lamb filet he ordered.  He had wanted lamb skewers, but they apparently were out of something.

I snapped this shot as they opened the blinds.  The sun wasn’t quite down, so I was temporarily blinded by the light.

Salads took awhile to get to us.  We each had a different kind.

Mine was lettuce, kraut, corn, carrots, cucumbers, a slice of tomato, and some kind of green garnish that had no distinctive flavor.  The creamy dressing was nice.  It reminded me a little of ranch dressing.

Bill’s salad was a little more Greek, with cubes of very red, ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, a sweet pepper, an olive, and feta cheese.

 

Our main dishes also took awhile to reach us, but they turned out to be well worth the wait.  I generally expect dorade to take awhile, anyway.

This dorade was served with a fish sauce and lots of oven baked potatoes.  It was very nicely done and completely cooked, which is more than I can say about the last dorade I had in a restaurant.

But Bill’s lamb was absolutely amazing.  I don’t even usually like lamb, but I would happily eat this dish.  The filets were extremely tender and not gamey at all.  The beans were lightly seasoned with herbs.  The t’zatziki was also good, made with plenty of lemon juice.

It took awhile longer for our plates to be cleared and the check to be brought.  The hardworking staff at Taverne Mykonos was working hard last night.  But we parted with a 45 euro bill and a couple of house shots of ouzo.  After we ate, we went over to Gino’s and picked up a bottle of primitivo to enjoy at home.  The weather was perfect.  I almost felt like strolling by the river, but Bill wanted to get home.

All in all, we enjoyed our first meal at Taverne Mykonos.  I suspect we’ll be back, though I still think I like Taverne beim Griechen’s version of Greek food the best, at least in our area.

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Mom’s visit part three…

We sort of took it easy yesterday, since Mom’s knee has been giving her trouble.  At about 3:00 yesterday afternoon, we headed for Wurmlingen, where there is a chapel on a hilltop that overlooks Pfäffingen, which is where we lived when we were in Germany the first time.  I was hoping we could drive to the top because it was hot outside and Mom wasn’t up to hiking.  Unfortunately, you have to either bike or walk to the chapel.  There is a large parking lot at the bottom of the road that leads up to the church.

What we managed to see before Bill turned around was promising.  Bill and I will have to go back and do the hike to the church when the weather is less fierce.  The upside to our exploration was that I discovered an open WC that was free to use and relatively clean.  Too bad the guy in the camper ahead of us didn’t notice it.  He pulled off to pee in a port-a-potty and ended up backing up traffic.

Nice to have a shot of Wurmlinger Chapel from another direction…  We’ll get up there soon.

I was surprised to find these toilets unlocked.

After our failed trip to Wurmlingen, we went to Nagold and visited the city museum.  Bill and I had seen it a couple of weeks ago when we visited Nagold last time, but we thought my mom would find it interesting, since it focuses on Nagold during Hitler’s era.  I was able to translate a little for her, but she mostly winged it a bit.  I think she still enjoyed her visit, if only because the Steinhaus it’s housed in was a bit cooler than outside.

Next, we stopped by Longwy in Nagold, which is a bar right next to the river.  Bill and mom had some iced tea, while I had my requisite beer.  While we were enjoying our drinks, it occurred to me that the dogs were going to be hungry if we didn’t feed them before we enjoyed dinner at Osteria da Gino’s in Nagold.  So we finished up, went home, fed the dogs, let them pee, and then came back to Nagold for our seven o’clock reservation at Gino’s.

A little drinking…

We originally wanted to eat there on Monday, but they were completely booked.  I was a little concerned that Gino’s style of abundant Italian hospitality might be a little too much for my mom, but she ended up really enjoying herself and the food.  As usual, it was delicious, and Gino and his wife were as delightful as always.  In fact, when Gino got a load of my mom, he could immediately tell who she was.  He smiled and said, “Your mama!” in Italian.  Of her four kids, it’s true that I look the most like her.

Vorspeisen with the usual cheese, bread, olives, sausages, and grilled veggies, as well as the orange and fennel salad.  Mom had some red wine, while Bill and I had prosecco and San Pellegrino.

A little spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and black olives…  As we sat out on the sidewalk enjoying dinner, we watched many young folks passing in Fahrschule cars.  We even saw a student motorcyclist.  I guess Nagold is a good place for driving lessons.  

Bill had veal in a lemon sauce with sautéed spinach.

My mom and I each had the fish, which was a positively orgasmic John Dory filet.

And dessert was strawberries, a little coffee ice cream, panna cotta, and a sliver of cake with anise.  We skipped our coffee and grappa.  The bill was 187 euros for the three of us.  I’m happy to report that no one chastised us at Gino’s place.

 

I’m sorry I didn’t get to try a new restaurant with Mom during her visit, but the weekend awaits.  Maybe after we hike up the hill to Wurmlinger Chapel, we’ll venture into a new place to eat.  I don’t think it’s a very strenuous walk, but I like any excuse to try new restaurants.

Mom left this morning.  Somehow, her flight plan includes stops in Munich, Reykjavik, and Dulles before she gets to her final destination at RDU.  I say better her than me.  Apparently, the many stops were much cheaper than taking a direct flight from Stuttgart.  Since Mom has never been to Iceland, she decided she didn’t mind dropping into the airport, just so she can say she’s been.  My sister lives in Chapel Hill and will pick her up tonight at about 11:30pm local time for a short visit before Mom finally goes home to Hampton, Virginia.

It was good to see my mom.  I don’t know when our next visit will be because neither of us plans another trip across the pond anytime soon.  But I do have a feeling that after Mom talks to my sisters, there could be more houseguests.  God help us all.  😉

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Dining al fresco at Osteria Da Gino’s in Nagold…

Back in late March of this year, Bill and I ventured to Nagold, where we enjoyed a wonderful Italian meal at Osteria Da Gino’s.  When I blogged about our experience there, I called it “unforgettable”.  Indeed, neither of us had forgotten the lovely dinner we had in Nagold about two months ago.  So when Bill asked if I wanted to go there again tonight, I was quick to say yes…

But there was one problem.  Our dogs, Zane and Arran, usually get along with each other very well.  Lately, though, they have been having some issues with dominance.  Arran tends to be a bit food aggressive and last weekend, when we visited Calw, we came home to find that they’d had a fight.  I was a little worried we’d have a repeat performance tonight.  We usually give our dogs stuffed Kongs to keep them busy, but we had noticed Zane was shy about taking his.  Before we left the house tonight, I told Bill to take them out for a last minute pee.  He rolled his eyes, but took them out.  That’s when we discovered that Arran the piglet had already taken both Kongs.  That’s what they had been fighting over.  Though we’d been successfully using them for months, they’d recently started squabbling over them in our absence, which led to finding Zane with a few tooth marks last week.

After a couple of tense moments that involved my convincing Arran to let me have the Kong and Bill’s concern that I was about to be in a dog fight, Arran finally gave up the Kong and we were on our way to Nagold.  I would like to say that I didn’t worry about them all through dinner, but I did.  Nevertheless, we had a great time anyway and when we got home three and a half hours later, both dogs were healthy and sound.

Now, on with the review…

We arrived at Da Gino’s a few minutes past our reservation.  This was because Bill parked in a different garage and we had to spend a couple of minutes orienting ourselves to Nagold again.  It’s a small, cute town, but we don’t go there often enough.  Once we found the restaurant, we were confronted by several folks sitting outside. When the weather is good, that’s where the party is at Osteria Da Gino.  I mentioned during our first visit that their indoor dining room is small and you may wind up sharing a table if you eat inside.  Outside, there is a lot more seating.  We were able to claim a two top to ourselves.

Bill looking dashing as we enjoy a glass of prosecco…

 

The weather tonight was warm, but not hot enough to make eating outside unpleasant.  And, to be honest, if it had been really hot, I doubt eating inside would have made things better.  We had plenty of wine and sparkling water, along with Gino and his fabulously warm staff… whom I am guessing are family, but I don’t know for certain.

We had some bread…  I didn’t eat too much of this because I knew we were in for a long night…

It took Gino a couple of minutes to remember us, but the tiny, friendly, and adorable Italian lady who was there the first time we visited remembered right away.  And Gino was, of course, the same fantastic host he was last time we visited.

He brought out “vorspeisen”…  it consisted of grilled vegetables and what looked like a terrine of some sort…  I tasted Parmesan cheese and tomatoes… and I didn’t try to figure out the rest.

Fresh mozzarella with olives, olive oil, fresh tomatoes, garlic, and a little basil…  If you are a cheese fan, this is a real treat.

And the same fennel, orange, and sundried tomatoes we had last time… All was very good and though I don’t like cold cheese much, I even tried the mozzarella, which was excellent.

Bill grins at me as I catch a photo of the adorable pug in the background…  I call this his “Norman Fell” smile…  If you ever saw him on Three’s Company, you might know what I mean.

It took some time to get from course one to course two.  Gino was very busy with his clientele and no one was rushed.  We didn’t mind.  I enjoyed chatting with Bill and drinking wine and tried not to fret about Zane and Arran.

Course number two… homemade raviolis with a cream sauce, asparagus, and parmesan cheese.  The raviolis were stuffed with cheese, rosemary, pine nuts, and some kind of citrusy Arabian spice with a little zing.  Bear in mind that Gino doesn’t speak English, so we had mixed conversations in German, Italian and a smattering of English…  This course was delightful.

Another pause as we waited for the main course.  I had meat– which was a small steak.  Bill had fish, which came with a butterflied shrimp.  I think the fish was called San Marino… but I will have to double check.  

Main courses…  I had trouble finishing mine.  I was pretty full.  It was good, though the steak was a hair more done than I like it.  I liked Bill’s fish better.  

 

It was finally dark by the time we were ready for dessert.  We split the panoply below… ice cream (more like a frozen custard, really), panna cotta, tiramisu, and minted strawberries.  We also had espresso…

And, like last time, Gino joined us for a house shot of grappa. made from the same grapes Bill’s white wine was– from the Piedmont area of Italy, which Bill and I have visited.

Dinner took about 3.5 hours… and it cost 139 euros for two of us.  But that was for a lot of food and wine between two people.  Many people came and only had one or two courses.  Once again, we were never presented menus.  Gino just asked us what we liked and brought out very fresh and inviting cuisine.  I would not be surprised if he grew some of the stuff we were eating.  It was very good.

Gino was also engaging everyone.  Watching him work the crowd was as entertaining as the food was.  He’s very gregarious, has a great sense of humor, and is a lot of fun, even if we speak different languages.

There were two well behaved dogs in attendance tonight.  I couldn’t help but wish Zane and Arran were more polite in public settings.  Perhaps tomorrow, we will take them to a biergarten and see if they can go out in public.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  Nagold is an adorable German town and Osteria Da Gino is a great place for authentic Italian food.  It’s not a place to go if you’re in a hurry or very particular about your food.  It’s not a place to go if you need to speak English, though I don’t speak much German and plenty was being communicated between Gino, Bill, and me.  In fact, I think Gino might have invited us to his birthday party in October.  I’m sure we’ll be back before then to confirm.  Gino also loves dogs.  We watched him serve San Pellegrino and a little prosciutto to his canine guests.

Seriously… Nagold is way cute and you will get a great Italian meal at Gino’s restaurant.  Go there when you are prepared to spend some time, relax, and let Gino take the reins.  It’s definitely a different experience and it’s clear that his restaurant is much loved in Nagold.  Better yet, parking was free!  The garage where we parked usually charges, but only during weekday business hours.  That made Nagold an even more appealing destination tonight.

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An unforgettable Italian meal in Nagold…

Yesterday, I got an email from Bill asking me what I wanted to do about dinner last night.  Bill usually cooks dinner at our house, but I knew he’d had a rough work week.  When I wrote back that I didn’t know what we should have for our evening repast, he suggested that we venture out for dinner.  I didn’t argue.  Then he asked me where we should go.

We live only a few miles from the adorable town of Nagold and it had been a long while since our last visit there.  So I wrote back, “Why don’t we go to Nagold?”

He wrote back, “Fine!  Pick a place.”

The last time we went to Nagold was in the fall of 2014.  I don’t know why we hadn’t been back.  It’s such a cute town, right by a river with a castle.  It’s not crowded.  There’s plenty of parking.  We live really close.  And it’s refreshingly German there.  Both times we’ve gone, people have asked us what we were doing there!  I don’t get the sense that they get many Americans visiting.

Anyway, since it had been awhile since our last visit, I tried to think of places we might go.  I finally consulted TripAdvisor.  According to TripAdvisor, the number one restaurant in Nagold is Osteria da Gino.  After reading a couple of glowing reviews in English and then noticing the high ratings from Germans, I clicked on the restaurant’s Web site.  It is entirely in German, but I understood enough to know that I wanted to try it.  I sent Bill the link and he made us reservations for 7:00.

I got a funny email from him later, explaining that there was some confusion when he called.  No one there spoke English and Bill’s German is riddled with grammatical and vocabulary errors (but it’s still way better than MY German).  Fortunately, somehow, they got the message and we got our reservation.  We showed up promptly at 7:00, ready for a new culinary adventure.

When we walked into the tiny restaurant, we found ourselves in what looked like a small deli.  There was one large table set up in there, though no one was sitting at it at the time.  A short, smiling man with curly silver hair was behind a meat case, slicing fresh salami for a couple of people.  When Bill told us who we were, the guy started laughing and spoke rapid fire German about the confusion caused when Bill called for a table.  I was immediately enchanted by the guy, who was very friendly and funny even though he didn’t speak a word of English to us.  He turned us over to his colleagues, a tiny Italian woman and the person I presume is the chef, who checked for our name and then led us into a very small dining room with four large tables in it.

Two seats at one table were reserved for us.  Two women, obviously regulars, were already seated at the other end of the table.  They were deep in conversation as we took a seat and waited.  I was curious because we were not presented menus.  Since I can be very picky about certain things, I was a little worried…  On the other hand, sometimes going with the flow can be very rewarding.  Such was the case last night.

Bill tries not to look too interested…

 

After a few minutes, the tiny Italian lady came over and asked what we would be drinking.  We ordered mineral water with gas and red wine.  She brought us two glasses of wine and the water.  I have no earthly idea what wine she brought us or whether it was German or Italian.  It was pretty decent, though.

A few minutes later, Gino brought out the first course…

We had a slice of salami, a stick of cheese, pieces of orange and fennel coated with olive oil, black pepper, and vinegar, and an olive.  I had to ask Gino what the fennel was, since it’s not something I encounter daily.  This was very good… in fact, the salami was especially good.  We will need to go back and pick some up for home.  This combination is not something I would have ever dreamed up on my own, but it worked very well.  Bill has since discovered that it’s all over the ‘net.  Even Martha Stewart has a version of this salad.

 

Next, Gino asked us in German how we felt about a plate of vegetables.  He gave us a basic description and Bill said something along the lines of, as long as there aren’t any mushrooms.  He knows from being around me for years that mushrooms will ruin my dinner!  A basket of fresh bread accompanied the vegetables.

Gino brought this out…  grilled peppers, artichokes, zucchini, eggplant, and what tasted like batter friend eggplant.  I must admit, I don’t usually eat a lot of eggplant or artichokes, but was willing to try them last night.  The vegetables were very good, though Bill is more partial to artichokes than I am.  I particularly enjoyed the roasted peppers, which were bursting with flavor and sweetness.

I catch Bill being expressive after we ordered more wine.  I don’t know what this wine was, either, but it was better than the first.  I think they got the picture that we like our wine…  We each got little pitchers…

Then I took another photo of Bill looking mischievous.  I should have never gotten an iPhone.  It’s completely eroded my table manners.

Next came the first plate.  This is where we hit a slight snag.  I hate mushrooms.  I am also not a fan of truffles.  Bill, on the other hand, loves all fungus.  I had a feeling we’d have this problem last night and we did…

We each got the above dish, which was basically a pasta Alfredo with black truffles…  Bill was delighted with it, but the aroma was too much for me.  I don’t do well with strong earthy flavors, despite my earthy personality.  

 

Gino noticed immediately and asked if I preferred pasta with tomatoes.  I agreed enthusiastically.  I assumed I’d get something similar to what Bill was enjoying (and he really was enjoying it), but Gino brought out something different…

 

This was pasta with ricotta cheese covered with a heavenly tomato sauce.  All of it was clearly homemade.  I was delighted with it.

 

I truly wish I liked mushrooms.  I wish I liked truffles.  Unfortunately, I have never enjoyed fungus of any kind, even though I have been told many times that I don’t know what I’m missing.  When I was a child, I had an actual phobia of mushrooms.  Two of my mean-spirited sisters gleefully exploited my phobic tendencies by picking the huge mushrooms that grew in our backyard in England and chasing me around the house as I screamed in terror.  The more artistic sister used to draw shark teeth on any mushroom illustrations in my coloring books.  Yes, I had a traumatic childhood.  Fortunately,  I have mostly gotten over my mycophobia, but I still can’t abide mushrooms, not even when prepared by the best chef in the world.

I think Gino realized that my rejection was not a reflection on the quality of the dish.  It was due to my own preferences and irrational fears.  Even if I had been a truffle fan, I was glad he brought me the substitute, because it was outstanding and gave us a chance to try something different.

When we were finished with the pasta, Gino asked us if we preferred meat or fish for our second plate.  I chose fish and Bill had meat.  Then Gino asked Bill if he wanted the meat served grilled, “saltinbocca” (marinated veal), or “osso bucco” (braised).  Bill said he preferred it grilled.

Bill’s meat dish.  It was sinfully good.  I think it was veal, but I’m not totally sure…  It was served with perfectly prepared greens and a small side of potatoes.

My fish.  Again… not exactly sure what this was.  I did see zander filet on the list of specials outside, so maybe it was that.  The flavor exploded in my mouth with buttery goodness.  I really enjoyed it.  The air of mystery kind of added to the experience, too.

 

Toward the end of our meal, I was getting a little nervous about the time.  This was a sumptuously long meal and I was a little concerned that our parking area might close.  I didn’t read the sign carefully but did notice 22:00 on it.  I had an irrational fear of being stranded in Nagold.  But Gino insisted that we had to cap off our meal with dessert, so we shared this…

Panna cotta, blueberry sauce, blueberry sorbet (I’m guessing), and vanilla cake with a chocolate hazelnut ice cream center.

Then he brought us espresso…

And finally, grappa.  We had a choice of white or brown.  I had the brown and Bill had the white… and Gino joined us!

Bill recovers after a wonderful meal!

 

Final bill was 141 euros.  Gino would not take a tip.  He does take credit cards, but was happy that we had cash.  Our set menu cost 56 euros each.  The wine was 24 euros (two glasses and two small pitchers) and we paid 5 euros for a big bottle of San Pellegrino.  We left his restaurant very satisfied, but not stuffed.  And the meal was very healthy!

Fortunately, the parking lot was still open.  In fact, we paid 1,20 euros for our spot, but we didn’t have to.  The lot was wide open at 10:00 and we could have left at will.

Things to know about Gino’s place…   

Make reservations.  The dining room is very small and it’s a popular place with locals.  You will likely be sharing a table with another party if there are only two of you.  It’s not a very intimate place, but you will be part of a group of people really enjoying the food and that’s a good thing.

No one on staff speaks much English and you may not get a menu.  However, it pays to just go with the flow because Gino knows what he’s doing.  He’s a very gregarious guy who will make you laugh as he brings out magical dishes from the kitchen.  I did notice a sign with specials on them outside and one on the wall in the dining room.  I kind of liken last night’s meal to the restaurant equivalent of a “blind booking”.

There is no pizza.

There are tables available outside for when the weather is warmer.

Be prepared to spend a few hours.  This is intended to be a leisurely experience and is no place to go if you’re in a big hurry.

Gino is a wonderful host.  It was our first visit, but he was so warm and welcoming and the entire family said goodbye to us as we left, especially after we told him we live in Jettingen.  Like other Nagolders, I think he was surprised to have Americans in his restaurant (he thought we were British at first) and wanted to know what we were doing there.  When Bill told him that we live here because he has a job, he seemed delighted.  I think he expects to see us again and it won’t surprise me if he and his colleagues remember our likes and dislikes, much like the Mad Scientist does…

It’s a very European experience…  It reminds me a bit of a fantastic restaurant called Trattoria da Bibe Bill and I went to when we visited Florence.  Indeed, Gino’s cuisine is also very Tuscan…

A picture of the sign outside.  I really need to learn to take pictures when the sun is out.

Needless to say, we loved our meal at Osteria da Gino in Nagold.  We will definitely be back and this will be one place that goes on the list for entertaining guests.  Now I want to go back and get some of that salami!  A bonus is that I got to use my fledgling German skills as well as a few Italian words.  I’d say it was a very successful stop!

Information about Osteria da Gino:

Querstrasse 3 72202 Nagold

Telephone: 07452 66610

Open:

Mo-Sa 11:30-14:30
Mo-Sa 17:30-24:00
Closed on Sundays

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