Tag Archives: steak

Uncategorized

Good beef! Seven places to get good steaks in and around Stuttgart!

Now that we’ve finally been to a Block House location, it’s time to write about my favorite steak joints in and around Stuttgart.  I’ve been wanting to write this post for a long time.  Bill and I are fans of good beef, even though we’d probably be better off avoiding it!  Unfortunately, good beef is not something Germany is well known for having in abundance.  When we lived here the first time, from 07-09, we pretty much gave up on beef.  This time, we’ve sought out good steaks, mainly because our town happens to have a really good, and very reasonably priced, steakhouse.

Here’s my list of favorites, so far.  This post will also include a quick and dirty rundown of my overall impressions.  I know there are probably more places to get good steak in Stuttgart and its environs, but in the interest of keeping the length of this post reasonable, I’m starting with this list of seven.

Abacco Steakhouse

Abacco Steakhouse is an interesting restaurant located in downtown Stuttgart.  The concept basically involves having customers cook their own steaks.  They bring out the steak cooked to rare on a hot stone.  Then you continue to cook it to your desired level of doneness.  We had a good experience at this restaurant, although I’m not too hot on the idea of having to cook for myself when I’ve gone out to eat.  They do bring out several sauces to go with the steak, which I like.  Service was also good and the concept is unique.

Steak at Abacco Steakhouse.  

 

Ampulle

A very cool gin bar that specializes in steak.  We enjoyed a nice meal there in July of this year.  My only complaint about Ampulle is that people smoke cigars in their bar area and it can get rather smokey for non smokers.  Also, keep in mind that first courses at Ampulle are very ample!  If you want more than one course, I recommend pacing yourself.  I also recommend taking the train and walking to the restaurant because parking could be a challenge.

Ampulle is a great place for those who like beef and gin.

Maredo

Very reasonably priced chain restaurant with two locations in Stuttgart.  Has a little something for everyone, as well as surprisingly good steaks.  Besides having something for everyone, this restaurant runs all day.  It’s a good bet for when you don’t want to spend a whole lot of money.

Bill and I were able to enjoy a nice lunch at Maredo for about 44 euros.

Block House

Another chain restaurant with two locations in Stuttgart.  The Block House specializes in beef and, unlike Maredo, seems to focus only on meat dishes.  It was a bit more expensive than Maredo, but the food quality and service were very good.  I think it would appeal a lot to Americans, too.  It kind of has that American vibe to it!  There’s a wide variety of cuts to choose from and you get salad and sides included.  Fair warning to mushroom haters like me.  The salad that comes with the steaks has them included.  Next time, I’m telling them “Ohne Pilze!”

Steak at Block House.

[M]eatery

[M]eatery is another popular steak place in downtown Stuttgart.  It’s a little more upscale than the restaurants I’ve listed so far, although it, too, is a chain location.  You can drop a lot of cash at [M]eatery and, frankly, I was a little puzzled by the service we got there.  The food quality is good, though, and I hear their burgers are fantastic.  Be prepared to pay for everything pretty much a la carte, although I see that I did really enjoy the sides (that we paid extra for).

[M]eatery’s rib eye.

Christophorus

I debated whether or not to make Christophorus number one on this list.  I think this restaurant at the Porsche museum in Zuffenhausen probably offers the best steak in the area.  However, I put it in second place because reservations are a must and you will spend a whole lot of money there.  If you have a need to impress someone or want to celebrate, Christophorus is a very good bet for outstanding beef.  All meat at Christophorus is USDA prime– that is, from the United States.  The service is impeccable, too.  But bring lots of cash and be prepared to book well ahead.  We spent well over 200 euros for our dinner for two.  Fortunately, the steak was well worth it.  Other options are available for those who don’t want steak.

Fantastic steak at Christophorus.  Excellent service, too.

Tommi’s Bistro (now closed, but the owner has opened a new place in Nagold called Bahnhof 1872)

So far, my favorite steak joint in the Stuttgart area is Tommi’s Bistro.  It’s located in my town of Unterjettingen, which makes it inconvenient for a lot of people.  I still like it because the food is very good and extremely reasonably priced.  An added bonus to Tommi’s Bistro, besides the fact that we can walk to it, is that they offer a lot of live music events.  On the second Thursday of every month, they host a live jam featuring a band from Calw and anyone who wants to join them.  I have been known to jam with them myself a few times.  We went to Tommi’s last night for the jam.  I didn’t join them on stage, but we did have a couple of great steaks and enjoyed some fabulous music.  And… for all of that fun, we got out of Tommi’s for a mere 50 euros (including a generous tip, which really excited our waitress)!

The one drawback to Tommi’s is that the restaurant is pretty much only open on the weekends now and sometimes closes for private events.  If you do plan a visit to Jettingen to try Tommi’s Bistro, be sure to consult the official Web site to make sure it’s open.  As of right now, the restaurant is closed Monday through Wednesday, but that sometimes changes.  It’s also only open for dinner– lunch is not served there.  Some Saturday nights, they host concerts that cost extra.  If you choose to come out for one of the shows, I recommend making a reservation.

My rib eye last night.  Looks like Tommi has changed up his style a bit.  Side dishes cost extra, but they are also reasonably priced.  Service is good and they give you a house shot of sherry, too.

Bill had a rump steak.  You can get either Irish or Argentinian beef.  One mark against Tommi’s is that they don’t offer a whole lot of choices that don’t involve beef.  Also, there are no burgers at Tommi’s.  But if you like a good steak at a reasonable price, it’s a good bet.  They also have a children’s menu.

A photo of the jammers…

And a sample of last night’s music.  Good stuff!  This, by the way, is a free event, though tipping is encouraged.  Reservations are also a good idea if you’re coming to one of the musical events.

 

So there you have it.  These are my picks so far for great steaks in and around Stuttgart.  May your next steak dinner in or around Stuttgart be stellar!

Standard
Uncategorized

Wine bar! And our very first visit to the Block House…

Yesterday, Bill and I visited the dentist in downtown Stuttgart for our biannual cleanings.  As is our habit, after we visited the dentist, we hung around downtown for dinner.  I was unusually stressed yesterday, but the truth is, for months I’d been wanting to try a certain wine bar near the Markthalle.  Die Weinhandlung Kreis is a small wine shop, but you can also go there to taste wines and enjoy snacks.  We’d passed by the place so many times and I wanted to go in to see what it was about, but every time I paused by the door, Bill convinced me to move onward.  Yesterday, I was determined to finally try the place.  And frankly, after my dental cleaning and the huge Stau that preceded it, I was in need of a soothing red for my jangled nerves!

Die Weinhandlung Kreis near the Schillerplatz in downtown Stuttgart is a very small place, but they have wines and local spirits.  Yesterday, I noticed they were selling Chartreuse and Monkey 47 Gin, which is a gin made here in Baden Württemberg.  We discovered Monkey 47 Gin when we visited Hamburg in January 2015 and since then, we’ve enjoyed it ourselves.  My German sucks, but I can see from Die Weinhandlung Kreis’s Web site that this little wine bar is just one address affiliated with Die Weinhandlung Kreis.  They have a main shop in Stuttgart South, as well as an online store.  They even have a vineyard.  I can tell that Bill and I are going to have to get to know this business better.

Anyway, the lady who was running the shop yesterday wasn’t super friendly, but she was quick to get Bill and me a couple of large glasses of vino.  I tried a lovely Gigondas that was very nice in the late afternoon.  Bill had a Spanish red that had almost a menthol tinge to it.  It was very interesting.  They were playing cool jazzy music on vinyl in the cozy tasting room.  Had we not had plans to visit the Block House afterward, we might have tried a snack to go with the wine.  They had quite a few reds and whites available, as well as at least one sparkling wine.  We will definitely be back.

Ahh… red wine in the afternoon.  You can get a small or large glass.  I went with a large.

Bill sporting his new sporty goatee as he enjoys a red.  On the wall, you can see a list of what was available yesterday.  

Tiny bar.  Sorry this picture is a bit blurry.  I was trying not to be conspicuous.  Behind the turntable is a blurry list of snacks.  We ended up buying a bottle each of the reds we tried.  It’s worth mentioning that this wine bar takes credit cards– even the ones from America! 

 

I felt a bit more relaxed after the wine and my stomach told me it was time for dinner.  I had been wanting to try the Block House chain restaurant in Stuttgart for some time.  Now that I have, I can write a review.  Later, I will write a post detailing all of our local steakhouse experiences.

I saw this on the way to the Block House and thought it was nifty.  It was in front of a shoe store.  

I also noticed this coffee shop right next to the Block House location on Eberhardstraße.  They sell cups of coffee, but they also sell beans.  We may have to pay them a visit, so maybe I won’t need to spend 40 euros in duty taxes plus $40 in shipping for Peet’s again!

The first thing to know about the Block House is that there it’s a chain restaurant.  There are 47 Block House restaurants, 38 of which are in Germany.  Two of those 38 locations are in Stuttgart.  In that way, Block House is not unlike Maredo, another German steakhouse chain that has two locations in Stuttgart.  Curiously, the two Stuttgart area Maredo locations are practically within sight of each other.

The next thing to know about the Block House is that it runs all day.  There is no pause between lunch and dinner.  This is a very fine thing.  We were able to visit the restaurant yesterday before it got super busy.  Indeed, it was somewhat chill when we arrived at 5:00pm and was pretty full by the time we left a couple of hours later.

Bill anticipates a good hunk of meat.  He said the restaurant reminds him of an American place.  I agreed.  In fact, they were even playing early 80s pop music, which I kind of dug.

 

Block House is a very casual place.  We were invited to sit where we wanted.  When we sat down and the waiter realized we weren’t German, he asked if we needed menus in English.  Of course we said no!  Bill likes to show off his mad skills… which unfortunately, I am still trying to develop.

We started with a very nice bottle of Malbec, along with San Pellegrino.  I ordered the Hereford Rib Eye, while Bill went with a Filet.  Both dishes came with salads and Block House bread, as well as a potato or pommes.

 

As we were sitting there soaking up the atmosphere, Bill got a strange look on his face.  I asked him what was the matter, and then it became obvious.  The waiter put my salad in front of me and it was loaded with huge sliced mushrooms.  I took in a quick gasp of surprise and horror because I have a phobia of mushrooms.  Fortunately, Bill was kind enough to take them out of my salad.

 

Next time, I’ll know to tell them to hold the fungus!

The steaks were very good.  I was able to ask them to hold the sour cream and got butter instead.  I could have also had garlic butter.  My rib eye was about 250 grams and cooked to a perfect medium temperature.  The bread appeared to be a bun sliced, buttered, topped with garlic salt, and toasted.  It was pretty good, if not a bit generic.

Bill’s filet and sour cream covered potato.

 

We decided to have dessert.  It turned out to be a treat.  Those of you who love lava cakes will be happy to know you can get one at Block House.  I have an aversion to lava cakes, so I went with the New York Cheesecake, which came with a lovely warm blueberry sauce.

This was pretty damn delicious!  I am a sucker for cheesecake, even if I don’t eat cold, stinky cheese!

Bill had the Eis und Heiß, vanilla ice cream with a warm berry sauce.  He enjoyed it very much.

 

The bill came to about 82 euros before the tip.  While it wasn’t the best steak I’ve had in Stuttgart, I will say that we did enjoy our visit to Block House and would go again.  And now that I’ve finally tried the Block House, perhaps it’s time to write a comparison of all the steaks we’ve had here so far.  Stay tuned!

The outside of one of Stuttgart’s two Block House locations.

 

This is the end of my restaurant review.  Stop reading if you have delicate sensibilities about sex.

On the way back to the car, we passed Dr. Mueller’s Sex Shop.  I have never actually been inside the place, but this particular chain store has the distinction of being one of my most vivid memories of my first visit to Germany in 1997.  I came here on the way home from Yerevan, Armenia and two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer.  The Frankfurt Airport, at that time, had a couple of Dr. Mueller’s locations within it.  I remember being shocked as I passed it.  So, in honor of that memory, I decided to snap a few photos of the location in downtown Stuttgart.  Maybe someday, we’ll venture inside.

Looks pretty tasteful to me.

 

Tune in next time for whatever crap I discover next.

Standard
Baden-Württemberg

Being beefy at Ampulle Dry Gin and Beef Club in Stuttgart…

I don’t remember who it was that suggested Ampulle Dry Gin and Beef Club, but I do know that I made a note and added the link to my bookmarks.  In my quest to find great food in the Stuttgart area, I am always looking for places where others have had good experiences.  Bill and I both enjoy good beef and Bill is a gin fanatic (and I like it okay myself).

Marketing…

Our chance to try Ampulle was realized last night, after we checked in to Stuttgart’s fabulous Waldhotel.  You may be wondering why, if I live close to Stuttgart, I am staying in a hotel.  Originally, the reason was because yesterday, I was supposed to have a final check of my new dental implant with Dr. Blair and tonight, we’re going to the Schlossplatz to see Van Morrison in concert.  Because Stuttgart is a bit of a haul from Jettingen and I have been itching to get away, we decided to have a two night “staycation”.  We put Zane and Arran up at Dog Holiday and I made big dinner plans.

But then, there was a crisis in Africa and Bill had a meeting to attend that made it necessary to reschedule the appointment with Dr. Blair.  So much for that.  But we did at least get a good night’s sleep at the Waldhotel and a good dinner at Ampulle.

I booked our 7:30pm reservation on Ampulle’s Web site.  They have a restaurant reservation app there; it’s not OpenTable, but an easy to use application that made booking our table simple.  Normally, I might have picked an earlier time than 7:30, but that was pretty much the earliest I could arrange it.  It turned out reservations weren’t even necessary because the restaurant wasn’t that busy last night.

The outside of Ampulle.

Ampulle is located very close to the Feuersee S-Bahn stop, so we took public transportation to the restaurant from the Waldhotel.  I would highly recommend using the train to get to Ampulle, because parking near the restaurant can be challenging.  If you do choose to drive, be advised that if you have too much to drink, a staff member can drive you home in your car for the cost of taxi fare back to the restaurant.  Since we live in Jettingen, that would be quite a fare!

Obligatory shot of Bill perusing the menu.  He just got a spiffy new haircut.  I bet it wasn’t the infamous blonde at Panzer who did it.

Anyway, we were right on time for the reservation.  They were expecting us and led us to one of the three little dining rooms in the cozy restaurant.  The first thing I noticed was the smell of tobacco.  A man was sitting by the bar smoking a cigar.  Fortunately, there is a glass door that separates the smoking area from the dining area.  It was closed for much of the evening, though there were a few times it was left open.  The guy smoking cigars was there the whole time we were, about 2.5 hours.  He was smoking the entire time, which I found annoying.  If we go back to Ampulle, I will request a table further away from the bar area.

I was seated next to the window, which offered a great view of the restaurant’s catering van.

The bartender, who spoke excellent English, handed us menus and offered us a drink.  We ordered a bottle of sparkling water and then Bill ordered a Gin Martini for himself and a Gin Basil Smash for me.  Ampulle has many different gins available, though we didn’t request a special one.  Curiously, they did not give us a menu with a list of gins and suggested cocktails.  I think they were pouring Bombay Sapphire, though, which is just fine.  Be advised that if you want to try different gins, you might want to spend some time in the bar so you can see what’s available.

Fancy leather menu!

After we ordered the drinks, a waiter brought us fresh bread with butter and olive oil.  I noticed the oil was in a little corked container that resembled an old time medicine bottle.  That was by design, as the building Ampulle was in was evidently once a drugstore.  Looking around the restaurant, I could see lots of old German ads for pharmaceuticals and old fashioned drug containers.  It was pretty cool.

Gin cocktails.  They were refreshing!

And good fresh bread.  I was hungry when we walked in and probably ate more than I should have.

Last night’s lovely Italian red.  Ampulle’s wine list isn’t overwhelming and they offer some good choices.

Finally, it was time to order the food.  Bill went with a Caesar salad for 10,50 euros.  I had a lobster based soup; I’m pretty sure it was a bisque, though that’s not how it was advertised in the menu.  That went for 11 euros.  In retrospect, a salad may have been a better choice, since it was a bit warm and humid last night.  Bill and I like to order different things when we go out so we can try each other’s dishes.  We also ordered a lovely red wine from the Piedmont region of Italy to go with our beefy meal.

For the main course, I ordered the 300 gram dry aged rib-eye for 36 euros.  Bill had a 250 gram strip.  We both had spinach as a side dish.  Ampulle offers a number of different cuts of beef, some of which are intended for two.  We saw one couple order an 850 gram t-bone, which was brought to the table on a cart and carved for them.  We didn’t order any sauces to go with our steaks; they have several that cost a few euros extra, everything from Béarnaise to BBQ sauce.

The first courses were very impressive and quite large.  Bill’s salad was loaded with three strips of bacon and plenty of creamy dressing.  It was a meal in itself.  My soup seemed a little smaller, but was a bit too rich to finish.  I ate about half before I stopped because I wanted to save room.  I did love the soup, though, and if it were winter, I think it would be the perfect comfort food.

Bill’s monster Caesar salad.  He really enjoyed it and ate the whole thing.  Bacon makes everything better, doesn’t it?


And my lobster soup.  This was very tasty, but rich and probably too heavy for a summer evening.  My fault for ordering it, I know.  In the winter, this soup would be fabulous.

The soup came with an accessory.  It was like a crispy rolled up crepe with egg in it.  It tasted okay, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was meant for.  I just dipped it in the soup. 

I catch Bill admiring the cart of beef that was rolled in for a couple in the next room.

The cart after the waiter served the couple.

Because the first courses were a bit more than we were expecting, we had a brief intermission between courses.  When our steaks were brought out, they looked wonderful.  The chef had garnished them with fresh rosemary.  Unfortunately, because of our intermission, the steaks were not sizzling hot.  My steak was kind of irregularly cut.  Most of it was cooked the requested medium temperature, but there were a few spots that were medium well and a few that turned out medium rare.  My steak had a bit of gristle in it, too.  The beef tasted good, though.  I think Bill’s strip was better than my ribeye was.

My ribeye, garnished with rosemary.  I’m not really a fan of rosemary.  I kind of feel about it the same way I do about lava cakes.  It’s overrated.  But, I will admit that it looked nice on the beef.  The spinach side was interesting.  It was creamed and served with raisins, bacon, and pine nuts.  The raisins and bacon gave the spinach an appealing salty sweet quality.  I didn’t eat a lot of the spinach, though it tasted good.  It was a bit rich.

Bill’s strip.  He really enjoyed it and the spinach.

I noticed that Ampulle offers a few lighter and less expensive dishes for those who aren’t looking for a steak experience.  I even saw one vegetarian option, though I don’t remember seeing anything for kids.  Actually, I would say Ampulle is a very adult kind of place and probably not suited for children.  The heavy smoking in the bar and focus on booze makes it seem less appropriate for little ones.  I also noticed the sexy mood music that seemed like it was lifted from a fashion show.

I usually get dessert when Bill and I have our dinner adventures, but last night I was getting a bit antsy.  Our waiter gave us plenty of time… perhaps a little too much.  As it got close to 10:00, I was getting tired and thinking I really just wanted to get back to the hotel, take a shower, and climb into bed.  If I had wanted dessert, I noticed they had several options available.  I probably would have gone for the chocolate soufflé, which would have really kept us up past our bedtimes.  We asked for the check and it was less than I was expecting at 159 euros.

The bill.

All in all, we had a good evening at Ampulle and would visit again.  Next time, we will request a table further away from the bar area to avoid stogie smokers.  Also, I will try a different cut of beef.  They had an Australian roast beef dish that looked very inviting.

And a pretty photo of the cathedral as the sun was sinking

Standard
Baden-Württemberg, dental

Steak served on hot stones! A review of Abacco’s Steakhouse in Stuttgart…

Bill and I had to venture into downtown Stuttgart this afternoon.  It was time to visit Dr. Blair for our semi-annual dental cleanings.  Afterwards, we decided to find some dinner.  I was pretty hungry because I hadn’t had anything to eat since about 10:00am.  Although we just had steak the other night at Tommi’s Bistro, I had been curious about Abacco’s Steakhouse, which is a place very close to Dr. Blair’s practice.  The weather was beautiful today and they had opened up the sliding doors on one side of the restaurant; so even if you were sitting inside, you were exposed to the lovely weather.  Since I don’t like sitting around people who are smoking, especially when I’m eating, we opted to eat inside.

I picked a spot right by a window, where the people watching was especially excellent.

Bill and I both ordered Paulaner hefeweizens.  Right next to the steakhouse is the Paulaner am alter Postplatz restaurant.  We enjoyed a great meal there last fall and might have been tempted today, but they were pretty packed.

 

Our waiter started out speaking German to us, but immediately switched to English as soon as he heard Bill and me talking to each other.  Although we were tempted by the cheeseburgers, which were part of a lunchtime deal that was to end at 5:00pm, Bill and I opted for steaks.  It was almost 5:00pm, anyway, so we figured we might as well try the specialty of the house.

Bill tried to tell the waiter he wanted his steak cooked medium, but the waiter explained that the steaks would come out rare.  All steaks at Abacco’s Steakhouse are served on hot stones, so you can control how done your meat is.

We both ordered rib-eyes, though Bill’s looked more like a strip than a rib-eye.  The steaks are about 250 grams each and they come with three different sauces.  One was like a sweet version of A-1.  One was a horseradish sauce.  The third was a basil chimchurri sauce.  We also had fries, though other sides are available and cost extra.

I had to get a shot of the steaming meat when it came out.  The second stone under the steak is kept simply warm. You move the meat to the warm stone, then cut the steak into strips.  Then you move the strips to the hot stone, and let each cook to your desired temperature.  It occurred to me that this technique probably means fewer steaks get sent back to the kitchen.  After all, you as the customer are ultimately in charge of how done your meat gets!  

 

I did notice that the steak tasted a little bland to me.  Bill also thought the meat was a bit bland, though otherwise enjoyable.  I don’t usually salt my food much, but I needed to salt my steak at Abacco’s.  It tasted like the meat might have been coated in oil instead of butter.  On the other hand, the beef was hot and juicy and, as steaks in Germany usually go, was pretty good.  According to the menu, our steaks were USDA prime beef.  I noticed they had steaks from Argentina as well as Iberico ham and pork steaks.  They also have salads for those who are more health conscious.

After we finished eating, our waiter tempted us with dessert.  We decided to have a round of double espressos and split a brownie dessert.

I thought the double espresso could have been hotter…  It was served well before the dessert was, so I couldn’t really hang onto it until the dessert came out without risking cold espresso.

The dessert was delicious!  The warm brownie was served with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate sauce.  It was the perfect size for splitting.  They also had ice cream, sorbet, apple strudel, and some sort of other dessert that I had never heard of…

I enjoyed watching people walk by.  These two ladies appeared to be identical twins who had to go a size up on their taxi.

A shot of the sign outside.  The location for this restaurant is pretty great.  It’s right in the thick of things.  The restaurant itself is very large and comfortable, with a very nice looking bar.

 

All told, we spent about 80 euros for dinner before the tip.  We both enjoyed the food and the service, though I think I still prefer Tommi’s for steak.   For us, Tommi’s is also less expensive and much more convenient, since it’s in our town and we can walk there.   On the other hand, Abacco’s offers burgers and other items that Tommi’s doesn’t have.  Aside from that, it’s in a convenient location downtown, which means that for many folks living in the Stuttgart area, it’s in a more convenient place than Tommi’s is.

I would recommend Abacco’s Steakhouse for those who are looking for a good hunk of meat.  However, given the hot stones the steaks are served on, I would recommend parents with small children be careful.  The stones are very hot and capable of burning those who are careless or overly curious.

Standard
Uncategorized

Marching into spring at Tommi’s Bistro!

Last night Bill and I went to Tommi’s Bistro for their monthly live jam.  We hadn’t been planning to go until we visited them last Friday and caught the concert they hosted.  Our favorite waitress, Dani, was there and encouraged us to come see her last night.  We made a late reservation and showed up at about 7:00pm, once again crashing a table with a couple of Germans.   They turned out to be colleagues.  One of them brought a bass guitar with him.

As we were getting acquainted, more people showed up.  Last night’s jam session was very well attended.  By 8:00, the place was packed.  I had my usual steak, though they brought me a bigger one than I ordered.  It was delicious, though it took effort to finish it.  Bill had one of their humongous salads with bits of steak in it.  The uniform jacket he’s been trying to fit into now fits again, but he’s trying to maintain it until our Scottish cruise is over.

Bill’s huge steak salad.  It was very good, though one of our German companions made a sarcastic crack about how “healthy” it was.

 

The usual band leader, Vitek Spacek, was there, as well as his usual bandmates.  They got things started with a couple of tunes, then invited a band called Bullshit to the stage.  They played four numbers I didn’t necessarily recognize.  They reminded me a bit of AC/DC and were pretty impressive.  I liked them just for their name!

The band starts to warm up.

Bullshit takes the stage.

More jamming.

This guy did a fine rendition of “Dust In The Wind”.

The guy playing bass guitar was sitting with us last night.  He was pretty good!

 

I caught a very short clip of their performance…  Next time, I’ll get more.

Despite Bill’s exhaustion, we stayed until the bitter end.  I even took the stage myself!  I sang “Summertime”, a song I used to sing all the time, but quit doing because the words are forever burned on my brain.  I was reminded to do it again the other day when a former colleague from my days as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Armenia reminded me that I used to sing “Summertime” a lot back then.  Since so many of us are sick of German winter weather, I figured I’d do a “rain dance”.  It went off without a hitch!  We have sun this morning, so maybe it worked and we’ll be done with the snow until next year.  Edited to add…  I wrote too soon.  The clouds are back!

http://www.singsnap.com/karaoke/e/b87a1ef77

This isn’t “Summertime”, but it’s kind of the sound we went for last night.

On March 19th, Tommi’s is hosting a Scottish folk band called Tweed.  If we weren’t going to be in Scotland that day, we would definitely be attending.   All of the music we’ve heard at Tommi’s has been pretty good and I’m sure Tweed will put on a great show!

Standard
Uncategorized

Christophorus… when you have a need to impress or celebrate…

Tonight’s sunset…  It was a stunner.

When we lived in Stuttgart the first time, I kept thinking we’d visit the Porsche Museum, but we never did.  We made it to the Mercedes Museum, but ran out of time before we could venture in the opposite direction and check out the fancy sportscars.  Some time ago, a member of the Facebook group Stuttgart Vents told me that I needed to try Christophorus, the restaurant at the Porsche Museum.  Since I’m more into good food than fancy cars, I decided to make a reservation.  I did so on OpenTable.de… several weeks in advance.  I reserved in early November and tonight was the first available date.

Well… now Bill and I have experienced Christophorus.  We have heard that it has the best steak in the area.  I must agree, the steaks there are fabulous.  In fact, I think my tastebuds all experienced simultaneous orgasms as I enjoyed my first taste.  It is quite a lovely place for dinner, especially if you’re in the mood to commemorate a special occasion.

As it turns out, Bill and I do have cause to celebrate.  Tomorrow morning, he will send off his last assignment for his second master’s degree.  Very soon, he will be as “educated” as I am… though since he will actually use his education, I would not call him “overeducated”.  For the past several weeks, we have both endured him having to get up in the middle of the night for conference calls with his classmates in Colorado.  For the past three years, his coursework, while mostly very flexible and portable, has occasionally cramped our style.

I am the one who convinced Bill to go ahead and get that second master’s degree, since it meant just a year in school and someone should be using the Post 9/11 Bill (and I sure as hell don’t want to go back to school).  It’s been a challenging year for both of us.  Now he’s done… and he’s coming very close to graduating with honors in a program that definitely wasn’t easy.  So we splurged tonight at Christophorus and it was worth every euro cent.  Special thanks to Rick, who has mercilessly teased me about being “overeducated”, but tipped me off to this very nice restaurant.  It was truly a first class experience, from the minute we drove into the parking garage until we said goodbye to our servers a couple of hours later.

We parked our car in the garage, in a special area for restaurant guests.  Bring your parking ticket with you.  It will be validated so you don’t have to pay.  Several Porsches are in the garage, available for a test drive.

The door opens for you as you walk to the elevator, which takes you to the restaurant and the conference facility.

We were warmly greeted by a server, who took our coats and led us to a very spacious and comfortable table near the impressive wine collection.  Within minutes of being seated, a very pleasant server came by with a cart loaded with all manner of apertifs.  I had a glass of pink champagne, while Bill had a glass of white champagne.  We sipped our bubbly as we perused the menu, entirely printed in English.  The servers also spoke flawless English and were extremely attentive.

Prost…

I thought the Porsche model car was a nice touch.

A cart full of liqueurs and other delights… and the very impressive wine collection.  On the other side of the dining room, one can watch the chefs at work.  Personally, I liked sitting near the wine, but I’m not known for my sobriety.

After we made our selection of courses, we sat back and looked around.  Having once waited tables myself, I could really appreciate how unhurried and professional the staff was.  They had plenty of people working and nobody looked bitter or weeded.  In fact, it appeared to be a very nice place to work.  The servers were genuinely nice to us, which I found very refreshing (though not that uncommon in Europe, where no one has to hustle for tips in order to make a living).

Lovely fresh bread.  We had salted butter, an olive tapenade, and a cottage cheese and tomato spread. I didn’t try the cheese and tomato spread.  Bill did and liked it.  The breads were mostly good, though the flatbread was a little burned on the bottom.  No big deal, really.  Who needs to fill up on bread?

An amuse.  I must confess, I didn’t really eat this.  I did taste it… but as it was goose liver pate served on red cabbage, I couldn’t quite stomach it.  I will say that as much as I dislike the taste of liver, this had a very interesting flavor.  In fact, in many ways, it reminded me of a chocolate truffle with a little cinnamon kick.  It didn’t really taste like goose liver… Bill ate his and enjoyed it.

Brave man.

 

Tonight, they were offering a pasta dish with a generous topping of truffles.  I don’t do truffles or anything else akin to mushrooms.  Bill loves truffles, but at 39 euros a pop, it was a bit much for a starter.  We were told it could also be a main course.  Perhaps if we hadn’t heard so much about the steak, Bill would have ordered it.  The people at the table next to us had one order of it and we could smell it easily from several feet away.  Bill was intoxicated by the aroma.  I wish I liked truffles.  On the other hand, the fact that I don’t is probably better for our budget.

I had the Essence of Parsley with Shrimp Dumplings…   I paired this with a suggested glass of white wine from Baden that smelled of pears and tasted of butter.  I asked the name of the wine and was told what it was, but I couldn’t spell it to save my life.  It went very well with the shrimp dumplings. 

And Bill had a beautiful Caesar Salad.  Really, it looked like art and was very delicious.  I liked my starter, too.

Before we ordered our steaks, our server brought out a display that showed the sizes and cuts of each piece of meat.  Christophorus offers an “original size” and a “lady’s cut”.  I decided to get the lady’s cut, which was 250 grams.  Bill had the original cut…  He had a strip and I had a rib eye.  The beef at Christophorus is USDA Prime beef.  It’s from the United States.

My rib eye… it was fantastic.  It was cooked perfectly and was beautifully seasoned.  Rick was right.  It was a marvelous steak.

I ordered a side of hash browns for an extra five euros.  The steaks also came with baked onion rings and homemade steak sauces.

Onion rings and sauces.  Bill’s strip was 350 grams.  It was cooked perfectly to medium and tasted amazing.  Bill ordered a reserve bottle of rioja that was just delightful with its essence of leather and fragrant nose.

 

Throughout dinner, our servers took impeccable care of us and kept our table spotless.  They were unfailingly polite and we never had to pour our own wine or water.

Dessert.  I went with the martini cocktail of passion fruit and saffron.  I don’t think this had booze in it… It was basically sorbet with passion fruit juice and a chocolate garnish served in a martini glass.

Bill had Mandarin and chocolate cake with hazelnut gratinee.  The hazelnut tasted like it was infused in a snow cone.  He loved it.  

 

Finally, about two hours after we first sat down, it came time for the check.  They brought out some candies/cookies to soften the blow.  And we had a round of espresso…

The damage.  About 233 euros before the tip.  By comparison, last night at Tommi’s Bistro, we spent 77 euros for two steaks, two sides, two shots of sherry, two bottles of wine, and two bottles of water… along with live music.

A fabulous bottle of Spanish wine from 2005.

More Porsche pics.

Maybe we’ll test drive one someday.

 

As we were getting our coats, the lady who took care of us the most asked if we lived here.  I guess she was impressed by Bill’s German and the fact that we had a clue about how to eat out in Germany and not look completely American.  Bill was modestly telling her his German isn’t so good… but I piped up that it’s still way better than mine!  I’m working on it, though.  Thank you, Duolingo.

The Porsche complex is very impressive… even at night!

Rick wanted to know how I would compare Tommi’s Bistro and Christophorus.  Here’s what I have to say about it.  If you’re looking for a special place, want to impress someone, and don’t mind dropping a load of euros, Christophorus is tough to beat.  The food and service are truly outstanding and, I thought the prices weren’t that out of line for what we got.  It’s not the most expensive meal we’ve ever had, but it probably ranks among one of the best.  Moreover, it’s more my kind of food than Five is– Five is a little too artsy for me, though Bill loved it.  By the way… if you don’t like steak, other options are available.  Christophorus also has Mediterranean dishes and tasting menus.

If you’re looking for a family friendly place to eat that has good live music and doesn’t cost a bundle, Tommi’s Bistro is a good bet.  It is, of course, in Jettingen and right now the hours are limited.  Tommi’s is very casual and reasonably priced.  The service is good, but it’s not impeccable like it is at Christophorus.

So yeah… both places are excellent in different ways.  Christophorus is where you go to celebrate or impress someone.  Tommi’s is where you go when you feel carnivorous, especially if you want to hear live music (when it’s being offered).  And I would rank both over [M]eatery, which is good, but not that good… and not that much less expensive than Christophorus, either.

We really had a wonderful time at Christophorus.  We left feeling satisfied, but not stuffed.  It was an expensive meal, but we felt it was worth what we paid.  I think we will be back, but maybe not for a few months.

We will soon leave for Austria, with a final destination of Vicenza, Italy.  I plan to be blogging up a storm during our trip.  I’m proud to say, my travel blog will be about travel again, at least temporarily.

Standard
Uncategorized

Jammin’ in Jettingen…

Last night, Bill and I went to Tommi’s Bistro for dinner and music.  They were doing their monthly jam session.  Earlier this year, I joined them on stage a couple of times.  Last night, I decided to just listen.  It wasn’t as busy last night as it was in the summer, but there was still a good crowd.  The band leader and guitarist, had a few students up there with him.  A couple of them appeared to be young teenagers.  In fact, one of them, in a few years, will probably be very good.

I decided to try the filet last night, since I usually get the entrecote (rib eye).  I also had the Wildekartofflen (kind of like homefries).  Bill had the usual rib eye and fries.  We also had lots of wine and water.  The filet was good, but more expensive than the rib eye… and I kind of prefer the rib eye cut.  Still, I wanted to try something different, especially since we are going to Christophorus tonight.  I have heard Christophorus is the best steak place in the area.  Tonight, I’m going to find out for myself.  Then, I’m going to go back to fish for awhile.  It’s been a very beef heavy week for me.

My filet.  It was the 200 gram version.  The beef was very tender and lean.

And the aforementioned Wildekartoffelen… I liked these more than the pommes.  From now on, I’m sticking with these!  

The band started setting up at about 7:30 or so…

Warming up…

I wondered if the band leader dude would remember me.  Sure enough, he did.  My hair is so bright blonde now, you could probably pick me out in a crowd.  That, and I am giggly and silly and ridiculously American in a room full of Europeans.

A trio of students got up and sang a very entertaining rendition of “Feliz Navidad”.  Interesting to hear that in Germany.  They also sang “Last Christmas” by Wham!

Bill quaffs sparkling water as he’s photobombed by Markus, the awesome keyboard player.  I had to tell him how much I enjoyed watching him play, though he doesn’t speak English and my German sucks.  He really gets into the music, which makes his playing all the more enjoyable.  

 

I don’t know who the sax player was.  He’s not normally in the band, but he showed up last night and played very well.  I did notice him flinching, though.  I think the loudness of the music might have been hurting his ears.

At one point, a slim young woman, who appeared to have rock star visions dancing in her head, took the stage.  She sang a somewhat decent cover of “One of Us” by Joan Osbourne.  But then, she took on “Stairway to Heaven”.  I will admit to being a little put off by that, since she obviously didn’t know the words and wasn’t even faking it.  I told Bill I was going to go home and learn the song by heart.  It’s one that needs to be done well.

After she left, one of the teens took the stage again and sang a song I couldn’t identify, though I have heard it before.  I was impressed by the teenager.  She clearly liked the song and had sung it a lot.  She had a good voice.  What was missing was experience and maturity, which will come in time.  I think eventually, she will be very accomplished.

It was getting late and Bill had to do one last middle of the night conference call for his grad school class.  On the way out, I chatted with the band guy, who said he was sorry I didn’t get to sing “Little Wing” with the band.  I told him it was okay, since I don’t really know that song, anyway.  I probably won’t get to do the jam session next month, because I am having dental implant surgery around the time they usually do it.  But maybe in February, I’ll come back and sing “Stairway to Heaven” right.

Standard
Baden-Württemberg

Mid-day meal at Maredo in Stuttgart…

This morning, Bill and I decided we’d visit Robinson Barracks to look for a new chair for me.  The one I’ve been using for the past three years ago has a problem with the hydraulic.  I pump it up, sit down, and sink.  I’ve come to realize that this happens because I abuse the hell out of my office chairs, sitting in them for hours at a time every day.  After two or three years, I need to replace them.

Anyway, though we figured there wouldn’t be a great selection at RB, we also knew we could pick up a few items at the commissary there and then maybe have some lunch.  It had been a long time since our last visit and I wanted to see what else was there.  So off we went, and I did manage to find a chair that will probably do for now.

About halfway through our quick trip to the commissary, I started feeling hungry.  By the time we were done shopping, it was almost 2:00pm.  I commented that we should have had lunch before we went shopping as Bill drove us toward downtown Stuttgart.  I know there are places to eat around RB, but we so seldom go there that we aren’t familiar with the best places yet.  Besides that, we always end up there just as the lunch hours are winding down.  We needed to find a place that would serve lunch in the mid afternoon.

We parked downtown, initially thinking we’d go to the Paulaner Bar, where I knew I could get some killer chicken.  We turned away when we saw how packed it was, especially since it was also full of smokers.  Then we wandered around a few other places, eventually ending up at the Christmas market.  I might have been interested in walking through there, but my blood sugar was dropping and I was starting to get a bit hangry.  My brain turns to shit when that happens.  Instead of enjoying the festive sights and sounds, I was getting really crabby and indecisive.

I wouldn’t have minded walking around some more, if I hadn’t been ready to drop.  The crowds were alternately confusing and annoying me.

Finally, Bill spotted a Maredo restaurant.  Interestingly enough, I had mentioned the one located next to our parking garage, but Bill mistakenly thought they were closed.  They weren’t.  He just hadn’t stopped to read the big sign hanging in the door, which said they were closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Another location, maybe two or three blocks away and visible from the one at our parking garage, was clearly open and ready for our business.  To be honest, steak wasn’t really what was on my mind for lunch today, but I really needed to eat.  There were plenty of tables open and and the price is right.

Just after we sat down, we heard a big thud.  An elderly lady traveling with what looked like a younger married couple tripped and fell down by the door.  Bill got up to make sure she was okay.  After a few minutes, she was fine and their party left without incident.  For a minute there, I was afraid someone was going to have to call for an ambulance.

In any case, Maredo is a Düsseldorf based steakhouse that has been in business since 1973.  Though the name sounds vaguely Spanish, it’s actually comprised of the names of the three founders, Manfred Holl, Karl-Heinz Reinheimer, and Udo Schlote.  It operates 57 restaurants in Germany and three in Austria.

Bill and I ate at a Maredo once at the Cologne airport back in May 2012.  Back then, I thought steaks in Germany were universally yucky.  That was before I made the fortuitous discovery of Tommi’s Bistro.  Anyway, during that first visit, I stuck with a wienerschnitzel.  It tasted fine, but I wasn’t all that impressed by the chain.  Maredo specializes in steaks, but there’s a nice variety of dishes on the menu.  They have everything from fajitas to baked potatoes.

Today, by the time we were seated, I was in serious need of protein.  Maredo was offering a rib-eye special.  I ordered that and Bill had spareribs.  In the meantime, we sipped weizenbiers and ate fresh bread that came with some kind of creamy spread with garlic and chives.  Though white, creamy stuff often gives me the heebie jeebies, I’m starting to be braver since I’ve been in Germany.  After Bill assured me there was no funky or strong cheese in the spread, I tried it and liked it.

Loud music played over the sound system as I fortified myself.  Bill smiled when he saw the color come back to my cheeks and a smile slowly form on my lips.  I usually recover quickly from being hangry.

Our friendly waiter brought us our meals.  Bill’s very juicy spareribs did not come with anything but a side of barbecue sauce and a tomato tapenade.  My 300 gram rib eye, on the other hand, came with green beans and potato wedges with a sour cream dip.  I normally don’t like sour cream, but I did like the dip that came with my wedges, especially since it was in a ramekin and I could control how much I used.  In my opinion, when it comes to condiments, less is more.  I shared my beans with Bill and we each tasted each other’s dish.  The ribs were surprisingly good– very juicy, flavorful, and with plenty of meat on them.  My steak was cooked perfectly to a medium temperature.  It was tender, juicy, and well seasoned.  It was very good. The green beans were nicely seasoned, but a little mushy.

Bill’s juicy spareribs.

My surprisingly good steak…  I won’t need to eat again before morning.  I loved the potatoes and the side of dip, too… though I could definitely call this meal another “present for my ass”.  Those who follow me on Facebook know that that’s what I call any fattening food that soothes the savage beast.  I could have paired this steak with a nice wine, had I wanted to.

Although they had some nice looking desserts, I wasn’t even able to finish everything on my plate.  I came somewhat close, though.  What can I say?  I was hungry!  Service was competent and friendly.  We got out of there with a bill for 44 euros and a reminder that you really can get a nice meal at a chain restaurant.  I left Maredo feeling much better than I did when we arrived.  Next time I’m hungry and a Maredo is handy, I won’t hesitate to drop in.

There is another Maredo within sight of this one in downtown Stuttgart.  Though I’ve seen places with 7-Elevens and Starbucks on alternate corners, this is the first time I’ve seen that phenomenon in Germany.  

Friday of this week, Bill and I are going to come back to Stuttgart and try Christophorus, which we have been told is the best steak restaurant in the area.  I look forward to seeing how it stacks up in our book.  Stay tuned!

Standard
anecdotes

Dine in the country for 1/3 the price…

Last weekend, we went to [M]eatery for lunch.  Last night, we went to Tommi’s Bistro.

At [M]eatery, we had steaks, two soups, sides of mashed potatoes, spinach, and frites,  a bottle of wine, sparkling water, and I had a brandy.  Total bill, with tip, was about 185 euros (we ended up tipping two people).  We fought horrendous traffic and a full parking garage.

At Tommi’s last night, we had two rib eye steaks, sparkling water, two bottles of wine, and two orders of frites.  Total bill, with tip, about 70 euros.  We walked there, so there was no traffic or parking trauma.  The steaks were better than what we had at [M]eatery.  We had a little more food at [M]eatery and [M]eatery offers different foods than Tommi’s does.  For instance, Tommi’s doesn’t offer burgers or surf and turf.  But if I just want a good steak for a fair price, Tommi’s wins easily.

Yep.  I like Stuttgart and will eat there again, but I think dining in the country is much more economical and just as good.

Standard
Uncategorized

Lunch at [M]eatery… and a run in with PETA…

Bill and I are always on the lookout for good places to eat.  We had heard a lot about [M]eatery in Stuttgart and noticed that it’s located very close to where we go to the dentist.  I told Bill we should visit over the weekend.  He told me that he’d heard that PETA was going to be protesting on Saturday.  Not knowing what kind of presence PETA has in Germany, he said maybe we should try to visit on Friday instead of Saturday.  But then it turned out [M]eatery was booked solid both Friday and Saturday nights.  So we decided to go there for lunch today and brave the PETA protest.  I grew up sorta near Norfolk, VA, which is where PETA is based, so I got a bit of a kick out of the prospect of seeing a protest here in Germany.  We heard it was only going to be about 20 people anyway.

On the way to Stuttgart, we ran into a slight traffic problem.  B28 is completely shut down for roadwork.  Consequently, a whole lot of people were trying to get to the autobahn through one two lane road via the city of Herrenberg.  It was very backed up, kind of like my colon after a Schlactfest.

On the way through backed up Herrenberg.  Two different guys on motorcycles cut in front of us.  Bill looked exasperated after the second one went and the guy casually scratched his head… but we noticed his middle finger extended.  I say, if you’re going to be ballsy enough to flip someone off, especially in a country where that’s illegal and everyone has a camera, at least do it openly.  None of this pansy ass subtle shit…

The traffic was very annoying, but didn’t delay us too much.  We got to the parking garage a few minutes after 2:00.  Our reservation was at 2:00.  The garage was packed, but we managed to find a spot anyway.

Outside at [M]eatery…

A server seated us at a comfortable two top with a nice view of the open kitchen.  We perused the very [literally] large menu.  Bill ordered wine and water.

The menu is literally big, as in it takes some coordination to hold it in your hands.  But it doesn’t have a huge variety to choose from, unless you want meat.  There are plenty of cuts of beef from places around the world with some nice sides, sauces, butters, and oils.  They also have burgers, salads, and fish dishes.  I wonder how many people ordered the Porterhouse.  It runs for about 89 euros!  
 
Though we didn’t necessarily need a menu in English, the waitress kindly gave us one.  I noticed that the weights on the beef were in ounces instead of grams, as they are on the German version.  They surely get a lot of Americans visiting them.  [M]eatery also has locations in Hamburg and Dresden.

Waiting for our first courses.  You can see the kitchen over Bill’s shoulders.  The chef was appropriately pierced, though not as much as the chef at Tommi’s.   The waitress brought out some hearty brown bread and butter.

Bill started with the “Beef Tea”, which sounds kind of gross.  Basically, it’s a soup that tastes like it’s made from the drippings of a roast beef.  He loved it.  I thought it wasn’t too shabby, either.

 

I had lobster chowder, which was rich and tasty and finished with watercress.  I didn’t eat the whole thing because I wanted to have room for my steak.  The chowder was basically good, though the potatoes were just a tiny hair underdone.  

Bill opted for a sirloin with a side of fries… The fries were a little greasy, which is kind of the way I like them.  They had a rich potato flavor, though… like they came from Idaho or something.  

 

I had the 10.6 ounce rib eye with a side each of herbed mashed potatoes and spinach.  I enjoyed my steak, though I wasn’t able to finish it or the sides.  It was the smallest rib eye they offered and cost 34 euros…  the funny thing is, I can get a similarly sized rib eye at Tommi’s in my town for about 14 euros and change.  It tastes about the same and costs less than half as much as this did.  However, I really liked the sides at [M]eatery.  The spinach was done perfectly and wasn’t too mushy and the mashed potatoes were surprisingly flavorful and comforting.  Tommi’s doesn’t offer the same sides– I usually end up with frites there, which is fine, but given a choice, I probably would choose mashed potatoes to go with a steak.  Sides at [M]eatery are four euros each.

Halfway through lunch, our waitress changed clothes and took a break.  We were then looked after by a very professional male waiter who lit up when I asked him for brandy.  He wrapped up my leftovers into a basket.  I should have taught him how to make a swan.  😉

Bill had a double espresso.

I had a heavenly snifter of Hennessy XO, which runs 25 euros a pour.  That was the midrange cognac on offer.  The cheapest was nine euros and the most expensive was 49 euros.  All three were Hennessy.  I gotta say, the XO is very nice.

 

We finished up at about 4:00.  Our original waitress had changed back into her working clothes and presented us with the check.  Our bill before tip was about 165 euros, which was slightly less than what we were expecting.  Bill was able to pay with a credit card.  After we settled our check, we headed to where the PETA protest was.  I was expecting to see a bunch of picket signs and the like.  I must say, PETA surprised me by being clever…

Look in the distance and you can see a table set up with made up young people…  They were dressed like zombies!

 

I didn’t want to get too close, though one of the zombies did hand me some literature…  Sorry these are not great pictures, but again, the protest was not very big.  Look toward the back right for black signs with purple lettering.  Some of the “zombies” were really taking their roles seriously.  Not only were they dressed the part and in full makeup, but they were even walking like something out of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video.

 

I walked away with the leaflet, along with my meaty leftovers from [M]eatery…  The “protest” was very low key and kind of funny.  I liked that they took advantage of Halloween to make a statement, even though I’m not a vegetarian at all…  Frankly, I kind of admire people who don’t eat meat.  Wish I wanted to do it.

The PETA literature… not nearly as offensive as a Jack Chick tract!

And next weekend, it appears that Stuttgart is going to have a big shopping event.  Since Herrenberg will likely still be STAU-ified, I doubt we’ll take advantage…  Beyond this sign, a young man was playing new age piano versions of ABBA songs.  I must say I enjoy visiting Stuttgart.  Should have done it more when we were here from 07-09.

One last Stuttgart city view…

I don’t know why, but we completely forgot about Halloween on the military installations.  We decided to stop by Patch on the way home for a pit stop and to pick up a few items from the commissary.  We were confronted by a huge line of cars and people waiting to go trick or treating.  I must admit, we saw some truly great costumes.  Bill saw one kid dressed as a Dalek, which is a character from Dr. Who, and he said the kid must be a real “geek”… but he meant that in the nicest possible way.  Bill is a geek himself and he is a big fan of Dr. Who.

Overall, we really enjoyed our lunch at [M]eatery, although to be very honest, I didn’t think the steaks were better than what we have had at Tommi’s Bistro here in Unterjettingen.  Tommi’s is also a hell of a lot less expensive, offers live music, and we can walk there from our house.  I don’t know if or when we’ll be back to [M]eatery, though I would certainly recommend it to meat lovers who are in Stuttgart.

Standard