Tag Archives: steaks

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A mighty meaty meal at Rocco’s Italian Grill & Bar in Bad Soden…

Today, Bill and I finally ventured out for lunch again. Regular readers might remember that we had Greek food a couple of weeks ago. Since then, the weather got mostly crappy and we didn’t feel like going out in the rain. We didn’t go out at all last weekend and this weekend, which was actually three days because Bill took Friday off, we just went out today.

I had noticed Rocco’s Italian Grill & Bar on OpenTable.com a few times, but knew nothing about Bad Soden, the town where it’s located. Bill noticed it for the first time today and decided that we’d visit today. I’m so glad he did. We had a great time there!

Bad Soden is a spa town not far from Frankfurt… maybe about twenty minutes from where we live. That’s another plus. Actually, that’s a major plus for most everything up here. For once, we don’t live way the hell out in the boonies and can get to Wiesbaden and Frankfurt with ease. It’s a nice change of pace. As we drove into it, we could see that it had the look of a vacation town. The architecture is kind of quaint, particularly for this part of Germany, and there are a lot of upscale shopping venues and restaurants.

The restaurant is near the church… you might need to give thanks to God for a meal at Rocco’s.

There’s a very convenient parking lot near Rocco’s, which we took advantage of with ease. A very friendly young waitress greeted us as we entered Rocco’s just in time for our 1:00 reservation. We had a choice of sitting in the bar area at a “high top” table or at a standard table in the dining room. They also have an outdoor area for warmer weather. I liked the music– it was kind of mod dance music, like one might hear at a fashion show. I especially loved the inviting bar, which was huge and featured lots of high end gins, plenty of excellent wines, and even a few speciality liqueurs.

Our waitress spoke excellent English, but gamely indulged Bill’s desire to practice German as she also willingly accommodated my English. Menus are available in German and English. We used the German ones.

I noticed Richard Wagner, because I am a music enthusiast… made a mental note to check the sign closer after we ate.
Info for the locals… I was impressed because this place really was Italo-American style. I don’t think I have encountered beef ribs at any other eatery in Germany.

Bill ordered us a bottle of sparkling water and a bottle of Barbera. Rocco’s has an impressive wine list, which included one bottle that sells for 500 euros. The menu was unique and appealing, particularly for Germany. They offer a number of beef dishes… and the beef is American. They have beef short ribs, flank steaks, and rib eyes. They also have pizza, pasta, and pulled pork! It had been ages since I last had beef ribs, so that’s what I ordered. Bill went with a 300 gram (the smaller) rib eye steak.

  • I loved the bar! It was very inviting!
  • This was a nice bottle, especially after it had time to sit and open up a bit.
  • Our waitress brought out delicious bread and little fried potato amuses. Both went with the aioli.
  • No… we aren’t drunk… we’re just goofy.

When the food arrived, I was delighted by how good the ribs were. Seriously… it’s been ages since I last had beef ribs and it’s not something I would ever expect to find in Germany, let alone enjoy. They were great! I couldn’t finish them, so I had the leftovers packed up for tomorrow. I doubt I’ll need any more food today. Bill was equally impressed by his steak. It was covered with Italian herbs and cooked to medium perfection.

  • We get silly…
  • when we’re bored and drinking wine…
  • Beef ribs, smothered in barbecue potato chips. It was sinful.
  • As was the rib eye. I considered ordering this myself, but I’m glad I went with the ribs.
  • The table next to us was dressed for a party! I think this would be a nice place for a celebration.

I noticed the menu had a few Mexican inspired dishes as well as a few options for vegans and vegetarians. However, I wouldn’t say this restaurant would be a hit with non meat eaters. You can find something to eat there, but it seems to cater more to carnivores… particularly beef lovers. I saw some impressive looking cocktails, too.

We were keen to try dessert, so after a round of espresso, I had the “Black and White”– a scoop of chocolate mousse and a scoop of white chocolate mousse. Bill had “Pistachio cake with Bourbon Vanilla ice cream”. The Pistachio cake was kind of like lava cake. Regular readers know how I feel about lava cake… although at least this one wasn’t chocolate! Bill enjoyed it and I liked the taste I tried. They also had a small surprise dessert in a glass available, as well as cheesecake and cheese courses.

  • A shot of espresso before the closing act.
  • Black and white… lovely mousse– not too much.
  • Pistachio lava cake with bourbon vanilla ice cream.
  • I need this lamp for my kitchen.
  • Richard Wagner slept in Bad Soden once.

When it came time to exit, Bill paid cash, but he could have used a credit card. All told, it was an excellent meal and a really great afternoon in a town we need to explore more. Bad Soden may even invite us for a spa weekend… even though we only live about twenty minutes away!

I know a lot of my readers are in the Stuttgart area, but if you’re coming up here for business, this may be a town worth a visit. And if you live up here and want some beef, check out Rocco’s Italian Grill & Bar. We’ll definitely be back for more… but not before we check out some of the other interesting looking restaurants in Bad Soden!

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Drool worthy burgers in Gärtringen

Bill and I had kind of a big day today and hit two different places.  Since our two outings in one day weren’t really relatable, I’m going to write two blog posts.  My first post is one I think will get a lot of attention from my regular readers because it concerns burgers.  The second one is for people who love their wine.  Of course, I hope everyone will read them both, but I have a feeling more people will want to know about the Buffalo Grill and Bar in Gärtringen.  It’s now become my new favorite haunt for burgers in these parts.  Edited to add: this restaurant is now closed.

I have my good friend Brendan to thank for pointing out this oasis of beefy goodness last week.  He and his wife went there, took some pictures, posted them in a group, and I realized Bill and I would have to go there.  After all, Gärtringen is not far at all from where we live.

Those of you who have been reading my blog may already know that I’m a big fan of a certain steak house in Jettingen, where I live.  I like it because there’s good food there and it’s close enough to walk to.  However, Gärtringen is not far at all from us and Buffalo Grill and Bar offers more liberal hours as well as a larger menu.  Buffalo Grill and Bar opens at noon and runs until late in the evening.  You can get burgers there, as well as steaks from Argentina, the USA, and Australia.  They also offer some very American friendly appetizers like fried mozzarella, chicken wings, and onion rings.

Bill and I arrived at the restaurant at high noon.  We were very pleased to find plenty of parking outside.  The door was wide open, but no one was dining.  In fact, I got the sense that the waitress wasn’t quite expecting people to be there right at noon.  But she offered us any seat we wanted.  Because the weather was so nice, we sat outside.

Look at all the parking spots!  Awesome!

They were offering burgers to go for five euros…

Door was wide open…. inside dining room was very inviting and nice.  Outside was also nice.

Pictures of all of the things you can enjoy at the Buffalo Grill and Bar.  I want to go back for the combo plate of appetizers.

 

We had a good look at the menu.  I took pictures of some of the pages because they offered treats that many Americans are missing.  Bill and I only had burgers today, but I could totally go back for a steak… or maybe just some of the awesome appetizers.  I love me some fried cheese.

I am dying to try the “Combi Buffalo”.

They have meat from many sources.

And salads for you non meat eating types.

Bill and I were still somewhat full from breakfast, so we both had cheeseburgers.  I had a plain cheeseburger and Bill had a “spicy” cheeseburger, which came with jalapeno peppers and a spicy sauce.  All of the burgers at the Buffalo Grill and Bar are 100% beef and they all come with steakhouse pommes.  They offer a “lady’s” size at 150 grams and a “man’s” size at 300 grams.  Bill and I both ordered the small size and it was plenty for both of us.

Bill makes a choice.

I had an Urtyp export and Bill had his usual weizen.

The burgers arrived, and boy were they excellent!  The buns were very fresh and homemade.  The beef was cooked thoroughly, but still juicy and fresh.  The patties were thick and satisfying and the toppings were flavorful and crisp.  All of the burgers were priced the same; they had several to choose from and they came in two sizes– small and large.  We had “small” burgers.

 

Folks, I’ll be honest.  There haven’t been too many burgers I’ve had in Germany that have thrilled me. I enjoyed eating at Triple B’s last year, but the experience was somewhat dampened by how crowded it was and how hard it was to find parking.  I believe Triple B’s has since relocated, but we haven’t been back yet.  What I love about Buffalo Grill and Bar is that not only is it very close to where we live and not only does it have plenty of parking… the burgers are also fantastic.  Our waitress was also very nice and seemed very concerned about the quality of the food.  I think they’d love it if some more Americans paid them a visit.  It seemed to be a kid friendly place, too.

I don’t know how long this place has been running (ETA: My German friend Susanne says they opened in July 2016).  It was our first visit to Gärtringen.  I get the sense that the proprietors are hoping for business, so I’m only too happy to offer this review.  If you’re nearby, I highly recommend stopping in for a visit.  And if you’re not nearby, it may be worth your time to visit if you’re looking for a good burger.  As it stands now, Bill and I will definitely be back again to try the steaks.

After we had our lunch, which was only 23 euros, we decided to see if we could find a beer tasting that was supposed to be going on today.  When it became clear the beer tasting wasn’t that close to the restaurant, we decided to head to Weil der Stadt, where a wine tasting was going on.  That will be the subject of my next post.  Stay tuned.  (I think the beer tasting is also going on tomorrow, too, so we will probably be back for that.)

I think it’s cool that there are places where you can charge your electric car and surf the Internet in Gärtringen.  We will have to visit this town again for more burgers… and/or more culinary experiences.

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