Tag Archives: Vaihingen

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Welcome back to Stuttgart… part 1– lunch at Mikomi in Vaihingen and rug shopping

About six months ago, Bill and I moved from the Stuttgart area to Wiesbaden.  We’ve lived in the Stuttgart area twice during our marriage– from 2007-09 and 2014-2018.  It has the distinction of being the place where we’ve, so far, spent the most time during our married life, followed closely by the D.C. area.  It’s starting to feel a little like home.

We wouldn’t ordinarily go to Stuttgart for a fun trip, especially since we just left there a few months ago.  On the other hand, it’s absolutely possible to have a lot of fun in Stuttgart, especially if you know where to go.  We needed to go down there for both business and pleasure.

On a whim, back in February 2018, I bought tickets to Elton John’s “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” concert, which took place last night at the Hans-Schleyer Halle in Bad Cannstatt.  It was the first of a string of tickets I’ve bought for concerts in 2018 and 2019.  I think I’m trying to make up for all of the years I didn’t have enough money to go to shows.  That, and a lot of my favorite artists are retiring and this is the last chance to see them.

I was really looking forward to last night’s concert.  Not only did I buy the tickets over a year ago, I actually had to wait a year to get them.  Although I have loved Elton’s music ever since I was a tiny child many years ago, this was the first time I had ever seen him perform live.  I’m glad we made it to the show.  Last night, I was beginning to think it wasn’t going to happen.  More on that later.

We also needed to go see Dr. Blair, dentist extraordinaire, to get our teeth cleaned.  I know we should probably find a dentist in Wiesbaden, but we really like Dr. Blair.  He’s the best dentist either of us have ever seen.  Besides, there’s every chance we’ll one day wind up living near Stuttgart again.

I had a bunch of wine corks to unload to a lady in the food and wine group I run on Facebook.  I always like to offer them to crafters before recycling them.  I also wanted to buy some more rugs for our house with the brand new floors.

The spring fest was also going on, and while I’m probably getting too old for festing, we decided we’d try to hit that, too.

On Thursday, May 9th, we loaded up our two dogs, Zane and Arran, and took off for Stuttgart.  On a good day, it takes about two and a half hours to get from Wiesbaden to Stuttgart.  Thursday wasn’t a good day.  The weather was crappy and there was a lot of traffic.  It ended up taking us about four hours, and we were racing against the clock, because Max at Dog Holiday closes his doors at noon to have lunch.  He’s pretty strict about time and Bill likes to be respectful of other people’s time, so he was getting pretty stressed out as we hit Stau after Stau.  There’s a good reason Stuttgart is often referred to as “STAUgart.  Traffic is often a nightmare there.  I had forgotten how bad it is, even though we haven’t been gone that long.

I really haven’t missed this shit.

After we dropped off the dogs at Max’s, we headed for the Schwaben Galerie, the mall every American affiliated with the U.S. military gets to know intimately.  We were hoping to find lunch before we went to Panzer to purchase our rugs.  Once again, I was feeling whimsical as we decided where we were going to eat.  I went to see if the pseudo Mexican restaurant “Chilli’s” was still there.  I reviewed it once in 2016, right after it took over the space from the defunct Neuer Ochsen restaurant that was there for years prior.  I had liked the Neuer Ochsen and was sad to see that it was supplanted by a pseudo German Mexican place.  If I recall correctly, I didn’t hate our meal at Chilli’s, but it definitely wasn’t authentic Mexican food.

As I turned the corner, I noticed that Chilli’s was gone.  In its place is a new sushi restaurant and grill called Mikomi.  Bill and I love sushi, so we decided to stop in and see if the new place was any good.

I learned that this restaurant has only been open for about a month.

 

A very pleasant Asian lady invited us to sit down.  I was taking note of the new decor in this restaurant space.  It’s been interesting watching it go from the Neuer Ochsen to Chilli’s to now Mikomi.  I like what they’ve done with it.  There are lots of comfortable booths and the ambiance is calming.

I really liked the look of these booths.  You could host a good sized party there.

 

They have regular tables, too.

 

Bill tries to figure out the menu.  There were a lot of choices.

A young English speaking waiter explained the restaurant’s Bento Box deal, where you can get a main dish, two sides, a drink, and a dessert for a low price.  Or, alternatively, you can order one of their sushi deals for an equally low price.  I was really thirsty, so I ordered a beer.  A small beer would have been included in the price of the Bento Box, but I ordered a large.  I ended up drinking both.  Bill went with a Japanese brew.

“Goldilocks and the three beers?”

I went with one of the sushi Bento Boxes.  This was very satisfying.  The salmon was especially fresh and tasty, as was the spicy tuna roll.

Bill’s Bento Box was a good deal.  He got noodles with vegetables, pickled cucumbers and carrots, and shrimp skewers.  I loved the noodles and had to steal a couple of bites.

After we finished, we were invited to partake of the dessert buffet.  They had little cakes like this or fresh fruit.  I also saw donuts.

All of this was priced pretty reasonably.  I think we got out of there at under 30 euros.

 I think Mikomi will be more successful than Chilli’s was.  I didn’t hate Chilli’s as much as some Americans did, but I definitely didn’t need a second visit.  Mikomi, on the other hand, I would dine at again, given the opportunity.  I would recommend it to those who like Asian food– especially sushi.

After we finished having lunch, we went to Panzer and loaded up on new rugs for our house.  Our new landlord just put in brand new floors, so we’re doing our best to keep them as nice as possible.  Also, I like having rugs on the floors because they help cut down on echoes and are nicer to walk on than cold parquet.  The Turkish guy who runs the carpet shop was playing Rabiz– a type of Turkish pop music.  I was telling him about my adventures in Turkey and Bulgaria back in the 1990s, and how I had gotten used to hearing it in Armenia.  He said I had been to more parts of Turkey than he has, probably because my trip took me through the east.  The northeastern part of Turkey is truly some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen.  It rivals Switzerland…  or, at least it did in 1996.  I’d love to go back to Turkey again someday, when it’s safe.

Once we dropped some euros on new rugs, we headed to our favorite Stuttgart area hotel, the Wald Hotel.  More on that in my next post.

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My very first visit to the Corso Kino in Vaihingen…

I don’t go to the movies very often anymore.  Before this afternoon, I had not been to a movie theater since June 2011, when Bill and I visited a theater on a whim while vacationing in Portland, Maine.  I recall we saw Midnight in Paris because my back was hurting and I didn’t want to walk anymore.  It was a good film, but it didn’t make me want to go to the movies again.  For whatever reason, I just don’t enjoy them that much… at least not in a theater.  I’d rather watch movies at home on my couch, where no one blocks my view, talks too much, or gets mad when I need to get up to pee.

The place to be if you want to see movies in their original language…

Still, even I couldn’t help but notice all my friends gushing about Bohemian Rhapsody.  I happen to love Queen and am very grateful that I was born at a time when there were still so many legendary bands in their prime.  Freddie Mercury was a genius.  I remember when he died, just one day after he told the world that he was suffering from AIDS.  I grew up at a time when a lot of great people were dying from AIDS.  He was just one of many beautiful souls who passed when he was much too young.  Bohemian Rhapsody is the story of Queen, and how Freddie Mercury made that band his family, creating amazing music that was distinctly its own.

The official trailer…

 

Bill loves to go to the movies, so he was only too happy to reserve tickets for us at the Corso Kino, a movie theater in Vaihingen that shows original versions of films, sometimes with English or German subtitles.  I had heard a lot about the Corso Kino over our time living in this area, but today was the first time we ever actually saw a show there.  I must admit, although I still don’t necessarily love the movie experience, I’m glad we paid a visit today.

Before we went to the movies, we stopped by The Auld Rogue for one last Sunday lunch.  The Auld Rogue is an Irish pub in Vaihingen, very popular with Americans because the staff all speaks English, the menus are in English, and the food is not German.  They also offer music, whiskey/whisky and beer tastings, and sports.  When we first moved to this area in 2007, The Auld Rogue was a Greek restaurant called Taverna Faros.  We used to love eating there during our six week stay at the Vaihinger Hof.  Taverna Faros didn’t last, though, because the proprietor didn’t pay his taxes.  It later turned into a club, then became the Irish pub we all know and love.

It had been awhile since our last visit to the popular pub, but we managed to have a decent lunch, even though they were unable to make me a Black and Tan.

Bill was still full from breakfast, so he had nachos with cheese.  They were a lot more than he was expecting.  I went with the chicken Caesar wrap.  It was the first time I ever ordered it and I mostly enjoyed it, although it didn’t taste like it had any Caesar dressing.  It kind of needed something to jazz it up a little.  Still, it wasn’t bad.  I’d get it again.  Not sure why my camera is suddenly sporting lines on my pictures.

Bill and I each had a Fuller’s London Porter and a Guinness.  I probably shouldn’t have bothered with the Guinness, but I kind of got it on a whim when the waitress said she couldn’t make me a Black and Tan.  The London Porter was awesome.

My favorite veteran.

 

We parked at the Schwaben Galerie and walked from there to The Auld Rogue, then from the Auld Rogue to the Corso Kino.  A lot of people came to see the matinee of Bohemian Rhapsody, but it wasn’t a sold out crowd.  We didn’t have to reserve our tickets, after all.

It’s not the most user friendly cinema.  To get to the two theaters, one must climb down a couple of flights of stairs.  The bathrooms are small, cramped, and not sparkling clean. The concession stand shares its space with the box office, so the line has a tendency to be a little obnoxious.

But the popcorn smelled wonderful and there was beer to drink.  We even noticed that if you weren’t sitting in the front row, you could put your stuff on a little ledge anchored to the seats in front of you.  We chose to sit on the front row on the left side.  It probably wasn’t the best choice to sit there, since people had to pass us to go to the bathroom or get snacks.  Still, at least I wasn’t sitting behind someone tall, like I usually do when I go to the movies.  I also enjoyed the jazz they were playing before the show started.

I took this photo from my seat before the show started.  

 

Our view before the movie began.  The seats reclined a bit and were quite comfortable.

As for Bohemian Rhapsody, I thought it was an excellent and entertaining movie.  It will be one I add to our personal library.  The story is very poignant; the soundtrack rocks; and there are a lot of great lines in the script.  In short, I laughed; I cried; it became a part of me…  A friend told me that I would probably cry watching it.  I didn’t cry, but I will confess that I came a bit close toward the end.  Tears don’t come as easily for me these days.  I think it’s because I’m getting old.

Here’s a picture of our dog, Zane, before he got his morning walk.  As you can see, the tumor removal he had during his dental the other day hasn’t slowed him down a bit.  He’s obviously the king of our household.

 

I enjoyed our visit to the Corso Kino, and if we ever have the chance to go again, I will gladly go… as long as they’re showing something I want to see.  This is yet another nice way to spend a Sunday in Stuttgart.

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Hello again to the Holzkrug!

Back in August 2014, around the time Bill and I moved back to the Stuttgart area, we paid a visit to the Holzkrug in Vaihingen.  I had fondly remembered the tiny little eatery from our first tour in Stuttgart, from 2007-09.  For the first six weeks of our stay, we lived at the Vaihninger Hof, a run down hotel within walking distance of Patch Barracks.  Because it was a no frills German hotel, we only had a little dorm sized fridge in our room.  We had to eat out for most of our meals.  As a consequence, I got to know the restaurants circa 2007 in the Vaihingen area very well.

I remember liking the Holzkrug because of its local style charm and the fact that they sometimes serve roasted chicken there that is to die for.  I see by my last Holzkrug post, Bill and I both had chicken the last time we were there.  Today, we stopped in for lunch because we stopped by Patch to gas up my car.  They weren’t serving any chicken today, but we still had a nice lunch.

The door was open and the German pop was playing…

 

Holzkrug offers hot food from 10:30am until 2:00pm on Saturdays.  They also offer lunch with specials from 10:30am until 2:00pm and then dinner from 4:30pm until 8:00pm all during the work week.  On Sundays, they are only open from 10:00am until 2:00pm.  Dinner is not offered on weekend nights.

The Holzkrug is the only restaurant in this area that I’ve been to that sometimes offers roasted chicken.  The only other time I’ve seen it has been at fests or from “chicken men” with food trucks.  If there are other local restaurants that have chicken, I haven’t run into them yet.

Bill checks out today’s limited menu.

 

Today’s offerings.  Bill originally settled on “Forelle” (trout), but they were out of it.  They did, however, have fried fish of some sort.  That’s what he ordered.  I ordered “Cordon Bleu und Krokettes”, basically a fried schntizel stuffed with ham and mild melted cheese.

 

The Holzkrug has a very local vibe, even though it’s close to Patch Barracks.  Although I did see a plaque with an American flag on it, I don’t know that they get a lot of Americans in there.  We had to share a table with a guy who was clearly a regular and kindly made room for us at the “Stammtisch” (a table set aside for regulars).  I think it’s mostly a bar, though we’ve always gone there to eat and have enjoyed every experience.

“Stammtisch”– if you see one of these signs in a German or Austrian restaurant, it means it’s reserved for regulars.  However, I can’t say that I’ve ever seen too many regulars taking advantage of one.  Maybe it’s because I make a habit of trying so many different places that I haven’t really become a “regular” at many restaurants here.  The Stammtisch is different than a table that’s “reserved”.  

 

The view of the bar from where I was sitting.  This is a small place, but it’s very quaint and kind of charming.  I’m pretty sure they have English menus if you ask for them.  Sometimes the servers speak English, though today’s didn’t really.  I like the interior of the Holzkrug.  It’s the kind of place I wish we had in our own little town… you could go there and soak up the atmosphere over a couple of beers.

 

Here’s a picture of our deep fried goodness…  Bill had the fried fish special, which came with potato salad.  He washed it down with a Hefeweizen.  I had the Cordon Bleu and fried potato croquettes.  It was a lot and we brought home leftovers from my dish!

 

The guy sitting next to us was humming off key.  It was driving me nuts.  I happen to be a very musical person with “perfect pitch”, which means that when things are off key, it’s like nails on a chalkboard.  I felt badly about being annoyed, though, because he was nice enough to share his table with us.  The guy sitting behind Bill, also clearly a local and a regular, kept shooting glances at us.  But the wait staff was very kind and attentive.

This is a decidedly dog friendly place.  A large Doberman was enjoying a visit while we were there.  It’s also kid friendly.  I noticed the bartender gave a little boy a little bag of popcorn while he was waiting for his Oma to finish up.  There are also a couple of kid-sized choices on the menu.

After we ate, I noticed the sign on the wall.  It basically translates to “If you’re the type to forget to pay when you drink, pay beforehand.”

 

A Pilsner…

After lunch, I had a Pils.  I don’t usually drink Pils, but every time we visit the Holzkrug, I am reminded of our first time here.  Bill ordered a Pils at this restaurant and thought they had forgotten about his beer when I got served my Hefeweizen first.  He asked the barkeep where his beer was.  The bartender chastised him and told him that a proper Pils can take up to seven minutes to pour.  A quick Googling tells me that she was telling the truth about that, but truth be told, I have yet to ever visit a bar in Germany where it’s taken that long…

At about 2:20pm, it was time for our server to clock out, so she asked us to settle our bill.  It came to about thirty euros before the tip.  I finished my beer and visited the ladies room.  Here’s a handy tip for anyone who happens to be in Vaihingen and needs to pee.  The Holzkrug will allow non-guests to use their restroom if you pay 50 cents.  Yeah, I know paying to pee is the norm here, but at least you know there’s a place to go if the need strikes.

Anyway, we like the Holzkrug.  I like them even better when they have roasted chicken, which they also sell to go.  This is a nice local hole in the wall with typical German food, friendly service, and very reasonable prices.

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Whisky/Whiskey: our first tasting at The Auld Rogue!

Several weeks ago, Bill and I went on an AAFES run and decided to stop at The Auld Rogue, a popular Irish pub in Vaihingen.  After we’d had our lunches, the ever present Nick, who is always running things whenever we stop by, asked us if we’d be interested in attending the next whiskey tasting.  Although Bill and I very much enjoy whisky (and whiskey) and are keen to taste as many as we can, we had never been to a tasting at The Auld Rogue.  Bill had been wanting to go to a beer or whiskey tasting at the much beloved Irish pub for as long as we’ve been back in the Stuttgart area.

The Auld Rogue always inspires good memories.  The last time we lived here, The Auld Rogue was first a Greek restaurant and then a dance club (which we didn’t try).  When it was still Taverna Faros back in 2007, I ate my very first dorade at the place that is now called The Auld Rogue.  It’s kind of a special venue for Bill and me for that reason, although I also love The Auld Rogue for its good food, excellent music, and friendly service in English.  Even though we knew yesterday would involve a lot of drinking potent spirits that might bring on temporary amnesia, we figured we could make even more good memories.

So Bill told Nick we’d be happy to attend his tasting, a special one that pitted Irish whiskeys against Scottish whiskys.  The official title of yesterday’s tasting was Uisce or Uisge– Battle of the Giants!  It promised a selection of interesting spirits from Ireland and Scotland to taste.  The price was 55 euros a person– 110 in total for us– and included food.  Bill paid Nick; he gave us our tickets; and we waited for the big day to arrive.

Meanwhile, our beagle Zane had some urgent veterinary issues.  Friday morning, he had a little minor surgery to flush out one of his ears and remove a cyst that kept troubling him (and me).  I was worried that maybe we wouldn’t make it to the tasting because I wasn’t sure what kind of shape Zane would be in on Saturday.  I see now on The Auld Rogue’s Facebook page that, had we needed to cancel, we could have transferred our tasting tickets to a future tasting.  That’s good to know, although I didn’t know that before Zane went under the knife.  He’s doing fine, though and was no worse for wear when we got home last night.

Nick advised us to arrive at the restaurant by 1:30pm to ensure that we’d get a table.  Since we knew there would be lots of booze at the tasting, Bill and I opted to take the train from Herrenberg to Vaihingen.  Fortunately, we had decent weather yesterday for the walk to the restaurant.

Once we got to the Auld Rogue, we took a table at the back of the room.  If we do another tasting (and we probably will), we’ll try to get a table closer to the bar.  That makes it much easier to get to the bathroom!  I must have let out a frustrated sigh after a noticed the tight obstacle course to get to the toilet.

Then Bill took a look at me and noticed I was also getting a little hangry.  He said, “You’re hungry, aren’t you?”  He can always tell!  I nodded and asked him if there was going to be food; I remembered that the initial announcement said there would be, but didn’t remember what it included.  The other guys sitting with us also wanted to know.  The information about snacks was not in the handout Nick gave us when we first arrived, so people were a little confused.

I noticed other people ordering lunches.  They didn’t know that there would be pub food offered at the tasting.  One guy had ordered food before the tasting started and ended up sitting alone after the first round.  The couple who had been sharing the table with him left early.  He was totally inundated with snacks he couldn’t eat!  Although I was tempted to get a sandwich, we just ordered some Guinness as we waited for the tasting to start.  Unless you have a huge appetite, I would recommend the same.

Yesterday’s tasting was very well attended and we were packed in.  Bill and I shared our table with four young men working in Stuttgart temporarily.  They turned out to be great company, even if they did make me feel old!

Here’s a first shot of the first whiskey samples we tried.  This was the Hyde No. 2, 10 year old Caribbean Dark Rum Irish Single Malt.  I was in the back of the room and it was a bit too crowded to easily come closer for inspection.  I opted to make use of the zoom lens on my digital camera instead.

Nick passed out the samples and asked us not to start drinking yet.  He told us to hang on to the glasses and rinse them with the water he’d placed on our tables for diluting the spirits.  Also, he explained that if he had to wash the glasses in the dishwasher, they’d come back to us hot and that would evaporate the alcohol.  We certainly didn’t want that!  Nick then showed us three different ways to get the most out of the tasting.  One method involved using your hands, which I opted not to do.

Next, Nick explained the basics of whiskey/whisky, which starts out as beer before it turns into liquor.  He told us that “whisky” is the Scottish spelling, while “whiskey” is how the Irish spell it.  Then he went into rather lengthy, yet entertaining speech about the differences between the way Irish whiskeys are made as opposed to Scotch whiskys.  Irish whiskeys tend to be smoother because they are triple distilled in copper pots.  Scotch whiskys, by comparison, are usually a bit less refined because they are double distilled in wood, stainless steel, or copper pots.  Bill and I learned a lot about the process of making whisky/whiskey last spring, when we went on a whisky themed cruise in Scotland and visited quite a few distilleries.  I thought Nick’s explanation was especially useful for those who haven’t visited half a dozen distilleries within a week of travel!

It wasn’t quite full at this point.  By 2:00pm, we were cozy!

The list of boozes…  The last one had to be replaced with a different whisky because the supplier sent the wrong one.  The replacement whisky was supposedly similar– it was simply aged in both oloroso sherry casks and Pedro Ximenez casks instead of just Pedro Ximenez casks. 

Full house!

After the first tasting of whisky, Nick paused and we were given our first round of snacks.  I was actually very pleased with what they offered us.  This is great bar food, especially if you’re feeling hangry!

Onion rings, chicken wings, cheese sticks, carrot sticks, and celery sticks, served with an interesting dip that tasted kind of like chili without the beans.  I was less hangry after we shared this with our young companions.

 

After we tasted the first scotch whisky, a lovely fourteen year old Balvenie Scottish single malt aged in a Caribbean cask, we took a vote to see which one was more popular.  On the first round, I was partial to the Scottish offering, though Bill preferred the Irish whiskey.

More food was brought out…  We had to explain to our young friends what was being served.  Basically, it was a round of tiny “gemischte” hamburger patties (pork and beef) and pieces of Fleischkaese (pork meatloaf) with tortilla chips, hummus, and a spicy red chili sauce. 

The next two selections were the eleven year old Teeling White Burgundy Single Cask from Ireland and a twelve year old Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or Sauternes Cask from Scotland.  That time, I preferred the Irish offering.  I would have liked to have purchased a bottle to bring home with us, but Nick said he didn’t have many to sell.  It was also priced at 86 euros, which was the most expensive bottle we tried.  I’ll check MasterofMalt.com to see if they have it in stock (ETA: They don’t. 🙁 ).

We lost one of the guys sitting at our table because he needed to get to the movies.  He missed the last two selections, the Connemara (sherry) Distillers Edition of an Irish Single Malt versus the BenRaich (Sherry) Scottish Single Malt.  Again, the last Scottish whisky we tried was a substitute for what had been planned.  Although I enjoyed it very much, Nick was a bit put out that he’d gotten the wrong whisky and said he was going to kick his supplier’s ass!

The final round of food.  A nice bowl of chips.  I wish we’d had plates or ramekins so I could have used the ketchup!

 

This video was taken toward the end of the tasting.  Nick tells a good story.

 

The tasting was finally over after almost four hours.  Bill purchased a bottle of the Connemara whiskey, which gave me a thrill since prior to yesterday, all I knew about Connemara was that it’s the source of some wonderful ponies.  Now I know there’s also fine whiskey made there.  Maybe we’ll visit when we go to Ireland in a couple of weeks!

Anyway, now that we’ve done our first Auld Rogue tasting, I will offer a few tips to those who want to try one in the future.

1.  Get there early to score a seat.  

 

2.  Dress in layers.  I wore a sweater and was a bit too warm because the place filled up with people.  I might have preferred something lighter or maybe even a t-shirt!

 

3.  Consider your seating location’s proximity to the restroom.

 

4.  Plan on spending several hours.  We noticed a number of people hadn’t expected the event would last as long as it did.  They ended up leaving early.  

 

5.  Because of the amount of alcohol you’ll be tasting, consider how you will be getting to and leaving the event.  We took the train, just to be on the safe side.

 

6.  Note ahead of time whether or not there will be food offered (and I’m sure most of these events include food).  If there will be food, you might not want to order food before the event starts.  Portions at The Auld Rogue can be very large and filling!  You might even want to show up hungry for the snacks.

 

7.  This may not be the best time to bring anyone with you who might be offended by off color language.  Nick dropped the f bomb a few times.  I was, of course, delighted by that, but other people might not be.  But then again, it IS an Irish pub.  Use your best judgment!

 

8.  If you need to cancel your reservation, let Nick know.  It’s possible to transfer the ticket to a future tasting.

We really enjoyed our first tasting at The Auld Rogue.  I’m pretty sure we’ll do it again.  The next one is a beer tasting that, I believe, is already sold out.  As it will occur on November 12th, we wouldn’t be able to attend anyway.  We will be in Ireland celebrating our 14th wedding anniversary!  Stay tuned for posts about that trip!

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We finally try La Cocina Mexicana in Vaihingen…

When Bill and I lived in Germany the first time, from 2007-09, we were aware of a little hole in the wall Mexican place by the Esso gas station in Vaihingen.  It was called La Cocina Mexicana.  We never ate there for several reasons.  The location wasn’t that appealing to us.  After we found our first German house and moved out of the Vaihinger Hof, we were never in Vaihingen when the place was open (and that’s also true this time; we usually go to Vaihingen on Sundays, when the restaurant is closed).  And we had also had plenty of bad German style Mexican food.  While that’s not so much an issue for me, since I’m not a Mexican food aficionado, Bill is from Texas and likes good Mexican food.  So we gave it a pass.

When we moved back to Stuttgart in 2014, I kept hearing and reading horror stories about La Cocina Mexicana.  I heard the food sucked.  I heard the chef/owner was rude or crazy.  I heard that he hated kids.  I had a high time reading the reviews on TripAdvisor written by people who were obviously displeased by the food and service at this place.  While I don’t like to pay for bad food and service, I have to admit I was intrigued by all the horror stories.  Bill and I finally made it there tonight for dinner.  It was supposed to be a double date, but the other couple had to back out on us.  So we braved La Cocina Mexicana alone.  And now some people probably wonder what we thought of it…  So here’s my blow by blow account.

Bill peruses the menu while I notice the piped in music.  It sounded more Brazilian than Mexican, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

After we circled around looking for parking, we finally found a spot on the street a couple of blocks away.  We did not know that the restaurant has its own little lot behind the building until after we’d already parked.  That’s good to know for next time.  When we arrived for our reservation, a very cute and friendly waitress with a clipped South African accent greeted us enthusiastically.  She invited us to sit in the corner, which we did.

Bill ordered a hefeweizen, which came in the above glass…  After I finished my cocktail, I also had a hefeweizen.  We noticed South African wines were on the menu, which is a good thing.

I ordered a glass of sparkling water, which Bill says cost 3,50 euros…  the same as his beer.  I was thirsty, though.

And I had a margarita, which the chef prepared personally.  It was 7 euros and not bad at all, though Bill makes better ones.  I will admit to being biased, though.

We had chips, salsa and guacamole for 6 euros…

I thought both were unusual.  The guacamole tasted like it had been tempered with sour cream or something.  It was very tart and not like what I would expect in the USA.  The salsa had a kick, but wasn’t like the salsa we get at home…  It took some getting used to.

 

We both decided on fajitas, so they were brought out for both of us on a sizzling platter.  Only chicken fajitas were offered, which was fine with me.  They came with salsa, sour cream, and guacamole.  The rest of the “fixings” were mixed together and topped with cheese.  I actually like the melted cheese on top instead of the usual bowl of shredded cheese, but then I like melted cheese over cold cheese.  The chicken itself tasted almost a bit vinegary.  It wasn’t unpleasant, but it wasn’t like Mexican food at home.  The tortillas were pretty good.  They were easy to fill and not too heavy.   The chef later told us he doesn’t make the tortillas; everything else is from scratch.  Bill and I thought the tortillas might have been housemade.  The dish also came with beans and rice topped with cheese.

Pretty plates!

Beans and rice… they were a little bland, but not too bad.

Loved the holly leaf on the tortilla keeper.  ETA: My friend Donna, who teaches Spanish, says that that leaf that looks like holly is actually a nopal cactus, which is apparently a very popular snack in Mexico.  Funny that I’ve been to Spain, but I’ve never been to Mexico.  I’ll have to rectify that someday.

 

Chicken, peppers, onions, cheese, and spices…  came to us sizzling hot.  We each managed two tortillas full and took the rest home.   When the waitress cleared our table, she expressed concern that the food was too spicy.  Bill had to laugh… he loves really hot food and what we had tonight was well below his threshold.  Clearly, my tastes are more German. 

 

While I still miss American style Mexican food, I will go on record as saying that the food at La Cocina Mexicana isn’t as bad as I was led to believe.  The guacamole is definitely more processed than I was expecting it and the salsa could have used more chunky tomatoes and peppers.  But I liked it better than what we had at El Chico in Tubingen and another Mexican place we visited near Hohenzollern.  We also went to a Mexican place in Garmisch, but to be honest, I drank a huge and very potent 12 euro Margarita there and I’m not sure if we actually ate.  A good Margarita can bring on amnesia and the one I had there wasn’t that good, but it was definitely loaded with tequila.

A shot of the bar area.  

 

During our visit, there was a large group of what appeared to be young American servicemembers.  I heard them ask for separate checks and the waitress kindly turned them down.  I also noticed a couple with a well-behaved child, but they got polite service and no one chased them out of the restaurant.  The two young ladies waiting tables tonight were unfailingly nice and offered good service.

Total damage was 55 euros and 30 cents.  The fajitas were a bit pricey, though they are less expensive if you order them for two or three people.  A single serving is 19 euros.  Our order for two was 28 euros.  I have heard that this is a cash only establishment, so if this review prompts you to visit, come prepared with euros!

 

While we were finishing up, the chef came out and spoke to a group of appreciative Germans.  He drank a house shot of tequila with them and they seemed happy to chat with him.

We also enjoyed a house shot of tequila, which we appreciated.

 

As we were about to leave, Chris, the chef spoke to us.  And, to be honest, while I found him outspoken and very blunt about his opinions of Americans, he didn’t treat us with disdain.  In fact, as someone who used to work in restaurants, I could understand as he explained his rather checkered reputation.  I did not mention his reputation to him, by the way.  Clearly, he reads the reviews on TripAdvisor and feels compelled to pre-emptively defend himself.  Under the circumstances, I guess I can see why he’d feel that way.

Chris was telling us about a new business venture he’s planning; it will be one that doesn’t involve as much direct customer interaction.  Given what I’ve heard and what he himself told us, I think that may work out better for him.  I will admit that he made me laugh, though; and I wasn’t offended by him.  He seems interested in developing a certain clientele, which he’s obviously made clear to a number of patrons.  While as an American, that attitude seems odd to me, as someone who’s worked in restaurants and can be a bit high strung, I can see why he has the attitude he does.  I’m not saying it’s right, per se… only that I sort of understand it.  I hope his new business venture works out for him, for everyone’s sake.  I got a kick out of his story about how the gas station restaurant was for him.  Apparently, it was not a good place for the business and attracted a lot of people he seemed to think were low lifes, while where he is now is working out much better.

A shot of the menu posted outside.  The biergarten looks nice, especially for when the weather is better.

 

We actually enjoyed La Cocina Mexicana, even if we’ve had Mexican food we’ve liked better back in the States.  It was a nice change of pace over Greek, Italian, and German restaurants.  I don’t know how often we’ll get there, since we are rarely in Vaihingen together when the restaurant is open, but I will go on record as saying that it wasn’t nearly as awful as people made it out to be.  Though I was braced for anything, I have to admit that part of me figured I wasn’t going to see any crazy meltdowns or bad behavior tonight.  I am honestly glad I didn’t, even though I will admit to joking about it among certain people.  Despite popular opinion, I really don’t live for making trouble or annoying people.

We stopped by Patch to gas up my car and pick up some wine for tomorrow.  While we were there, I decided to make a pit stop, mainly because it’s a long way to Jettingen from Vaihingen.  While I was in there, I noticed that the sign promising clean restrooms had been taken down.  I also noticed that the restroom was in roughly the same condition it was in last time I visited… perhaps even slightly cleaner because it didn’t look like there was a piece of crap stuck in the bottom of the commode.  I guess that’s progress.

I guess the promise of a clean bathroom has been permanently broken.  At least there’s no more false advertising, right?

 

Sadly, as we were leaving Patch, I realized I lost one of my favorite earrings and that bummed me out a bit.  I really need to get out of town.  Well, God willing, my next post will be about Scotland, unless we go somewhere else tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

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Baden-Württemberg

Watching the game at Wirtshaus Drive Biergarten

Because we are going to attend a gathering next weekend, I needed to visit the PX at Panzer to purchase a cake carrier.  When we were finished shopping, it was about 4:00pm.  Bill and I had talked about visiting the Irish pub in Herrenberg, but noticed that their food offerings were kind of skimpy.  Since we were hungry and Vaihingen is not far from Panzer, we decided to head there.  Instead of visiting The Auld Rogue as we usually do on Sundays when we’re in the neighborhood, we decided to visit their neighbors at the Wirtshaus Drive Biergarten.

Bill and I had noticed the Wirtshaus Drive Biergarten when we lived here the first time, from 2007-09.  We lived at the Vaihinger Hof for six weeks and really got to know Vaihingen’s restaurants pretty well because we ate out all the time.  For some reason, we never visited this particular restaurant when we were here the first time, nor had we gone there prior to its recent renovation.  I had noticed how nice the place was looking since it was redone, even though we had never been in there before.  It looks like they bought the building to the left of the original structure and about doubled the size of the restaurant.  Since they open at 4:00pm on Sundays, we decided to have a look.  As it turned out, it was a good thing we got there early.

Bill and I awkwardly sat down at a booth close to the door and not far from the impressive bar.  I was admiring the beautifully made tables and benches.  They are very solid and high quality.  It took some time before the bartender approached us.  I didn’t realize that he was working alone and was feeling a little weird.  At first, I suggested that we just have a drink and then head to The Auld Rogue.  But then, maybe after we’d been sitting for about ten or fifteen minutes, the bartender came over.  He was friendly, spoke excellent English, and very quickly brought us our first round, a Bock and and a Keller Bier.

The bar area.  Note the dartboard on the right.

Obligatory shot of Bill.  He was mid sentence.

My bock…

 

Bill’s beer…

 

Really impressive television.  I counted four of them in the upstairs dining room.  There is also a downstairs dining room, which has its own rest room.

 

Nice menu.

About halfway into my beer, I decided I wanted to stay and have dinner.  Wirtshaus Drive Biergarten offers Swabian specialties, pizzas, pasta, and spare ribs.  They also have a children’s menu and daily specials.  I decided I wanted to try their American spare ribs.  Bill had the pork Wiener Schnitzel.

Look over Bill’s left shoulder at the dog, who was working the tables the whole time we were there.  That dog is obviously a fixture.

The dog is sitting under the table as a lady watches the football game…

 

The restaurant began to fill up as we waited for our dinners.  Before long, all of the seating near the bar area was taken.  It wasn’t long before I realized that Bill and I were sitting in prime real estate as far as bar patrons were concerned.  Lots of people were having to settle for the dining area in the newer part of the restaurant.  For some reason, they didn’t turn on the TV in that area.

The crowd thickens…

 

Our food arrived fairly quickly… and it was enough food for four people!

My pork ribs, which came with delicious potato wedges and a garlic and dill dipping sauce that was very addictive.  I have had better ribs, though these were not bad at all.  The barbecue sauce was a little mild for my taste, and that’s really saying something.  On the other hand, that dip for the potatoes was like crack.

 

Bill’s garden variety schnitzel.  This was nothing to write home about, though Bill enjoyed it.

 
 
  
 

Both dishes came with salads dressed with a mild yogurt dressing.  I appreciated that they also brought us ketchup and mayo for the potatoes.

 

I managed to finish the ribs, but still had lots of potatoes left.  Bill ate about half of his schnitzel and neither of us got more than half of our salads down.  We were able to take the leftovers to go, though I doubt they gave me the garlic sauce.  That was the best part of the meal!

We decided to have one more round…  and the place got even busier!

Sign outside the restaurant.

The front facade.

 

As the sun went down, more people crowded in.  I started to watch the football game and  I’ll be damned if it wasn’t exciting.  It was a match between Stuttgart and Schalke.  I don’t usually follow sports, but I caught myself enjoying the camaraderie in the restaurant.  The place was mostly full of Germans who cheered loudly for each exciting and impressive play, even when the guy on the Schalke team did a cartwheel after scoring a goal.  I think I wouldn’t mind watching soccer over American football.  For those who want to chastise me for that, realize that I don’t follow team sports at all!  Neither does Bill.

When things were really rocking in the restaurant, we decided it was time to pay up and go.  Just as Bill asked for the check, a tall German guy asked if he and his family could share our table.  Bill made his evening by telling him we were leaving sofort.   The guy brightened up and thanked Bill as he and his family swooped in and snagged our table.  Bill paid our 38 euro check and we split… sofort.

We really enjoyed our visit to Wirtshaus Drive.  Though we didn’t get a chance to see this establishment before they fixed it up, we were impressed by how nice it looks inside after the obviously extensive renovations.  It’s clear the owners invested a lot of money into upgrading the restaurant.  We also peeked at the biergarten and determined that when the weather is better, we will have to visit so we can try it out.

The food at the restaurant is fairly good.  I’ve had better and I’ve had much worse.  Next time, I may opt for a pasta dish.  We liked the bar because it’s comfortable and offers a different vibe than The Auld Rogue does.  While we’d probably go to The Auld Rogue for its fine whiskys, Irish beers, good food, great music, and American clientele, Wirtshaus Drive offers a refreshing change of pace in a very pleasant environment.  If you want to visit on a game day and sit near the bar, I recommend getting there early.  I’m sure we’ll be back.

P.S. On the way home, we passed the Haslacher Hof and noticed that they, too, were watching the same game on huge TVs.  I could see it from the road as we drove by the restaurant.  Maybe it’s time we resubscribed to German cable.  I think I could get into football and maybe it would help me learn German.

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Our first trip to Daily Burger…

About a month ago, Bill and I heard about how good the burgers are at Daily Burger, a small restaurant near the Schwaben Galerie in Vaihingen.  Since we definitely like our burgers, we decided we needed to try it.  Today was the big day.

Outside of the restaurant.  I often get a kick out of trying German versions of “American” food.

The weather was pretty miserable today.  It was cold and rainy.  Daily Burger opens at 3:00pm on Sundays.  I figured it wouldn’t be that busy because it was the middle of the day.  I was mistaken.  The dining room at Daily Burger is very small and no frills and every seat inside was taken.  They have a tent heated by propane heaters and the gentleman ahead of us requested to sit out there with his daughter.  Bill and I decided to join them, since there was nowhere else to sit.  But first, we had to make an order.

Daily Burger has a small menu.  You can get a beef burger, a chicken burger, or a veggie burger.  They also offer chicken wings.  You have a choice of three buns: sesame, hell, or koerner.  Bill tried the koerner bun, while I had the sesame bun.  There are several available free toppings which include tomatoes, raw onions,  roasted onions or pickles.  You can also pay extra for an egg, cheese, bacon, rucola, an extra patty, or jalapeno peppers.  Mustard, ketchup, and mayonnaise are free, while barbecue sauce is extra.

Bill and I both got combos, which include pommes and a drink.  I had a Coke and Bill had a Mezzo Mix; they came in small bottles  The lady who helped us spoke perfect English and was efficient as she took our orders.  She handed us a beeper and we went outside to wait.

On a nicer day, it wouldn’t have been bad at all to sit in the tent.  The heater was somewhat effective in warming the space.  I could still see my breath, though, and my hands were freezing during the short wait for our order to be prepared.

Obligatory shot of Bill.

Nice tables outside.  I sat right under the heater.  Bill insisted.  On a nice day, this might even be preferable to the indoor seating, since it’s very no frills.  Today, it was very bitter cold.

My cheeseburger.  It had mustard, ketchup, pickles, and lettuce.  The patty was very thin and tasted like it might be beef and pork mixed.  It was piping hot when I got it and the bun tasted very fresh, like it had been made on the premises.  I really liked the bun.  The fries were also delicious, but there were a whole lot of them.  Bill and I each only managed half.  Next time, we’ll order one combo and a burger and share the fries.  I don’t mind having extras, though… they were really good.

Bill’s sandwich.  He had barbecue sauce, pickles, cheese, and lettuce.  His sandwich seemed bigger than mine.  Both had a lot of condiments on them, to the point at which they were pretty messy.  I could have used another napkin.

Total damage for this lunch was about eighteen euros.  We both liked the food well enough, though it was definitely not Five Guys.  Next time, I may try the chicken or the wings.  I think I might like that better than the burgers.

I was so chilled after eating outside that I decided we needed to visit The Auld Rogue for a pint and maybe a little nip of scotch.  After dropping off our leftover fries, we walked over there and came in just in time for some live music.  A group was playing Irish music.  The first thing I did when I got there, though, was to hit the ladies room because I didn’t see one at Daily Burger.  To be fair, I didn’t look for one in the crowded restaurant.  It was too awkward.

A young girl standing in the hallway was playing with a tablet and said something to me.  At first I didn’t hear her.  She repeated herself in German.  I didn’t understand and said so.  She asked me if I’d been crying!  No… I was just looking a little like a drowned rat with too much eyeliner and a strong urge to pee.

The view from our table.  Bill ordered us a round of Guinness…

Another obligatory shot of Bill right before he ordered me a large Ardbeg to help ward off the chill.

I had to have a shot of the Irish True flag.

 

The band was decent, though I think they could have used another singer.  One lady sang and wasn’t bad, but they seemed more into playing than singing.  I heard a few harmonies and one guy was a decent singer, but I couldn’t hear him as well over the jamming.  Never mind, though… it was entertaining.  I especially liked it when they sang “Always Look On The Bright Side of Life”.  I noticed a couple of Christy Moore songs, too.  Later, after the broke up, it became clear that they were Germans doing a pretty good job of playing Irish music.

We talked to the proprietor, Nick, about a trip to Ireland The Auld Rogue is planning for Memorial Day weekend.  That may be a trip I’ll have to do…  Nick said it would include some stops at distilleries and a craft beer festival…  A boozer like me is all over that.  We asked him to send us the info and we’ll see if we can make it happen.

I was surprisingly warm on the walk back to the car.  I suppose a couple of large drams of scotch will do that to a person.  We stopped at the commissary for a few necessary items, since Bill has to go away again soon.

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A visit to King’s Palace in Vaihingen…

Bill and I had made tentative plans to go out yesterday.  We ended up staying in because our dog, Zane, somehow hurt his paw while Bill was walking the dogs yesterday morning.  After a trip to the on call vet in our area, where Bill dropped 88 euros for an office visit, x-ray, anti-inflammtory shot, and pills, we decided to stay home and make sure Zane was okay.  I’m not complaining about the vet’s prices, by the way.  In the United States, we would have spent way more money.  Zane is fine today, so we decided to stop by Panzer and Patch.  In between stops, we had lunch at King’s Palace, an Asian eatery in the Schwaben Gallerie complex in Vaihingen.

The front door to King’s Palace…

The last time I ate at King’s Palace was when we lived here the first time.  In fact, I think it was during the six weeks we lived at the Vaihinger Hof hotel in Vaihingen, so that would have been October 2007.  I remembered the interior of the place to be kind of fancy.  Having walked past the restaurant dozens of times since we moved back, I can see that it hasn’t changed at all.

At about 1:00 today, King’s Palace was hopping with business.  A young, hardworking waiter directed us to a two top table on the side of the restaurant nearest to the sun.  They had drawn the shades, so the sun wasn’t directly in our faces.  Unfortunately, the restaurant was pretty warm because the weather today was unseasonably spring like.  I was feeling cranky because I was hungry.

We sat down at table 31, noticing that we arrived at the same time as a large party of Asians.  It was someone’s birthday.  They were all speaking German, but hung up a banner in English that read “Happy Birthday”.  As the large party greeted each other and got situated, Bill saw the look of irritation on my face.  When I start getting hangry, I get impatient and bitchy.  But he laughed and said I wasn’t the only one who was feeling grouchy as the partygoers settled at their table.

Bill checks out the menu.  Prices are reasonable, especially on the lunch menu, which is apparently not available on Sundays.

It took a few minutes before a waiter took our order.  Since King’s Palace has a rather extensive menu, the slow service was kind of welcome.  It took time to figure out what I wanted and what was most likely mushroom free.

Bill gives me an obligatory disinterested look…

I took this for Untappd…  It was refreshing in the stuffy restaurant.  Bill’s Krystalweizen came with a slice of lemon.

I made Bill laugh.  I think this is a memeworthy photo.

I started with chicken skewers, which curiously came out before Bill’s bowl of Thai soup.  They were welcome, since I was hungry.  The peanut sauce was surprisingly subtle.  I would have appreciated a little more peanut flavor.  However, I have to admit to scarfing these down…

 

Bill’s spicy Thai soup with shrimp.  I almost ordered this.  I’m glad I didn’t, because it had mushrooms in it.  Yecch!  Bill liked it, though.  He said it had a kick to it.  He likes that in his food… and his women.

Bill had chicken curry which was pretty good, except it too came with mushrooms.  I tasted a piece of the chicken and it was pretty good.  Too bad I hate fungus.

I had crispy duck with pineapple.  This was pretty good.  The pineapple didn’t appear to be fresh, but the peppers were.  I ate most of this, which was surprising.  But, like I said, I was feeling “hongry”.

Rice and my sweet and sour sauce.  We were relieved that they only brought out one pot.

 

Like many German Chinese restaurants we’ve been to, King’s Palace has warmers on the table.  Everything was served family style.  I appreciated that, even if the fungus in Bill’s selections precluded me from sharing his dishes.  We were pretty satisfied after lunch, which ran us about forty euros.  On the other hand, Bill and I had some take out Chinese food in Kemnat back in August 2014 that was absolutely delicious.  You wouldn’t think a take out place would have better food than a sit down place…  now I wish I remembered the name of the restaurant and lived in an area where I could get it more easily.

King’s Palace offers good food and the interior is kind of cool looking, but I’ve had better Asian food.  On the other hand, I’ve also had worse.  I’d recommend King’s Palace, though the atmosphere was pretty hectic and sort of uncomfortable today– crowded, stuffy, and warm.  I did appreciate how industrious and hard working the staff appeared to be, though.  And today’s choice was a nice change of pace from the German, Greek, and Italian places we’ve been frequenting lately.  My kingdom for a pu pu platter, though.

A house shot with the bill.  It reminded me a little of upscale Hawaiian Punch.

 

We stopped by the commissary to pick up a few items for the week.  While we were there, we donated a ham and a turkey to the USO and I chatted with one of my fellow Facebookers…  Then we went to the Class VI store, where I spotted the wine pictured below…

I’m always skeptical when I see wine so obviously presented to sell to tourists…  I skipped it and picked up a few bottles of plainer wines.

 
 
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Lovely lunch at the Mineraltherme… then a nice long soak…

To celebrate the fact that it’s the weekend and Aunt Flow isn’t here yet, Bill and I decided to head to the Mineraltherme Böblingen.  Today’s visit was our fourth ever and our second since we came back to Germany.  I really just wanted to unwind.  I think it would have been good for Bill, too, though it usually takes some doing to get him to agree to go.  Once he does, he’s usually glad he went.

I reviewed the mineral baths last time we went, which was at Easter.  If you want to know about the ins and outs of the baths, click here.  Today, I mostly want to focus on the restaurant at the Mineraltherme, Restaurant Thermini.  Bill and I ate there once last time we lived here.  I seem to remember having a turkey dish with quark and quince.  It was good, but not amazing.  Today, we went back for lunch and things were different.  First off, I’d swear the restaurant was bigger.  Secondly, I really liked what we had.

We started with a couple of big beers…

Then the waiter brought out shot glasses with lentil soup in them.

I had a delicious lachs (salmon) filet with spinach and latkes.  There was a light creme sauce, too.

Bill had the antipasto.  Lots of veggies (eggplant, carrots, endive, and zucchini), cheeses, cold cuts, and olives.

 

We also got very fresh bread of the baguette variety.  I really enjoyed my lunch.  Unfortunately, I had an incident involving something getting stuck in my throat.  You know when you try to swallow a pill and it gets stuck going down?  That’s kind of how I felt today, though it wasn’t quite as uncomfortable.  I swallowed and kept trying to flush it with beer, but it wouldn’t budge.  Fortunately, I’d had enough food by the time this happened.  Once I got changed and in the pools, the stuck food feeling went away.  It sucks getting older.  Total charge was 28 euros!  What a bargain!

Very pleasant place… mood music, good service, tables not too close together, and an outdoor area that allows smoking for those who must.

After lunch, Bill and I paid 22 euros (11 euros each) for 3.5 hours in the Mineraltherme.  As usual, it was very relaxing and today it wasn’t all that busy.  I did see a few young couples making out and at least one pissy grandmother who seemed annoyed by all the face sucking going on.  But I also saw an adorable young mom who looked like Kirsten Dunst and her cute little boy, a smiling lad of maybe three who was having a blast.  No one bothered us as we soaked and floated in the many heated salty pools.  I kept looking at the stairs leading to the nude area, but Bill wasn’t having it.  Someday, I’ll brave the naked part of the Mineraltherme.  I have nothing to lose.  Seriously, no one cares what your goodies look like.

After about two and a half hours, Bill complained of being itchy and pruney skinned, so we covered up and tried the snack bar, run by the same people who run the restaurant.  Indeed, it’s attached to the restaurant, so you can use your chipband to “pay” for your order (you actually pay at the automat on the way out of the baths).  We each enjoyed a generous glass of Gruner Veltliner.  I “might” have also had a glass of rose.  Total for the three glasses of wine was 12 euros and it was interesting to watch people. Bill had a good time watching a couple of young guys being rebuffed by two girls who weren’t into them.  Actually, only one of the guys seemed to want to find a date.  The other guy just seemed to want to hang out with his buddy.

On the way home from the Mineraltherme, we passed a horrible accident on the north side of 81 involving a jackknifed and overturned horse trailer.  Thankfully, the horses seemed to be fine, though I can’t imagine how they escaped unscathed.  The trailer was literally on its side.  Traffic was understandably backed up.  Good thing we were headed south.  ETA:  My German friend Susanne has helpfully provided this link to a German news story about this wreck.  It includes 17 photos.  Again, I am truly shocked the horses were mostly okay after this, although the grey one was apparently and understandably traumatized and didn’t want to be loaded into another trailer.  Frankly, I can’t blame the horse for that!

We went to the Real.  Jettingen has one, but I have only been in it a handful of times.  Bill usually goes there on his way home from work.  It was a treat to go with him today because I goaded him into buying me some treats.

It was raining and sunny at the same time, so I was able to snap this shot…

Turkish food at Real.  We got some cheese for Bill to try.  It comes from Kars, which is a Turkish city very close to Armenia.  In fact, it was once part of Armenia.  I was once at the bus station in that city for several hours… and we had to take a bus from Kars to the Georgian border because you can’t get to Armenia from Kars.  I am not a fan of Ayran, but know what it is because Armenians drink a similar yogurt drink called tan (pronounced tawn).  

Good old crappy Efes.  Drank a lot of this in Armenia.  Shitty Turkish beer, but it’s not all that bad on draft.

Real Budweiser.  Good stuff.

And an obligatory bathroom condom dispenser photo.

 

All in all, it was a very good day.  I had made tentative plans to go to Cocina Mexicana if only because it’s such a controversial place.  We didn’t go today because it wasn’t open until 4:30 and I needed food sooner than then.

Bill and I were here when the Cocina Mexicana was by the Esso in Vaihingen and avoided it because we had heard the food wasn’t good.  Now we hear the food isn’t necessarily bad (depending on who you ask), but the owner is a bit nutty.  Given that, I want to see for myself, even if it means eating bad “Mexican” food.  And who knows?  Maybe we’ll be pleasantly surprised.  We will try to get there soon to try it.  Too bad it’s not open on Sundays, because that is when we are usually in Vaihingen.  If it turns out the food and service is too horrible, we’ll just head to Taverna Olympos.  Been wanting to try that place, too, and never did last time we were here.

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A review of The Auld Rogue Irish Pub in Vaihingen, Stuttgart, Germany…

Bill and I went shopping today, which we often do on Sundays.  We decided to have some lunch and ended up in Vaihingen.  We stopped at The Auld Rogue Irish pub .  Our visit was a little bittersweet for us, since when we lived in a Vaihingen area hotel in 2007, we used to eat at that restaurant… only then, it was called Taverna Faros and served excellent Greek food.  One day in 2008, we came back there to find that the place had changed hands (at that point, it was a disco– obviously that venture didn’t last, either).  Rumor had it that the Greek guy who owned it hadn’t paid his taxes and had to close.

Anyway, now it’s an Irish pub and though we did have some great Greek food there back in the day, we were equally pleased by the Irish cuisine.  A sign outside offered spare ribs with BBQ sauce.  I think I should have ordered that instead of the bacon cheeseburgers Bill and I both had.  It’s not that the sandwiches weren’t good; it’s just that I would have liked to have tried something other than what Bill was eating.  But I was craving a cheeseburger, so I gave in…

Bill enjoys a fabulous Guinness draft, served by a very cheerful Irish lass with a delightful lilting accent.

Cheeseburger with Irish bacon…  The chips were delicious!  We enjoyed ours with malt vinegar.

 

I thought the cheeseburger was pretty good, though I have had better.  For a restaurant in Germany, though, they did a good job.  The fries were to die for.  I noticed they had a number of different burgers and wraps as well as an Irish breakfast and fish and chips.  When we visit again, I will have to have the fish and chips.

Bill passed on a second beer, but our waitress could tell I wanted one…  Must have been the glint in my eye and the fact that I have lots of Scots-Irish blood…  Love the clover!

 

I could tell the place is popular with Americans.  In fact, I never heard the waitress or bartender speak German.  When we came in, we were greeted in English.  The service is fast and friendly and the waitress keeps track of your bill by writing on your coaster.  Though we didn’t have dessert, one guy sitting near us did and it looked really yummy.

The bar offers whiskey/whisky tastings, quiz nights, live entertainment, and football games on TV.  The whiskey tastings looked especially interesting and were priced surprisingly well.  The next one is December 13th.  I noticed a sign urging patrons to book early.  I liked the Irish music that was playing, too.

Outside…

The Auld Rogue is on the main drag going through Vaihingen and it would be tough to miss it.  We parked at the Schwaben Galerie, but there’s also some street parking.  If you’re in the mood for a little Irish style food and drink, I’d encourage you to drop by for a pint or two.  The bar is Irish owned and run and seems very authentic.  We found it a refreshing change of pace.

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