Wednesday, March 22, 2006

der andechser, wiesbaden



i tasted a bit of bavarian hospitality last night. i spent the early part of this week visiting clients in wiesbaden, 30 minutes outside of frankfurt. in a mood for traditional german food, we went to der andechser, a german pub located in the cellar of what was once a monastery. from as far back as 1516, monks brewed a pure beer named andechser klosterbierre which is supposed to be beneficial for the body and soul. i'm not exactly a beer connoiseur but i did enjoy the light, draught beer like flavour profile and can see how it can be relaxing and nourishing at the same time :)

this was my first experience eating german food which to me evokes sauerkraut, pretzels and lots of meat. a german colleague translated the seven page plus menu and helped me decide on a few meatless options. as he was translating for me, he was enticed by the vegetarian dishes and so we shared two of the best on the menu.



the first dish we shared was semmelknodel (authentic bread noodles) served over mushrooms sauteed in a yummy white sauce with lots of cream on the side. i was trying hard not to pay attention to the carb and fat overload which would have certainly prevented me from fully enjoying this german comfort food. the dish was warm, mushy and very rich.



the second dish was a bavarian cheese plate and fingerling potatoes baked to perfection. only in germany do you have potatoes to dip in cheese!

i'd love to hear your experiences with german food so do leave a comment..

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

hey lulu,
while i haven't had much experience with authentic german food, my husband has. he and his family have frequented suppenkuche in san francisco and absolutely loved it. here's their website: http://www.suppenkuche.com/. i showed my husband your picture of the cheese plate, and boy, did that get him excited - hahaha. he is a huge fan of cheese. most of his experience he's had with german food has been with meat dishes, beer, and cheeses and no complaints.

7:11 pm  
Blogger lulu said...

hi payal,
thanks for the recommendation. looks like suppenkuche specialises in bavarian cuisine as well. they even have recipes on their website. cool!

8:16 pm  
Blogger gs said...

i travel to bavaria twice a year as you know, lulu.bavarians are very hospitable people and enjoy their drinks,food and dance.bavarian beer is very famous.and it is strong and dark.i had never any problem with my food.i get plenty of rice,mashed potatoes,salad and good natural curd like we get at home.i carry a few garnishings with me including pickles.
the bavarians,to give you a sharper perspective,do not like the germans.it is historical.
i visit a place called konigsee named after the river that runs through the city.i realised that germans are mad after fresh asparagus.that is when it blooms first during the season.that is all i can say on german food.
and if i remember right,their is an annual beer drinking festival in wiesbaden.

1:21 am  

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