The weather is starting to get a bit warmer and the skies a bit sunnier here in Stuttgart. Spring is definitely on its way, and with it comes a whole new round of festivals and outings. And so to continue my series on upcoming events, here's my next installment on culinary happenings in the area during March and April...
Over the holidays I made my first trip back to the States in two-and-a-half years. While I wasn't exactly returning home (I come from Maryland and Virginia), I did consider my trip a kind of return to my "mother culture". I was both excited and curious by how much might have changed, either in me or in the US, and I was not disappointed.
My visit took place over the course of about nine days, during which I spent most of my time with my mother in Florida and on a brief trip to Charleston, South Carolina (though I'll save that for another post). Here are my overall impressions...
One of my colleagues decided to get a group of us together for brunch before the start of the work week. His proposed destination: Taverna Yol. I'd never been to Taverna Yol, but my colleague promised delicious Turkish food at their all-you-can-eat brunch and I just couldn't turn down the opportunity. And so this morning, we rushed out the door last minute (per usual) in order to meet the group of about 20 of us. By the time we arrived at 11:15, the restaurant was already packed and brunch was in full swing.
The brunch buffet was set up near the entrance. They had a huge table piled high with food including fresh-baked breads, olives, fresh cheeses, tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted eggplant and zucchini, rice with pine nuts, sausage cooked in a tomato and egg sauce, chicken in a cream sauce, spiced tuna, dolma (stuffed grape leaves), and sigara boregi (long, thin pastries stuffed with cheese)...
The last time we were in the area of Marienplatz we passed Goldener Adler and had a peek at the menu posted outside. We'd never heard of the restaurant before, but the appetizer special with a chorizo-saffron risotto looked delicious. And so when Valentine's Day came around last weekend, we scrolled through out list to see what looked good, and Goldener Adler won. (Note that we ate on Friday night -- really, Valentine's Day was just an excuse, and since they were booked for the actual day, we happily went with the day before.)
We (almost) promptly arrived for our reservation at 7:30 pm, by which time the restaurant was packed. I didn't get a picture of the inside, but it was nice -- old-world style elegance, but somewhere between German pub and hip-modern. The atmosphere was somewhat laid back, and I noticed a mix of businessmen after work, families with kids, and young couples like us. The restaurant was also happy to accommodate Leo, which I always appreciate (as did the toddler who kept making eyes at him, I'm sure)...
People have been telling me for over a year now that Alaturka is the place to go for a kebab in Stuttgart. Maybe it's because I have trouble justifying going out to dinner for a kebab (I think of it as I'm-too-lazy-to-cook-food or I'm-hungover-food) or maybe it's because we've been so satisfied with our local kebab shop, but whatever the reason, I hadn't made it to Alaturka until last weekend when my husband suggested it.
And so, after a lazy, relaxing Saturday catching up on TV shows and reading, we finally bundled ourselves up against the cold and walked down the hill towards Olgastraße. We hadn't walked far before my husband said we'd arrived and opened up a low door into a rustic, almost cave-like interior. The stone walls were lined with wooden shelves piled high with Turkish trinkets and various bottles of spices and wine. It would have been dark except for the large center island finished with bright blue tiles...
My first exposure to Turkish food was when I studied abroad in France as a college student. There was a kebab shop in the center of Montpellier that we went to a few times for the cheap, but delicious kebap sandwiches. From then on, kebabs were my mental model for "Turkish food", and while the prevalence of kebab shops around Stuttgart doesn't do much to dispell this myth to the casual tourist, I've since come to appreciate the variety of Turkish food (or at least German Turkish food) thanks to Sultan Saray.
I'm been to Sultan Saray on two occasions now and had a delicious meal both times. The rest of Stuttgart must agree with my tastes, because despite the fact that Sultan Saray has three different locations, I've found each one packed on most nights for dinner...
Our hunt for an American burger in Stuttgart began just a few months after our arrival. Sure, we can make our own, but nothing quite beats the delicious, mile-high burgers that we were used to in Charlottesville.
Our first stop was Block House, an American-style steakhouse with two locations in Stuttgart. While I rather enjoy their affordable steaks and baked potatoes, their burger was a mediocre, pressed (possibly frozen?) patty. The same is true of my favorite after-work happy hour location, Pier 51, which admittedly has a better flavor thanks to the homemade barbecue sauce, though again, the patty is still pressed. Last year we also tried 87 in Bad Cannstatt, which served some tasty combinations, like their "Chutney Burger" with an apple-ginger chutney, pear slices, and cheese. However, once again, the patties are pressed...
Since I've started blogging, I've been thrilled to find lots of other great blogs and bloggers who share similar interests as mine. And while the blogging sphere in Stuttgart is still rather small, I'm not alone. This past week, in fact, I got a message from the lovely M over at Kaffee und Kuchen. We'd known each other for several months now through blog posts and comments, and she asked if I'd be interested in a face-to-face meeting. I was happy to agree.
Being both foodies, I offered up a list of lunch places that I'd been wanting to try, and we quickly settled on Hüftengold. I'm actually a bit ashamed to admit that although I've lived two blocks from this tiny café for over two years, I've been to sit down. That said, I have tried their delicious shrimp curry and homemade caramel-stracciatella ice cream at the Bohnenviertelfest this past summer. I was excited to go back "for real" this time...
With so many guests in town over the holidays, we naturally had to schedule a few events to keep us all occupied and to give our family the chance to get the most out of their time in Europe. One place that they all wanted to visit was Zurich in Switzerland, and since we'd never been before, we gladly agreed to go for a quick day trip.
The day was especially eventful as it began to snow as soon as we left our house, making for a lovely train ride south. The train system in Europe really is superb. From Stuttgart it only takes about three hours to get to Zurich. And since we were traveling with six or more guests (Leo, our beagle, included), we got Deutsche Bahn's special rate at only 40 euros per person round trip. Sadly, upon our arrival, the snow quickly turned to a slushy snow-rain mixture. Despite the setback, after changing some of our euros into Swiss Francs at the train station, we made our way down Bahnhofstraße to explore the city.
The day was especially eventful as it began to snow as soon as we left our house, making for a lovely train ride south...
To continue my series about events in and around Stuttgart, here's my next installment on the upcoming culinary happenings in the area during January and February.
After the build-up to Christmas with the many Weihnachtsmärkte and the craziness of New Years Eve, it seems like the city makes a New Year's resolution to take it easy for a while. Either that, or the cold, grey weather forces everyone indoors. Whatever the reason, in my experience not a lot goes on in January and February. There is, however, one event to look forward to...
