Shopping for Groceries in Stuttgart

Shopping for Groceries in Stuttgart

My intent in starting this blog was to share my culinary adventures in and around Stuttgart since I enjoy food and make an effort to find good dining experiences. However, my husband and I spend most of the work week cooking and, to some extent, trying to imitate many of the delicious meals that we've eaten here and abroad. With this in mind, I thought it might be useful to write a post on shopping for groceries in case you, like me, are an expat in Stuttgart looking for the right ingredient for your favorite meals...

Street Food Thursdays in the Karlsplatz

Street Food Thursdays in the Karlsplatz

I was really excited to find out last week that someone recognized the high demand for street food in Stuttgart and decided to organize a weekly location for food trucks. The group called Gaumenfreude seems pretty serious about it, too, though it was only through a casual mention by a friend last week that I learned about it. Though it was too late for me to attend their first Thursday at the Karlsplatz downtown, I made sure to mark my calendar for the second and got my chance last night. 

Because it's been so hot in Stuttgart lately, we didn't make our way down there until about 8 pm. I was immediately relieved to see that there weren't huge crowds or long lines (probably helped by the Sommerfest currently going on). I was also amused to see foosball tables, beach chairs, and a live band set up for the evening...

American Grilling at TC BBQ

American Grilling at TC BBQ

There's something about summertime that always makes me want to grill my food. Unfortunately, we live in an apartment without a balcony or yard, and so our chances for grilling are few and far between. That's one reason why I was so excited to hear about an American BBQ restaurant in Stuttgart called TC BBQ. 

A quick note on American food: My reaction upon seeing the "American" food section in our German grocery store usually varies between laughter and tears. Forget the culinary complexity of dishes like Louisiana gumbo, New England clam chowder, and Chicago deep dish pizza; the grocery store aisle seems to reduce the U.S.'s contribution to world cuisine to pop tarts, cheese wiz, and marshmallows. But I think the U.S. has a whole lot more to offer to the world's cuisine, including the South and Midwest's barbecue...

Celebrating Seasonal Produce at the Stuttgart Market

Celebrating Seasonal Produce at the Stuttgart Market

One of the great things about living in Stuttgart is that there are always plenty of opportunities to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. I hesitate to say more, because I remember more farmer's stands growing up around farms in Maryland, and in Charlottesville, VA we had a Saturday farmer's market. Still, it seems that Stuttgart has all of that between the many tucked-away produce stands, the covered Markthalle, and the many smaller village markets. The best, though, has to be the Wochenmarkt that makes an appearance not just on Saturdays, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays, too...

Playing the Tourist in Stuttgart

Playing the Tourist in Stuttgart

We've been fortunate enough to have several family members and friends come to visit us over the last three years. As a result, we've developed a pretty solid list of things to see and do in and around Stuttgart. Whether you're just visiting Stuttgart or have lived here for a while and want to take some time to experience the city like the tourists do (which I always recommend), I hope you'll find our list helpful, too...

Dining Out at Restaurant Ganesha

Dining Out at Restaurant Ganesha

After the delicious tasting plate we had at the Stuttgart Street Food Market, we decided to check out Restaurant Ganesha to see if their other dishes were just as good. Now as a disclaimer, we actually went here about a month ago, and I've been holding off on a blog post because I hadn't quite figured out what to say. I think I'm finally ready for a summary. 

Restaurant Ganesha has three locations -- one in the West, the East, and in Fellbach. We tried the Stuttgart-West location on Rotebühlstraße as it was closest to the friends we were meeting for dinner. My first impression of the restaurant was that it looks stunning. They have a gorgeous entranceway and interior with warm colors, large murals, and lots of plants. Because the weather was so lovely, we chose to sit on the patio out back and were quickly seated despite not having a reservation. This didn't seem to be a problem as the restaurant wasn't very busy, even though it was a Saturday night around 7 pm...

A World of Food at the SommerFestival der Kulturen

A World of Food at the SommerFestival der Kulturen

Part of my intent in starting this blog a little over a year ago was to explore Stuttgart's culinary scene more thoroughly. I often lamented Stuttgart's lack of dining diversity as compared to some of the other cities we've visited, but the more I've blogged, the more I've searched for and found the diversity that I was craving. Though it may not be as obvious as in larger cities like Berlin and London, Stuttgart definitely has a lot of hidden gems. 

One major bonus has got to be the festivals, and imagine my surprise when I discovered a new (to me) one downtown! Just around the corner from the Hamburger Fischmarkt, the SommerFestival der Kulturen has pitched their tents and stage in front of the Rathaus in the Marktplatz. Yes, I'd heard of it, but for some reason never made the effort to go. Now, seeing as I write a food blog, I thought I'd be remiss if I didn't at least make the effort this year, and I was really very pleasantly surprised...

My New Favorite Burgers in Stuttgart at The Burger Republic

My New Favorite Burgers in Stuttgart at The Burger Republic

After the delicious truffle burgers from The Burger Republic that we ate at the second street food festival a few weeks ago, The Burger Republic jumped to the top of my list. If you've been following along with my search for a good burger in Stuttgart, then you know I finally found the right type of patty at the [m]eatery. They had some pretty solid, simple burgers that I really enjoyed. However, at 12-18€ per burger, they're not really an anytime kind of meal. And so, I was super excited to finally have the chance to check out The Burger Republic on Friday night. 

The Burger Republic has a great location on Marienstraße at the end of the Konigstraße in the pedestrian area before the new Gerber shopping mall. Though the restaurant with its all-black, stylized front has a counter seating and a second floor with standard tables, we chose to enjoy the nice weather and sit at the family-style benches out front...

Color and Spice at the Afrika-Festival

Color and Spice at the Afrika-Festival

Last night after the heat of the day had subsided, we decided to get some dinner while checking out the Afrika-Festival at Erwin-Schoettle-Platz in Stuttgart West. I'd seen the festival advertised for some time now, and wanted to see what it was all about. 

We decided to take the u-bahn to Marienplatz and walk up to stretch our legs some. As we approached, the slow trickle of pedestrians around us increased to a steady stream, and we could hear the up-beat rhythm of an African tune blaring from a distant loudspeaker...