I can't remember how we first heard about Schräglage, but I'm so glad we decided to try it last weekend for brunch. We'd seen that they advertise a "Surfer's Breakfast" with pancakes, and I wanted to find out if they were real, American-style pancakes or just another European imitation...
Last weekend after the craft beer festival, our group decided we were craving a sit-down meal with burgers. Though there was a food truck selling burgers at the venue, I couldn't tell by the passers-by what the quality of the burgers might be, and I was hesitant to try them after my long search for a good burger in Stuttgart. I didn't want to be disappointed again.
We decided that instead of taking a chance, we'd leave the venue and hop on the U-bahn to the city center where a new burger joint called The Burger House (a chain based out of Munich) recently opened. Of course we were still taking a chance on a new restaurant, but their Facebook pictures showed some pretty legit-looking burgers...
I swear I've been living here for almost four years, but somehow Heilige Drei Könige (translation: Three King's Day or Epiphany) caught me off guard. Here in Baden-Württemberg it's a federal holiday, meaning that everything (i.e. the grocery store) is closed on that day. And because we've been shopping daily for our meals since we moved to Germany, that meant that on Wednesday we were left without food in our tiny apartment fridge for dinner. Our solution? Look at our "Restaurants to Try" list, of course. And what piqued our interest the most? Burgers from Triple B -- Beef Burger Brothers...
In my last post I talked about all the things we saw and did while in Seattle. And so, without further ado, here's where we ate...
We just got back from a whirlwind week in Seattle full of family, friends, and food. Though as my sister-in-law joked before we got there, we mostly based our plans around food. That probably explains why I'm still feeling full and why I'm really, really missing seafood right now. All that aside, we had a fabulous time visiting our family and getting to know a new city (and for me, a new coast!).
Before I launch into our activities and meals, I want to mention a few general thoughts...
Before I start my review, I have to confess something: I don't like Pils. At least that is to say, I don't like any of the German Pils that I've had (nor any of the American ones for that matter). Sure, I understand the principal of having a neutral or light beer with your food to quench your thirst, but I prefer my alcoholic beverages to complement my food, not just wash it down.
Unfortunately, it seemed like when we moved to Germany a little over three years ago that Pils and Hefeweizen were the only two options. And while I'm still amazed that we've found longer beer lists on our trips abroad, I am pleased to say that Stuttgart, and to some extent Germany, finally seem to be getting on the craft beer wagon...
I've been so thrilled to experience the recent boom in street food in Stuttgart. Ever since the first (slightly unfortunate) event back in May, it seems organizers have been trying hard to learn from past mistakes and make these kinds of festivals worthwhile. I've been particularly impressed by the recent Street Food Thursdays in the Karlsplatz. If you follow me on Facebook, you've probably seen my photos from the past couple of Thursdays, which have offered more craft beers, more vegan and vegetarian options, and more international cuisine.
In fact, Facebook is how I first heard about the Street Food Festival in Böblingen-Sindelfingen. They've been posting teaser photos for months, so I knew this weekend's festival was going to be good. Unlike past events, they extended the festival to cover three days, helping to prevent a rush all on one day. They also charged a 3€ entrance fee. Now I know that they can be controversial, but I understand the need when you have to cover costs like trash cans, security, and toilets. And although the festival was a 20-minute ride on the S-bahn from the city center, it was located in the spacious "airfield" right next to the station...
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...
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...
A couple of weekends ago I found myself in Frankfurt am Main visiting with friends. Frankfurt has the biggest international airport in this part of the country, so we make it there somewhat regularly either to see friends arrive or leave from the airport, to go on our own adventures, or to visit our friends who live there. On this occasion, we had a couple of meals from some past favorites, but we also tried brunch at a our favorite Frankfurt bakery for the first time and loved it!
If you're ever in Frankfurt, here are three places that I recommend you try...
