In my last post, I talked about all the things we saw and did in London for the first four days of our trip. After taking in the capital, we hopped in the car and began our UK road trip...
Recap: UK Road Trip
Stuttgart's First Craft Beer Festival By Kraftpaule
Yesterday was rather important for Germany as the 23rd of April 2016 marked the 500th anniversary of the Reinheitsgebot, the German beer purity law. Quite simply, the law, which originated in Bavaria, limits the production of beer to just water, barley, and hops. The law was enacted in order to protect Germans from unscrupulous brewers who would put some rather nasty additives into their beer, like wood shavings and soot. Even today, the Reinheitsgebot is largely still followed as it's become a symbol of quality and national pride for Germans. (You can read more about it in this helpful article posted by the BBC.)
And so, it was perhaps with more than a bit of irony that Kraftpaule, a new local pub, decided to celebrate the 500th anniversary with Stuttgart's first ever Craft Beer Festival. If the sold-out, 3,000-person attendance is anything to go by, then the event was a huge hit and no one seemed to mind that their double chocolate stout and whiskey porter did not fall under the beloved Reinheitsgebot (and neither did we)...
A World of Tastes at the Markt des Guten Geschmacks 2016
Every year at the Messe (meaning fairgrounds), the Markt des Guten Geschmacks (the market of good tastes) comes to town. I've somehow missed it the last couple of years, and so even though we've had a really busy week having just come back from our vacation in Italy (a post on that is coming soon!), I decided that I just couldn't miss this event again.
The Markt des Guten Geschmacks is part of the Slow Food movement that began with Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986. The group advocates for regional, sustainable, and artisanal foods, and local chapters organize events like this one all over the world. Germany's own chapter was founded in 1992, and they've since worked to promote the slow food philosophy at events around Germany...
More Great Street Food at Gaumenfreude's Großer Foodtruck Weihnachtsmarkt
When a company called Gaumenfreude started organizing Street Food Thursdays in the Karlsplatz this past summer, I was thrilled! I love the variety and portion sizes at food trucks, and although Gaumenfreude's first market started out a bit hit-or-miss, I stuck with it and returned again and again to try the new food trucks that they were able to bring to Stuttgart. Over time, I had some great burgers and pulled pork, and yes, even some halfway decent Mexican food. And so because they came through in the end, I decided to go check out their Großer Foodtruck Weihnachtsmarkt in Zuffenhausen today to see if they could still deliver...
Recap: For the Love of Food in Amsterdam
I was recently in Amsterdam for a long weekend on a business trip, and although I was in a conference hall all day (albeit one with a view!), I was free to explore the city at night. Stuttgart has some great restaurants, but there's really something special about Dutch cuisine. They seem to have perfected small bites and international fusion, making Amsterdam a real foodie playground.
Luckily, I was able to visit some favorites that I blogged about in my last post, including Café de Prins, Arendsnest, and Fier. None failed to please me during this second time around, but I also got the chance to visit two new locations that took my love of Amsterdam to a new level...
Recap: Savoring American Cuisine in Seattle, Part 2
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...
Recap: Savoring American Cuisine in Seattle, Part 1
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...
Celebrating Local Craft Beer at Cast Brauerei's Hopfenfest
Even though the Volksfest is over for this season, we're still celebrating the arrival of fall with craft beer and various smaller festivals. In fact, this past weekend we attended the Hopfenfest at Cast Brauerei. We first heard about this local brewery about a year ago from some of our foodie friends. I can't say that I know many people who've heard of them (they don't sell any of their beer in the grocery stores because they brew in such small batches), though they always seem to be sold out due to their popularity.
According to their website, the name Cast comes from CA for California and ST for Stuttgart. Their logo -- a crest with a bear and horse -- similarly comes from the California and Stuttgart flags. Their speciality is California-style ale, which seems to be rather rare in Germany, though I feel like I've seen similar craft brewers become more and more popular over the past few years. Cast itself was only established in 2010...
Craft Beer and Burgers at 87
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...
Recap: A Relaxing Weekend on the Bodensee
With summer winding down, my husband and I decided to take one last weekend trip to enjoy the beautiful weather. We've stayed local this summer after our amazing trip to Ireland, choosing to visit some of the nearby sights of Schwäbisch Hall and Schloss Hohenzollern instead. We've been all over Baden-Württermberg, but one location remained on our list: the Bodensee.
I remember before we moved to Suttgart three years ago that a friend of ours who studied abroad in Konstanz (also known as Constance in English) on the Bodensee (or Lake Constance) said it was the most beautiful place he'd ever been and that we had to visit. Still, we always pushed aside our plans to travel there as the train fare was either too expensive or we couldn't find an affordable hotel at short notice. However, with a little planning ahead and a creative definition of a weekend (Sunday-Monday), I was able to pull something together. And so, with our tickets booked and our bag packed, we set out on the 2-1/2 journey south of Stuttgart to Konstanz...