My title is a bit misleading. El Mero Mexicano is actually in Fellbach, about fifteen minutes outside of Stuttgart by S-bahn. But when you've been deprived of Mexican food as we have in Germany, then it's worth the extra travel time to get to the restaurant. It is (especially since Mezcal^2 closed this year) probably the best Mexican food that that you can get in this city. The head chef and owner hails from Mexico, and you can taste the authenticity in the corn tortillas...
After moving to Stuttgart, we perhaps ironically discovered not only German cuisine, but also African cuisine, most notably Ethiopian. I say "African cuisine" with the full knowledge that Africa is a huge continent with a great variety in its cuisine from coast to coast, and yet I'm still just starting to learn what that variety looks like. Thanks to several trips to Ambiente Africa in Stuttgart-Mitte, I'm continuing my adventure through Africa one dish at a time...
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...
This past week a new colleague of mine threw a birthday part at Breitengrad 17, a Vietnamese restaurant downtown (déjà vu, anyone?). The restaurant has been on our list to try for some time, but with Takeshii's being one of our long-time favorites, we've usually just gone there instead. However, with such a great opportunity, we couldn't turn it down...
Ever since our failed burger meal at Woody's, we've been on the hunt for a good, American-style burger in Stuttgart. We've heard from several people that the [m]eatery is the place to go, and though we've been before for dinner, we didn't try the burgers. And so, with Matt and I both off work again this past Friday, we decided to take advantage of the lovely weather and the [m]eatery's lunch menu by checking out their burgers.
I so rarely get to go out for lunch, that it makes the few times I do seem very exciting! We could have made reservations online, but we decided to take a chance and show up without one. We walked to the [m]eatery's location downtown between the Königstraße and Calwerstraße and had no problem getting a patio table for two at around 1pm. I was especially glad to see their patio was out, as some but not all restaurants in Stuttgart have started setting them up. The weather was absolutely lovely on Friday -- it even hit 73 degrees! (Fahrenheit) -- making it perfect patio weather...
I mentioned Takeshii's a while back in my post on the Bohnenviertelfest, but I've been meaning to devote a full post to it for a while now. Finally the opportunity arose this past weekend when a friend of mine decided to host her birthday party there. Since Takeshii's is one of my neighborhood favorites, I couldn't turn her down.
We met for a late dinner outside the restaurant in the Bohnenviertel. The restaurant sits in a corner spot halfway between the Charlottenplatz and Rathaus U-bahn stations and up a flight of stairs. The interior is beautifully decorated with greenery and flowers all around, a stunning black bar, gold detailing in the ceiling and walls, and giant floor-to-ceiling photos of tattooed men that add just a bit of an edge to the space...
Last weekend we really wanted to try a Mexican restaurant in town that had been recommended to us by a reader of my blog (thank you, Nico!). Good Mexican food is not as easy to find here as in the States, and we still haven't found a good go-to place. Unfortunately, our lack of planning and the restaurant's popularity meant we were unable to get a reservation. Not to be put off, we planned ahead and made a reservation for Wednesday night.
We walked to Mezcal^2 (yes, the name is Mezcal to the power of two) with our dog from our apartment, which only took about 20 minutes or so. When we arrived at around 7:00 pm, the one room restaurant was a bit empty, which was a surprise after we couldn't get a table the previous weekend. The restaurant takes up a corner room at the edge of building, and is a big, open space with turquoise walls, colorful bunting, and a number of Mexican dolls for décor. We sat down at one of the smaller wooden tables with metal folding chairs (very rustic) and were quickly waited on by the only server in the restaurant...
Today I had the pleasure of eating brunch with a good many of my dear friends and coworkers. We decided to convene before the official start of the school year at our second annual Sunday brunch at Pier 51. Why Pier 51? Their brunch is one of the few "American-style" buffet brunches that I've found in Stuttgart, and while it is a bit pricey at 32€ per person (half price for children), I think we generally eat our money's worth given what's offered.
When you pay for the Sunday brunch, you get a good many choices including breads and toasts with butter and jam; yogurt and milk with many different kinds of cereal and müsli; fresh-squeezed juices, teas, and coffee; a hot buffet with bacon, sausages, eggs, waffles, and pancakes; and, my favorite section, a cold buffet with sliced meats and cheeses, smoked fish, grilled vegetables, salads, and other antipastos. The price of the buffet also includes one glass of Sekt (sparkling wine). And if you go early (around 11 am) and stay long enough (around 1 pm), they switch the hot buffet from breakfast to lunch, so you can help yourself to an additional array of pasta, vegetables, rice, fish, and meat along with a dessert table with fruit and mini-cups of various sweets...
For three days every July, the Bohnenviertel (meaning "bean quarter") in Stuttgart comes alive with music, food, and late-night shopping during the Bohnenviertelfest. It's a bit like a giant block party, and I love the celebratory atmosphere. The best thing about the Bohnenviertelfest is that many of the restaurants set up stalls and offer bites from their menu, so you can easily try several different kinds of food form the neighborhood's restaurants.
The Bohnenviertel is one of the oldest areas in Stuttgart and covers about ten small blocks. It gets its name from the staple food of the area's population, which grew beans as a way to supplement their diet. The gardens have since been replaced by houses, but you can still stroll through the cobblestone streets of the Bohnenviertel and admire the quarter's old-time charm. We live right next to the area, and it's filled with secondhand bookstores, antique shops, private art galleries, jewelry stores, craft stores, and lots of cafés and restaurants.
![Finally, American-style Burger Patties at the [m]eatery](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535c1783e4b0faf2733dd647/1428834753526-02SUQ3C80Y8GYHOWAJ65/image-asset.jpeg)
