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| Great Dining Halls of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland |
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By Bob Bestor
During those years of absence the Augustiner had been relegated to a storage shelf in our memory; tagged a good place indeed but very much on the beaten tourist path. When dusted off and taken out into the light, however, this extraordinary beer and food factory reminded us that it is one of a kind and a not-to-be-missed Munich stop. After about two sips of the Augustiner's splendid Helles Bier, we remembered just what a fascinating place it is with vaulted ceilings, stout pillars, dark paneling, tiled floors and a clientele that ranges from street people to corporate types; all of whom are ably tended to by smoothly efficient waiters who weave through the din with a practiced nonchalance. We had forgotten, too, just how good the beer and the Bavarian food is. The Augustiner is one of what, for lack of a better term, we will call the great dining halls of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Though more common in Germany, they are found in the large cities of all three of our countries. Our great dining halls have most of these qualities in common: Here are a few great dining halls where cuisine, environment and a diverse clientele have combined to become part of the local culture. They are places for people who think they don't make 'em like that anymore. Augustiner Grogastästtte, Munich Augustiner Grogaststtte, Neuhauser Strasse 27, Web: www.augustiner-restaurant.com Zeughauskeller, Zürich Zeughauskeller Zürich, Bahnhofstrasse 28a, at Paradeplatz , tel +41/01/211 2690 Gösser Bierklinik, Vienna Dine here in the covered inner courtyard, a room recently restored and which looks like a set from a 19th century Lehar operetta. No menu surprises: Schnitzel, of course; Tafelspitz (boiled beef); excellent soups and Austria's best beer, Gösser. Meals in the €11-22 range. Gösser Bierklinik, Steindlgasse 4, near Stephansdom, tel +43 /01/533 75 98, Web: www.goesser-bierklinik.at Peterskeller, Salzburg Find a table in the indoor-outdoor vaulted grotto cut into the rock wall of the Mnchberg, or settle indoors in one of the cozy, wood-paneled dining rooms. In the past few years, Peterskellers huge menu has gone a bit upmarket, but you can still get a bowl of boiled beef soup for less than $5, a plate of Zanderfilet (freshwater white fish) with potato salad is around $12 and Wiener Schnitzel for $15. A Steigl Pils is 2.70 ($3) and a quarter-liter of Grüner Veltliner from the Wachau district is 3.8 ($4.32) Peterskeller, St.-Peter-Bezirk 1-4, tel. +43/0662/8412680 Ratsweinkeller, Hamburg The food is a bit more refined than at our other great halls and fish is recommended. Noteworthy on our last visit were starters of smoked salmon; a scatter of tiny, deep-fried shrimp; and a delicate white fish over a small omelet with sliced tomatoes and a light horseradish sauce. Main courses of lobster served Newburg-style and salmon/trout in a shrimp sauce were first-rate. Expect to pay 26-38 ($30-$43) per person for a three-course meal. Ratsweinkeller Grosse Johannisstr. 2, Altstadt, tel. +49/040/364-153 Rogacki, Berlin Choose from the menu board or find something from one of the markets vendor stands; watch it cooked on the grill, garnished with crisp, fresh salad or to-die-for roast potatoes mit Speck (with bacon)or bothand then set in front of you still sizzling. A wonderful baked flounder, sprinkled with bacon and tiny fresh North See shrimp, served with the grilled potatoes is a mere €8.50 and easily serves two. Half a lobster is €14.95 and last October we watched as one of the chef/servers achieve what must have been a world record for the most mussels stacked in a 10-inch flat bowl, at least 30. Cost: around $8. Three very fresh oysters with a glass of white wine is about $6. Go once to Rogacki and the memory will haunt you until you return. Rogacki, Wilmersdorfer Str. 145, near Bismarck Str. U-Bahn Station. Gasthof Fraundorfer, Garmisch Partenkirchen The menu is long, the prices low, the portions generous, and we have seldom been disappointed with any dish. Roast pork with dumplings is €8.2, half a roast duck costs €13, calves liver Berliner-Art (strips dipped in flour and fried in butter) is €14.4 and a small mixed salad costs €2.5. Half a liter of beer goes for €2.8. The merriment goes on until midnight, though most tourists are gone by 10pm, when Trachten-dressed locals begin to gather around the Stammtisch (regulars table). Reservations recommended. When asked if there were other restaurants in town like the Fraundorfer, a woman at the local tourist office said, “There is only one Fraundorfer, there every night is a party.” Gasthof Fraundorfer, Ludwigstr. 24, tel. +49/08821/92 70, Web: www.gasthof-fraundorfer.de Bratwursthäusle, Nürnberg The bratwurst is usually grilled over an intensely hot, smokeless beechwood fire until the skin is crisp. Six pieces are €5.50, and a dozen €9.7, including wine-sauerkraut or potato salad. They can also be ordered cooked in white wine, spicy vinegar and onions, or smoked over a beechwood fire and eaten with horseradish. Some even eat the sausages raw, like a steak tartare, with egg yolk, onion and paprika. The Bratwurstäusle is best known for its sausages, but it also serves the best eisbein (ham hock) we've had the pleasure to sample. An entire knuckle costs €7.5. Bratwursthäusle Nürnberg, Rathausplatz 1, www.bratwurst-haeusle.de Prices current as of 2003. |
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