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I have a vivid recollection of Herr Feiler stopping at every table both before and after dinner. The first time around he advised regarding menu choices and wine, and the next time he talked about his mushrooms; when and how they were gathered, and by whom. And he was there again the next morning at breakfast.

This time things were different. We arrived on a sunny Sunday afternoon and there were people everywhere; in the restaurant, in the courtyard, and at tables in various little garden niches. We were shown to a pleasant room about three floors up. There is no elevator and we hauled our own bags. (O.k., it's a three-star hotel and one doesn't always get help with the luggage.)

With our room reservation we had requested a table at dinner. It was a warm evening and we asked to be seated outdoors. A young man escorted us through the courtyard, past two empty tables, around a corner to the side of the building. We were shown to absolutely the worst table in the place. At that point we asked to be seated at an empty one actually in the courtyard and, after a few minutes, that's what happened.

We were thus pleasantly situated though the tablecloth was spotted from previous use and had not been changed. Feeling we had raised enough ruckus, we let it pass.

The four-course Pilz menu (about $55) - four small dishes featuring mushrooms - was good but the earth did not move. Another dish, Medallions of Maibock was an out-and-out loser, with a watery sauce, off-tasting mushrooms and ordinary vegetables.

Salads, usually a good measure of a kitchen's attention to detail, were indifferent; the appearance and texture of the cucumbers, for example, indicated they had been sliced hours before serving. Desserts were just o.k.

On this day, the Feiler did not merit its Michelin star and there was no sign of the owner, though we had seen him earlier in the evening.

The dinner without beverages was about $125 for two persons and the room €90.