A German Meal

On the evening of my arrival in Frankfurt, I went to an Irish pub and had fish and chips for my first meal in Germany.  That was simply because the pub was practically next door to the hotel, and in my jet-lagged state I was not going to wander around looking for a restaurant.  However, after my first full day here, it was time to have a proper meal of German food.  The question, however, was where to go?  When I visited the "Altstadt" or Old Town I noticed a number of places serving traditional German food.  I was worried that they might be tourist traps since they were located in the picturesque but very touristy Römerberg.  (Rick Steves always says that you find places off the beaten track where the locals eat.)  Well, after roaming around town, I had not seen any traditional German restaurants outside of the Old Town.  So, after spending several hours at the Städel Art Museum, I backtracked to the "Altstadt", and ate at a place located in a beautiful recreation of a half-timbered house.

The restaurant is called Schwarzer Stern (which in German means Black Star).  There were quite a few tourists there, but there also seemed to be some locals.  Instead of ordering schnitzel or wurst, I had "käsespätzle".  "Spätzle" are little dumplings.  My mother used to make them, and I imagine that she learned the recipe from her Swiss-born grandmother.  This, however, was not like my mother's "spätzle".  Cheese was melted in with the dumplings, and they were topped with onions.  They were very good.  The "käsespätzle" were served with a side salad.  I'm not a beer drinker, so I ordered a typical non-alcoholic German beverage, "apfelschorl", apple juice mixed with sparkling water.  It was very refreshing.

For dessert, what could be more German than "apfelstrudel"... apple strudel?  This apple strudel was excellent.  The filling was generous, and the dough was crisp... not soggy or  rubbery.  It might be the best strudel I have ever eaten.

That wraps up my experience in Frankfurt.  I am falling behind in my reporting.  I already have two day excursions to Cologne and Heidelberg under my belt.   So, we will say, "Auf wiedersehen" to Frankfurt.