The Ethnic Diva: German Food Edition, Part One

Of course the first thing you must do when visiting Germany is order a beer ... and so I did - a wheat beer to be exact. Yum! The German beer was every bit as delightful as I remembered it to be, and the food was even better!

We dined at our inn the first night, in the cozy, wood paneled, dining room of the Jagst Muhle. Simply put, the food blew me away. Given that the hotel was located in a small village in the Jagsttal Valley, I was expecting a homey, comfort food type meal ... instead, we were treated to something more akin to a 5 star dining experience!

The meal began with a wonderful amuse bouche - a savory bit of braised beef cheek tucked inside a small square of puff pastry and topped with a dollop of pureed cauliflower cream and a beautiful frond of micro-parsley. Heavenly!

Mama Diva, my father-in-law, and I followed that with the dish you see above, a succulent steak that had been roasted to perfection, medium-rare, and topped with an unctuous nest of crisp, caramelized onions. The rich gravy beneath it was so incredibly flavorful I nearly licked the plate. Apparently, this dish is traditional for the area - and I can see why. It was outstanding!

The husband and Papa Diva dined on roast venison, sauced with an equally magnificent gravy and paired with a compote of red currants and a slice of sauteed pear. Normally, I'm not a fan of game meats, but the husband urged me to try a bite. I'm glad I did. It tasted like the most wonderful, tender pot roast I'd ever had. Pure comfort in every bite.

Naturally, our table was also graced with a stunning basket of breads; served with rich, creamy, salted butter and a luscious puree of herbed cottage cheese for slathering. Divine! As if that wasn't enough, the main courses were accompanied by gigantic bowls of thinly sliced herb-roasted potatoes and fresh, house-made, spaetzle. Color me delighted ... and full!

So full that we had to pass on dessert. More's the pity, I'm sure it would have been fantastic. Suffice it to say, we dined like kings and our German vacation was off to a very good start.

I cannot recommend the Jagst Muhle Inn highly enough. The setting is gorgeous, the rooms large and comfortable, and the food is simply magnificent. The Chef came out to greet us at the end of the meal and he was a doll. He told us that both the beef and the venison were locally raised, within a mile of the inn. I wish I'd thought to take a picture of him, and more than that, that I'd written down his name. What can I say, I was beyond jet-lagged at that point and soooo ready for bed!

The breakfast buffet at the inn was equally impressive. A stunning array of meats, cheeses, spectacular breads and homemade preserves, cereals, farm fresh eggs, coffees, teas and more. I loved the Jagst Muhle and plan to return to it on my next trip over.

Meanwhile, stay tuned for the return of my regular "Thirsty Thursdays" feature tomorrow. I'm scouring the globe for a German themed cocktail ... if such a thing even exists. It should be interesting!

Guten appetit!