Fly&Dine Contributor Paul Bacon is back at it with another trip dispatch. This time, Paul checks in from his holiday trip to Germany. First up, the Hofbraühaus in Munich.
It’s the winter holiday season and that means travel! I am enjoying a trip with my wife to Munich and Nuremberg since it has been many years since either of us has visited. We scheduled a food tour of Munich and we were very excited. Unfortunately, it turned into more of a cultural tour with “drive by’s†of the outside of many restaurants and other food establishments. After the four-hour tour, we decided to stop in the Hofbraühaus since we were very hungry. There are three levels in the building. The first floor is a traditional beer hall with long tables and lots of conversation and beer. The second floor is a restaurant with traditional German fare and the third is a party room. We sat at a booth looking out into the street and our server, Kirsten, arrived with English menus and an infectious smile. She explained the menu and we had many questions. During our dining experience she was very interactive and her English was excellent. She recommended we start with an appetizer and beer.
Kirsten and the lady Bacon show off their smiles.
We ordered the seasonal Hofbraü Winterzwickel – it falls between a dark beer and a lager. It was outstanding. My previous trips to Germany were all for work and while I tried many different beers, this one hit the spot!
Obazda and friends.
The Munich veal sausages we ordered arrived with a pretzel and sweet mustard. The sausages were white with a casing that we removed. The combination of the sausage and mustard complimented the beer. In addition, we had the Obazda which is traditional Bavarian cheese spread garnished with onion rings and house bread. This also went very well with the beer.
We were still hungry and my wife and I decided to share the roast pork with crackling served with homemade natural gravy and potato dumpling. The roast pork was tender and succulent. The crackling was crisp and full of flavor you. For those who do not know a German potato dumpling: they are soft and rubbery on the outside and tender on the inside. To many Americans this is very confusing, but the discovery is worth the first bite. Once you start you will only stop when they are gone.
Munich is a city of food. There are many different types of cafes, restaurants, bakeries, etc. If you are looking for great food and beer I recommend Munich and the Hofbraühaus as part of your travel itinerary.
Hofbrauhaus menus:
Schweinhaxen and obatzda were my favorite things I ate in Germany. My hotel was near the Viktualeinmarkt, so I stopped in for a pretzel and obatzda every day of my trip!