Prost!

Tis the season for steins and schnitzel and all things Bavarian (at least it was when we first set out on our German adventure, but alas, I have once again fallen behind in my posting duties), so in honor we raised our mugs and toasted to our own mini Oktoberfest celebration.

Accompanying us as our tour guide was our friend Jevon, who, after previously visiting practically every German restaurant in Southern New England, declared the food at Old Heidelberg in Bethel, CT, far superior. With its cozy gasthaus decor and outdoor biergarten, the Heidelberg was just the place to emerse ourselves in that Old World spirit.

Although the menu is printed entirely in Deutsch, it does include English translations for novices such as Adam and myself, but regardless, after spending quite some time picking out a beer (they have over 30 different imports to choose from), we relinquished any and all menu decisions to Jevon.

First we started with kartoffelpfannkuchen, which certainly sounds like a mouthful, but was actually a fairly light appetizer of potato pancakes over applesauce. Then we moved on to some serious family-style dining.

Of the three entrées we had in front of us, we dug into the rouladen first. Thinly sliced beef rolled around Westphalian ham, pickles, shallots and mustard, then spooned with gravy and served with red cabbage and spätzle, the rouladen was and instant favorite. So much so that after all the meat was devoured, I kept going back to the gravy-soaked spätzle in order to relive its savory, tangy goodness.


Next we divvied up the jägerschnitzel, a boneless, breaded veal cutlet topped with a mushroom burgundy sauce. My first encounter with schnitzel, I have to admit that after the excitement of the rouladen, I found it rather boring.


Making quick work of the jägerschnitzel, we then moved on to the gemischte wurstplatte and sampled three of the eight different sausages we had to choose from.


The weisswurst, which literally means "white sausage," was the mildest of the three. Made with veal, lemon, onion, cardamon and parsley, weisswurst is typically part of the traditional Oktoberfest fare and was almost spongy in texture.

The thin Nürnberger wurst, originates from the city of Nürnberg and is considered the most popular sausage in Germany. Stuffed with pork, marjoram and caraway, Nürnberger is usually grilled over a beechwood fire.

Lastly, the grobe rindswurst was a lightly spicy smoked sausage made with coarsely chopped beef and more closely resembled the typical sausages found in the United States.

Served with sauerkraut, spicy mustard and a helping of deliciously (if not unexpectedly) sweet mashed potatoes, the only thing that was missing from German feast was a pair of lederhosen.

I do regret not saving room for dessert since Germany is as well known for their confections as for their beer and sausages, but alas, we missed our chance for strudel and black forest cake.

Although Oktoberfest has already drawn to a close, that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy some hearty Bavarian cuisine, just crank up the Oompa music and head to the Old Heidelberg. Prost!