CombatCritic's TravelValue™: schnitzel

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Showing posts with label schnitzel. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Colorado Springs, CO: Good Schnitzel, Reasonable Prices ... HOOAH!

Schnitzel Fritz

4037 Tutt Blvd

Colorado Springs, CO 80922

Phone number (719) 573-2000

Website: schnitzelfritz.com

Prices: $$$$

The place is basic, so do not expect anything fancy. You order from the counter and they bring you your meal, helping yourself to a fountain drink (1 Free with Yelp Check-In), tea, or water. They have a small deli with German fare and a couple of racks up front with a decent selection of German food products.

I had the Cordon Bleu Schnitzel ($11.99) with fried potatoes and cream ("rahm" - which is brown here) gravy. The schnitzel was cooked just right with ham and gooey cheese oozing from the center. The fried potatoes were plentiful, well seasoned, and flavorful.

All-in-all, a good German meal and a very good value.

CombatCritic Gives Schnitzel Fritz 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

Saturday, August 15, 2020

Coos Bay, Oregon: A Delicious Taste of Germany in Coos Bay

Blue Heron Bistro

100 Commercial Avenue

Coos Bay, OR 97420

German, Seafood

Website: blueheronbistro.com

Phone number: (541) 267-3933

Prices: $$$$

Hours on Yelp are wrong, they are open from 4pm to 8pm daily. Therefore, it is difficult to make a reservation, handy during COVID distancing requirements, because they only answer the phone during business hours.

It's a cute little place on a corner right on the main drag going south in Coos Bay. It has a Bavarian look inside and out, reminiscent of many a gästhaus I have been to in Germany. They even have a small biergarten out back with three large picnic tables.

They have a nice selection of traditional German favorites at reasonable prices. I had the Jägerschnitzel ($22), coming with a cup of goulash soup, a small salad, and bread before the main course arrives. The schnitzel was huge with a wonderful crispy batter that was light, not greasy and topped with a tasty mushroom gravy, accompanied by hot, crispy and light french fries. I normally like the more traditional fried potatoes with my schnitzel, but the fries were yummy and plentiful.

My only negative and a personal pet peeve of mine was that our entrees came out way too soon. We were not even halfway through our soup and salad when the owner arrived with our dinners. I have spent many years in the restaurant business and there is no reason the next course should arrive before the last course is finished and cleared from the table. They probably would have gotten my highest rating had they not screwed this one up.

The meal was a very good value, considering that we paid nearly the same amount we had at Foley's Pub in Bandon the night before, getting three times as much food and a much higher quality meal ... ACHTUNG!

CombatCritic Gives Blue Heron Bistro 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

Monday, December 23, 2019

Phoenix, AZ: Is That A Schnitzel In Your Liederhösen Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?

Edelweiss Biergarten
2625 E. Bell Road
Phoenix, AZ 85032
Phone: (602) 404-5919
Website: edelweissphoenix.com
Prices: $$$$

Achtung meine freunde, from the outside, this place looks like a country biker bar more than a German restaurant, but the inside is, relatively, much nicer and the place has pretty damn good chow ... HOOAH!

Having served our great nation for 20+ years, including 6 years in Europe (England and Italy), I spent quite a bit of time in Germany and know what authentic German food tastes like. This place gets it right despite the austere exterior. The inside is HUGE, reminiscent of one of the large hofbräus or gästhaus in Munich and other German cities with flags of the different states hung on the walls and a guy wearing liederhösen playing the accordion on their small stage. They even have a large biergarten, hence the name, in the back where you can enjoy a bier or a meal when the weather permits.

For an appetizer, which I received a 20% discount on for checking-in on Yelp, I got Opa's Favorite ($11.95 before discount), wedges of Gouda cheese breaded and fried, accompanied by their homemade cranberry sauce. The wedges were, as President Donald would say, HUGE and the cranberry sauce very tasty, a nice accompaniment to the Gouda, I polished of 1.5 of the 2 wedges, but had to stop to make room for my main course.

I decided on the Schnitzel Cordon Bleu ($17.95), pork cutlets filled with ham and cheese, then breaded and pan fried to a golden brown. I asked the server if I could get a side of Jaeger sauce for my cordon bleu and he told me, "that will be $1.00 extra, is that OK", to which I replied, it's my birthday, let's splurge!". The cordon bleu was thick and crispy on the outside and hot inside, allowing the gooey cheese to ooze out when I made my first cut ... WUNDERBAR! The jaeger sauce was the topping that iced the cake or, in this case, the schnitzel, a delicious cream sauce with plenty of mushrooms and pieces of bacon to enhance the flavor of the already very good cordon bleu. The spätzle appeared to be made in-house and was also very good and the accompanying cucumber salad decent.

I never did get a "happy birthday" or a gratuitous dessert and that was just fine with me because I do not like being made a fuss over and I was so full that I could not have eaten it anyway. It would have been nice of them to offer though, even if I would have turned it down in any event.

Seedy, dilapidated exterior, a more appropriate interior, decent service, and wonderful, reasonably priced food made this biergarten a hit with me and "I shall return", wait, that was Patton, "I'll be back", no that was Schwarzenegger, oh, never mind.

CombatCritic Gives Edelweiss Biergarten 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Portland, OR: Achtung ... PIckle Soup And Other Bavarian Delights

Otto & Anita’s European Restaurant
3025 SW Canby Street
Portland, OR 97219
Multnomah Village
Phone number: (503) 452-1411
Website: ottoandanitas.com
Prices: $$$$

Achtung, pickle soup? Ya, it is gut! Good, solid German food and this is coming from a guy who has spent a lot of time in Germany and other schnitzel eating countries. I have never had or seen Pickle Soup before, in Germany or elsewhere, but they have it here (Cup - $3). It is bright green, looking like radioactive waste, but with a creamy, mild dill flavor that is quite pleasing to the pallet.

They have three german biers on draught, a Pilsner (piss, like Bud, but made in Germany), a Hefeweizen (wheat), and a Schwarz (literally "black" or dark beer - all 1/2 liter - $5.50). Those are general, descriptive terms for a class of beer, but when I asked specifically what the schwarz beer was, I was simply given the definition. Rather than push the issue, I simply asked the server to bring me one of whatever it was. It was quite good with a rich, caramelly flavor and hints of coffee, whatever it was.

My wife wanted the Rahmschnitzel ($17.50) of course because she always picks the dish on the menu that I want, but I swayed her toward the Jägerschnitzel ($18) instead. When I try a new German place, I like to sample the staples - schnitzel, wurst, goulash, spätzle, red cabbage, sauerkraut - in order to get a feel for their knoweledge of German cuisine. I ordered the rahmschnitzel, mostly because this was the only place I had seen rahmschnizel on the menu outside of Germany and it happens to be my favorite.

The Jägerschnitzel was delicious, but the sauce tasted more like a Burgundy than a sauce made with white wine as is normally the case. It was very good despite the French, vice German, flavor with sliced, fresh mushrooms. The rahm sauce was rich and creamy, also with sliced shrooms, but with a reddish/orange tinge, probably a touch of paprika which we also found on the fresh, warm bread rolls (made with white flour - not traditional pumpernickel) that came before and during dinner. Both dinners came with carrots, which I immediately gave to my wife (I love raw carrots, but detest cooked ones), spinach, and spätzle (which I sub'd fried potatoes for). Red cabbage is a more traditional side, but a little red cabbage goes a long way, so this was a nice diversion.

The pork cutlets used for the schnitzel did not seem to be have been dusted in flour prior to searing in the traditional way, but were bountiful, probably 6-8 ounces. My single complaint being the, how do I say it politely (?), "durable" texture of the pork cutlets. It was not what I would call "tough", "chewy" or "gristly", but it was slightly difficult to cut, even with a knife and definitely not with a fork. Most schnitzels I have had are tender as a whore's heart and could easily be cut with a fork. I am not sure of the cause, possibilities include frozen product, microwaving, having been pre-cooked and stored, none of which are good options, but the issue may need to be addressed. You should not have any difficulty either cutting or chewing your schnitzel.

CombatCritic Gives Otto and Anitas' European Restaurant 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Otto & Anita's European Restaurant on Yelp

Title: Portland, OR: Achtung ... PIckle Soup And Other Bavarian Delights

Key Words: Otto and Anita's European Restaurant, Otto, Anita's, Anita, Otto and Anita's, German, Germany, Bavarian, schnitzel, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: WTFO! = "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Eureka, CA: The Potatoes Weren't The Only Thing Stuf't By The End Of The Night

Stuf't Potato
3220 South Broadway, Suite 8
Eureka, CA 95501
Phone number (707) 444-6200
Website: stuftpotato.com
Prices: $$$$

The restaurant is simple, a nice little place in a strip mall near the southern edge of town. The service is friendly and efficient, and the food made to order. The chef readily agreed to substitute chicken with pork for the schnitzel cordon bleu ($17.95), but they would have received 7-8 Bombs Out Of 10 had they fulfilled my request for a little Hunter sauce (gravy) with the cordon bleu I ordered. When a customer makes a request, it should be fulfilled. It's not that hard to whip up a little gravy, particularly when you are pan frying the schnitzel anyway.

My wife had the Fried Spätzel ($13.95), a huge skillet full of spätzel, ham, Gruyere cheese, saüerkraut, and fried onions all mixed together. It was a lot of food, very unique, and quite good. Fresh bread and a cream cheese spread with spices accompanied the meals.

As I mentioned, I had the schnitzel (pork) cordon bleu with fried potatoes and sweet and sour red cabbage. The dinner came with soup or salad and bread, so I ordered the beef goulash soup which was a bit greasy, as it should be, but good. The potatoes were good, the cabbage OK (I'm not a huge fan of German red cabbage), and the cordon bleu very well prepared except for the fact that it was extremely dry. A little hunter sauce (mushroom gravy) would have rounded out the dish quite nicely, but it was not meant to be.

The beer comes in bottles, nothing on tap, and is a bit pricy ($5.25-$5.95) for a 12-16 ounce bottle of beer. The house wine is $5.25 a glass and the glass was quite generous, a much better value than the beer. We enjoyed our meal and the chef obviously knows how to prepare German food, but a little more flexibility, not an easy thing for many Germans (I'm half German, so I know all too well), would have gone a long way.

CombatCritic Gives Stuft Potato 6 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Six Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over 1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Read Chris S.'s review of Stuft Potato on Yelp

Title: Eureka, CA: The Potatoes Weren't The Only Thing Stuf't By The End Of The Night

Key Words: Stuf't Potato, stuf't, stuffed, potato, potatoes, German, schnitzel, Eureka, California, beer, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, business, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: G2G = "Good To Go"

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Vancouver, WA: No Veal, No Deal – Olive Garden Delivers Mediocrity with a Side of Sticker Shock

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Colorado Springs, CO: Good Schnitzel, Reasonable Prices ... HOOAH!

Saturday, August 15, 2020

Coos Bay, Oregon: A Delicious Taste of Germany in Coos Bay

Monday, December 23, 2019

Phoenix, AZ: Is That A Schnitzel In Your Liederhösen Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?

Saturday, October 28, 2017

Portland, OR: Achtung ... PIckle Soup And Other Bavarian Delights

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Eureka, CA: The Potatoes Weren't The Only Thing Stuf't By The End Of The Night

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