Gasthaus Rössle @Hauptstraße (Elzach, Germany)

February 3, 2018

#Course | Set Meal, #Dessert, #Dinner, #Gourmet, #Meat, #Seafood, #Sweets, #Wine Pairing, @Elzach, @Germany, Badisch, Duck Breast, Fish, German, Roasted Duck, Uncategorized, Wine

‘Flotter Dreier’ in Elzach.

Duck breast with mash, broccoli and jus.

I had friends raving to me about this place forever now and so when last week two of them asked M. and me to join them for a double date we instantly were game. The day of choice was Thursday, which by chance was also the day of their weekly ‘Flotter Dreier’ promotion. While in German this has a rather suggestive meaning, here it describes a triple course surprise dinner with a choice of meat, fish or a combination of both, paired with a selection of regional wines.

Deer tartar and carpaccio on field salad.

Deer tartar with a fried caper apple.

I chose meat for all my courses and my entrée turned out to be a brilliant trio of chunky deer tartar, carpaccio of the same and some field salad with candied walnuts and kracherle (badisch for croutons). The tartar wasn’t that gamey but had a distinct texture that wasn’t entirely pleasant but more of the intriguing kind. Paired with the more dominant fried caper fruit (not sure if that’s the actual word) and the crispy bread splinter this was just on spot. The carpaccio seemed more intense but still light and fresh as raw things should be and the playful combination with the sweetish coated nuts was simply lovely. Great kick-off to the evening. [Wine pairing: Grauburgunder (Salwey | Oberrottweil)]

Rose duck breast with mash, broccoli and jus.

Pikeperch (Zander) with creamy cabbage and potatoes.

My main was a beautiful duck breast, perfectly broiled to a deep rose, with crispy skin on the outside and all the important juices locked in. The mash and broccoli where solid supporting acts but the true star was definitely the duck. [Wine pairing: Cuvée (Landerer | Vogtsburg)]

I also got a little taste of the second main option of pan-fried pikeperch, a glossy scallop and the best cream cabbage that I’ve ever had. The latter was warm and cooked but still kept that typical crunch alive and kicking, almost on the edge of raw. I don’t know how they did this but I was genuinely amazed.

Caramel mousse with drunken fruits and chocolate crumble.

Fruit sherbet with brittle.

Canoli with cream cheese filling.

The finishing moves were performed by this extremely capable trio of sweetness. My favourite must have been the lardy caramel mousse, closely followed by the mixed fruit sherbet which showed some strong apricot tendencies. [Wine pairing: Scheurebe (Weishaar | Kaiserstuhl)]

I have been swept off my feet by tonight’s food and service. The ambience is comfortably classy, not detached or posh and also not as rustic as I had initially expected, very easy and convenient to settle in. Big kudos on the wine pairing too. All being great wines, every glass suited the corresponding dish optimally and the only regret I have is forgetting to note down the Riesling pairing of the fish main.

I’d love to come here every Thursday from now on, and if the use of great regional produce, skillfully orchestrated and prepared isn’t enough, it is the absolute steal at Eur33,00 all in that just makes this a major no-brainer. I’m bowing respectfully with many thanks to all involved.

Get Your Grub On!

Gasthaus Rössle
Hauptstraße 19
79215 Elzach
Germany
p: +49 7682 212
http://www.roessleelzach.de/

The Holy Taco Shack @Barbarastraße (Freiburg, Germany)

May 9, 2016

#Fusion, #Seafood, @Freiburg, @Stühlinger, Fish, Food Truck, Mexican, Tacos, Western/International/American

Back in (baja)style!!!

I hadn’t been to the shack for a while but the sun was out, I had Mexican-Food-Loving-Friends in town and these guys just had announced the return of the baja fish tacos to their menu. So when we arrived back in Freiburg after a day of exploring the black forest and beyond we headed straight for Stühlinger and one of their outside tables ordering a set of fish tacos each.

I’m not sure if my picture does it actual justice but these babies were intimidatingly ginormous. M. and our friend C. intuitively reached for fork and knife but I was willing to get my hands dirty. After all, these were tacos, right? Flipping up the sides of the appropriately large flour tortillas I wasn’t even able to close them properly above the crisp battered perch but I was ready for my first bite and didn’t plan on letting go of it. This was amazing. I still remembered them vaguely from the BZ food truck festival last year but it was like a brand new experience altogether. The batter cracked under my teeth making way for the wonderfully flaky fish meat that was breezy fresh and cooked ’til perfectly glassy. Just moments after the fish literally melted, and the juices had drenched my hands in tasty goodmess, all the other flavours started kicking in; the creamy chipotle mayonnaise, the crunchy greens and veggies, some sourness coming from that tropical salsa and especially awesome vibes blazing from the fresh Mexican herbs. It was like being teleported to a Californian beach (without ever being to one) for a couple of minutes, sipping on a cocktail enjoying the sun. Oh yes, I am glad these fish are back in town.

On top of an excellent meal the service today was super refreshing, attentive and friendly and on my way out I also finally got to say hi to some of the great people, who are responsible for all this. Thanks so much guys and see you soon.

Get Your Grub On!

The Holy Taco Shack (closed on Sundays)
Barbarastraße 18
79106 Freiburg im Breisgau
Germany
p: +49 176 32970414
http://www.theholytacoshack.com/

Potato Head Beach Club @Seminyak (Bali, Indonesia)

April 12, 2013

#Seafood, @Indonesia, @Seminyak, Fish, Western/International/American

That’s why they call it Butterfish!

After pre-dinner drinks at the W Hotel in Seminyak tonight we walked via the beach over to ‘Potato Head’ to get our grub on. The setting was stunning facing the sea in a half circle separated into beach club and restaurant, covered with window shutters from the in- and outside.

I ordered the ‘Pistacchio Crusted Butterfish‘ with arugula, pomelo and a truffle infused vinaigrette. I was surprised that for a place like this the prices for food were very reasonable and for the level of quality even more.

The butterfish, according to it’s name, was super moist and crazy sweet similar to crab meat. The texture was very firm and it fell into big chunks when getting at it with the fish knife. The crust added a nice crispness to the fish but I couldn’t make out that it was pistacchio no matter how hard I tried. The popping pomelo pearls and the bitterness of the arugula worked great with the dish but my favorite combination was just the fish together with the truffle vinaigrette. Simply delicious.

The friendliness of our waiter could have been more welcoming as we arrived 20 minutes before last order and felt like a bit of a bother but put that aside and considering the taste and quality of the food and the fantastic location I’ll be returning to this place when being back on the Islands of the Gods.

http://www.ptthead.com/

Potato Head Beach Club Jalan Petitenget Seminyak Bali 80361 Indonesia

—Get Your Grub On!

– Food Inception

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