Pescaletta, a restaurant in downtown Wiesbaden, Germany, has a maritime theme, as one can see by the old sailor who greets you at the door. The restaurant serves Mediterranean-flavored dishes from Spain, France, Italy and Greece. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
We got a rather wooden welcome from the old salt sitting and smoking his pipe at MS Pescaletta’s door. Which was not that surprising, seeing he was made of wood.
Inside, the crew was more welcoming, smiling as they led us to our table.
We climbed on board for a culinary cruise across the northern Mediterranean Sea that would takes us from Spain in the west to Greece in the east.
Well, it was not really a ship, but a restaurant in the Hansa Hotel in downtown Wiesbaden, Germany.
But it definitely has a maritime theme. Mirrors that look like portholes, a ship’s wheel hanging on the wall and the crew — the servers — dressed in mariner-style uniforms.
Yet while fish is the restaurant’s specialty, there are plenty of other things to choose from.
The menu is broken down by dishes from four countries bordering the Mediterranean, Spain, France, Italy and Greece. The MS in the restaurant’s anchor logo stands for Mediterranean specialties.
Inside Pescaletta, a Wiesbaden, Germany, restaurant with a nautical theme, that serves dishes from around the Mediterranean. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
A Mediterranean trilogy with tuna, shrimp, and calamari was a starter at Pescaletta in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
A delicious starter at Pescaletta in Wiesbaden, Germany, was the Burrata Pescaletta, a crazy burrata cheese, with ground pistachios, with tomatoes and arugula on a bed of beef carpaccio. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Grilled tuna steak on warm fennel, beans, olives, tomatoes and potatoes, served with orange-thyme butter, as served at Pescaletta in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
We started in Italy, ordering Campari and orange juice as an aperitif. An excellent choice to go with the bread, olives, and paprika cream our server brought us, on the house.
Studying the menu, we were tempted to order the sea bass in a salt crust for two but decided to go with our original plan and order different dishes from different countries.
For my starter, I stayed in Italy and ordered the burrata Pescaletta with grated pistachios on beef carpaccio. My wife went with the Mediterranean trilogy of tuna, shrimp and calamari.
For her main course, she sailed to Spain for an Iberico pork chop, while I pulled into port in France for a grilled tuna steak.
Other choices included grilled lamb fillet on a chickpea, feta and orzo salad from Greece or tagliolini with clams from Italy. Pescaletta also has chicken dishes, but not a lot of vegetarian selections and nothing vegan except the tagliolini Provençal with eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes.
I am more of a fan of a good buffalo-milk mozzarella than I am of burrata, but the ball of cheese served here could convert me. Topped with ground pistachios and a dash of tahini, the cream burst out of the ball as I cut into it. It tasted smooth and rich. The burrata sat on a bed of carpaccio, surrounded by arugula and tomato slices. Drizzled with a tangy olive oil, the thinly sliced raw beef was delicious.
My wife’s dish sort of had a Greek feeling to it, but the combination of tuna, shrimp and calamari could have come from anywhere in the Med. The sesame seed-encrusted tuna was served cold, while the shrimp and calamari were warm. The latter was tender, not rubbery like they sometimes are, while the former was big, plump and juicy. Be forewarned: You do have to peel the shrimp yourself.
An Iberico pork chop was served at Pescaletta in Wiesbaden, Germany, with spinach and Spanish-style beans. The chop, from the Black Iberian pig, was coated in a delicious whiskey-honey sauce. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
The creme brulee at Pescaletta, was served at about room temperature, letting the flavors out, unlike cold out of the refrigerator, as it is served in many restaurants. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
On the menu, this dessert was lemon sherbet with vodka. My wife asked if they could do it with prosecco. They did, and it was a delicious and refreshing end to a satisfying meal. (Michael Abrams/Stars and Stripes)
Our cruise continued with the arrival of our entrees.
My dining companion’s pork chop was served with spinach and Spanish-style white beans. The chop, from the Black Iberian pig, was coated in a delicious whiskey-honey sauce. This breed of the pig’s main diet is acorns and grasses, leaving the meat tender and finely marbled. My wife thought the meat, beans and spinach complemented each other well.
My tuna was just seared on the grill and served on a bed of warm fennel, beans, olives, tomatoes and potatoes and served with orange-thyme butter.
I, too, thought everything went well together. The tuna was still juicy and almost melted in my mouth, the fennel was sweet and the olives tangy. The green beans were cooked to perfection. The orange-thyme butter was tasty, but I did not want it to interrupt the fine taste of the tuna, so I let it melt and meld with the vegetables.
I ate slowly, not wanting the experience to end.
We had pinot grigio with our meal. Like the food, Pescaletta has a selection of wines from all four countries.
For dessert, I wanted to head to Greece for the Greek orange tart, but the restaurant was unfortunately out of it. So, I stayed in France and went with the creme brulee. It was served at about room temperature, which enhanced the flavor, as opposed to cold out of the refrigerator as it is served in many restaurants.
My wife was intrigued by the lemon sherbet. It was to be served in a glass of vodka. She asked if she could have it in prosecco instead. The staff happily obliged, and she enjoyed one of her favorite Italian desserts.
We stayed in Italy for our espressos, ending a fine culinary cruise along the Med.
There were so many dishes on the menu that sounded good that we know we will take another cruise on the good ship Pescaletta. First heading straight to Italy for that salt encrusted sea bass for two.
Pescaletta
Address: Rheinstrasse 26, 65183 Wiesbaden, Germany
Hours: Noon to 3 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday; 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday; closed on Sunday.
Prices: Starters from 12.50 to 23.50 euros; entrees from 16.50 to 65.00 euros; desserts 8 euros. Soft drinks and beer start at 3.70 euros and wine at 6.50 per glass.
Information: Online: pescaletta.de. Reservation recommended.
