OhJulia, you aren’t a hyped burger joint, and that’s just perfect right now.

There’s a lot to be said for restaurants like OhJulia that aren’t the hot new thing and don’t draw excessive crowds at a time when eating in a small indoor area still carries a coronavirus risk.

Just a couple of weeks before everything locked down, the Five Guys burger franchise opened in downtown Stuttgart. I’d been anxious to give the place a try while holed up in quarantine.

Masked, I hopped on a U-Bahn and walked to Stuttgart’s downtown for the first time in months. But upon reaching Five Guys, I got cold feet. There was a line of questionable social distance curling down a busier-than-expected Konigstrasse.

So I went home. We ordered pizza, taking comfort in the knowledge that the pie slides from a germ-killing oven to a box.

OhJulia is a local Italian chain with a fairly new restaurant located at Stuttgart’s Killesberg Park. It’s worth trying for eating out or takeout.

For those tired of pizza — likely a staple for many during lockdown — OhJulia has a full menu that includes pasta dishes, interesting salads, risottos and more.

People are dining out more these days, and on many walks past OhJulia I’ve looked with envy at those seated outside, drinking an adult beverage and having a tasty dish while looking out at one of Stuttgart’s prettiest parks.

But now eating out is about risk calculation, and the answer is always personal. Does it make sense to order a risotto, even for takeout, knowing that a cook spent an extended time hovering over the thing with a steady stir?

Pizza, for the aforementioned reason, seems safest to me. And in the case of OhJulia, it’s quite good. The salsiccia with gorgonzola pie is a personal favorite. In Germany, a lot of pizza places don’t seem to offer Italian sausage, but this restaurant does. The pizzas are mostly in the 12-euro range, and topping choices are plentiful.

The service is also generally friendly and attentive, which isn’t a given in a lot of places in Stuttgart.

As for Five Guys, the long wait continues, but hopefully not forever.

vandiver.john@stripes.com Twitter: @john_vandiver

Location: Am Hoehenpark 2, Stuttgart

Hours: Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Prices: From 8-13 euros for pasta, pizza and burgers; up to 25 euros for a 24-inch pizza

Information: Phone: +49 (0)711 253 77220, Online: ohjulia.de/stuttgart/were-open.html

English menu: Yes

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