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    K-Town Food

    There was smoke but no fire at Five Guys on opening night. The fast food restaurant on Ramstein Air Base was briefly evacuated and closed Friday, Air Force officials said today. Video posted online by patrons showed firefighters on site and commenters speculated about a repeat of the fire incident that destroyed the Burger King at the same location in 2017. The problem was a blown fuse in a grill’s hood and duct system, an 86th Wing spokesperson told K-Town Now. The exhaust fan stopped working, resulting in smoke buildup and activation of a smoke detector. The Fire Department responded and verified no fire had occurred, and business resumed after less than 30 minutes of downtime. There are no safety issues or concerns, wing officials said.
    More burger news in Kaiserslautern. Not only did the new Five Guys open at Ramstein, but the McDonald’s at the Opelkreisel, near Rhine Ordnance Barracks, has been renovated. A reopening celebration is set for Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. The restaurant now offers more seating, three double-sided ordering kiosks and doubled production space for more efficient ordering, the company said online.
    An appetizer plate at Thai Corner in Gruenstadt, Germany, includes spring rolls, fried chicken pieces and vegetable tempura.
    Thai Corner in Gruenstadt, about 30 minutes north of Kaiserslautern, is a convenient stop before or after an outdoor excursion in the area. Portions are plentiful and prices are reasonable. Check out our review here.
    Five Guys is opening at Ramstein Air Base today. It is the first time the fast-food franchise is launching one of its restaurants on an Air Force Base. Customers already got a sneak peak taste during a Thanksgiving launch yesterday. The restaurant celebrates its ribbon cutting today at 11 a.m. 
    French fries at Five Guys in Frankfurt, Germany. The chain's famous fries are fresh cut and fried to order.
    Five Guys on Ramstein Air Base will have its grand opening on Nov. 25, according to a Facebook post by the KMC Exchange. There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. that day. The burger-and-fries chain’s soon-to-open location is at a standalone building near the Exchange where Burger King used to be.
    Diners will get cheese, cheese and more cheese at Wallis 46, a Swiss restaurant in Kaiserslautern. Located at Parkstrasse 46, it can boast of being the only Swiss restaurant in town. Wallis 46 serves burgers, flammkuchen, soups, vegan fare and, of course, a variety of cheese options. It’s open Saturdays until 11 p.m. and on Sundays. Read more here.
    Craving curry? Kaiserslautern’s Curry House is a favorite among local Indian restaurants. Favorite dishes include the tandoori lamb, the palak paneer and the lamb dhansak, which features chunks of meat in a lentil curry with cumin and ginger accents. The restaurant is located downtown by the Kaiserbrunnen and is open today and Sunday. Read more here.
    Glockencafe in Kaiserslautern is a colorful restaurant that serves delicious schnitzel and thin pizzas on Mondays for just 8 euros. Newcomers will feel welcome at the local hotspot. Try the restaurant’s signature cheese fondue or homemade salad dressing. It’s open Sunday-Friday. Read more here.
    Exchange facilities and food courts in the KMC will have alternate hours for the Columbus Day holiday. The Ramstein Exchange will open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hours of the KMCC food court vary by vendor. Reel Time Theater is open from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; Ramstein gas station is open 24 hours, the express at Pulaski opens from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.; The express stores at Kleber, Rhine Ordnance Barracks and Sembach gas station will be closed. Ramstein Southside Subway and Pizza Hut restaurants remain open from 11 a.m. to 6 and 9 p.m., respectively. Barber shops and food vendors at other Exchange facilities in the KMC will be closed. Ramstein and Vogelweh commissaries will open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please note: This information was updated to correct errors.
    Weilerbach’s annual carnival opens today with Mayor Horst Bonhagen tapping a wine barrel at 7 p.m. Live music follows at 8 p.m. The carnival continues through Monday with food and drink vendors and children’s rides and games set up at the village square “Alter Bahnhof.” The fest opens at 11 a.m. each day Saturday through Monday. Stores in town will be open on Sunday for shopping from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Festivities wrap up with the band Small Pint at 5 p.m. on Monday. For more information, look under calendar of events on the Kaiserslautern city website, www.kaiserslautern.de.
    More than 50 regional vendors will sell a variety of culinary and crafty wares from goat cheese and baked goods to jewelry and pottery at the North Palatinate Farmers Market on Sunday in Schneckenhausen, a village near Otterberg. Children can try their hand at calligraphy, get their face painted and mingle with geese, goats, chickens and rabbits. The market runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, go to: www.otterbach-otterberg.de.
    Walk through the vineyards outside the medieval wine-growing village of Freinsheim this weekend for the town’s culinary walk. Local wines and regional dishes will be offered at 17 stops along the 4.4-mile loop, which starts at the city hall. The trail opens from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and continues from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. A fireworks display will light up the vineyards on Friday after dark. No registration for the walk is required. Stores will be open on Sunday for shopping from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Parking is available on the outskirts of town. Freinsheim is about a 40-minute drive east of Kaiserslautern. For more information, visit: https://www.urlaubsregion-freinsheim.de/de.
    Kaiserslautern’s Curry House makes a compelling case for Indian food. The restaurant, beside the landmark downtown Kaiserbrunnen fountain, is open for lunch and dinner on Sundays. If you’re craving tandoori lamb, palak paneer or chicken korma in curry, cumin and ginger spices, you could eat Sunday brunch at Curry House. Read more here.
    Hunt Brothers Pizza is moving back to its former location. The express pizza joint will close its operations at the KMCC Exchange Food Court on Sept. 20 and return to the Ramstein Express. The operation moved to the KMCC in July while upgrades were installed at the Express location.
    Ramstein-Miesenbach holds its town festival this weekend in the market square, featuring rides, food and beverage booths and live music. The fun starts on Friday at 6 p.m. when the first rides open. The festival continues through Tuesday. Special events include fireworks Saturday at 9:30 p.m. Admission is free. Go to: www.ramstein-miesenbach.de for a more detailed schedule, or call 06371-406208.
    A new restaurant opened on Ramstein Air Base today. Heroes Bar & Grill is located inside the Kaiserslautern Military Community Center next to Barbarossa, where the old Chili’s used to be. It will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and offer burgers, salads, bar food and more. The restaurant’s full menu can be found here. 
    Little Debbie products were still available at the commissary on Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022.
    Little Debbie snack items are set to gradually disappear from commissary shelves all across the globe. Here’s why.
    Swinging Lautern features live music.
    Choose from several festivals this weekend in the Kaiserslautern area featuring live music, food and drinks. In downtown Kaiserslautern, immerse yourself in jazz, soul, salsa and other tunes on Friday and Saturday during the Swinging Lautern festival. Bands will be set up on makeshift stages set up throughout the city. The Kusel autumn fair with carnival rides opens at 8:30 p.m. Friday with a keg tapping and goes through Tuesday. The tiny village of Moelsbach holds a small carnival with one ride, food and drinks from Friday to Tuesday. At Landstuhl’s Nanstein Castle, the Sickingen Highland Music Festival kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday with live bands. Organizers describe Saturday night’s headliner as the best U2 cover band.  Those wanting to go a bit farther from home can sample wine of the middle Mosel region at the Bernkastel-Kues wine festival. The town is about a 90-minute drive from Kaiserslautern. The festival highlight is a huge fireworks display at 9 p.m. Sunday. 
    The Kleber Kaserne Java Cafe will temporarily close Thursday until further notice, Rheinland-Pfalz Army MWR announced today. For KMC Onstage tickets, volunteers, deliveries or maintenance, call DSN 483-6626 or 0631-411-6626.
    Carnival rides, live music and food and beverage tents are all part of the Kusel autumn fair, one of the larger events of its kind in the region. The fair opens Friday at 8:30 p.m. with a keg tapping and runs through Tuesday. Admission is free. Highlights include a parade through Kusel’s city center starting at 3 p.m. Saturday and a brass concert Sunday at 10 a.m. Stores are open for Sunday shopping from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. On Tuesday, ride prices will be reduced for family day. The fair ends with fireworks at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday. For more information or to see the full schedule of events, check out: kuseler-messe.de. 
    Regional bottled water manufacturer Berg Quellen is recalling certain batches of mineral water. Chemical residue in bottles can lead to “deviations in smell and taste,” according to the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety. The recall affects 0.75 liter glass bottles with a shelf life until Aug. 1, 2024, and the batch code G3 13:00 to 18:30, listed in the lower right blue box on the label. Customers can return the bottles where they were purchased for refund or exchange.
    A flammkuchen with pumpkin, walnuts, rosemary and feta is a delicous, fragrant vegetarian take on the thin-crusted dish served at Nora Restaurant in downtown Kaiserslautern, a cozy spot just off the pedestrian zone.
    ICYMI: A longtime flammkuchen favorite has a new name. Nora Restaurant is centrally located but still a little hidden. We did a fresh review of their Alsatian-style creations, which resemble thin-crust pizzas. Read more here.
    For tasty Vietnamese food, try Pho Viet in Kaiserslautern. Pho Viet is a charming restaurant near the Kaiserbrunnen fountain downtown that focuses on pho soup and other specialties. Read our review.
    Macaroni Grill in the KMCC Mall is closed “until further notice” due to unspecified technical difficulties, a sign outside the restaurant said at 11:30 a.m. today.
    Hideaway Bistro and Grill at Vogelweh reopened today under new management. The restaurant offers a new menu with burgers, catfish fillets, chicken wings and waffles. Hideaway also offers lunch delivery. The restaurant is open 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 5–9 p.m. at Armstrong’s Club, Building 1036. For information and delivery, call 01573-0492529 or visit https://www.facebook.com/hideaway.bistro/
    Kunst Cafe am Vogelwoog is nestled in a forest park on the outskirts of Kaiserslautern, with outdoor seating and lakefront views. The restaurant serves classic grilled German dishes. Take a walk around the lake at Vogelwoog Park, then grab a bite in the beer garden. Read more.
    Puro Gelato, a Filipino ice cream spot, has opened at the KMCC, according to a post from the Exchange. Flavors include mango, passion fruit, cookies and more. A scoop costs 1.50 euros and a milkshake costs 5 euros. It’s in the South Court by Dunkin’ Donuts.
    Panda Express is holding a grand opening ceremony Tuesday, Aug. 2 at 11 a.m. at the Ramstein KMCC food court. It’s one of several expected changes to the food scene on base. Still no official word on Five Guys, which has been interviewing for positions on base for several months. A job posting indicated they’d be opening in September.
    The Five Guys at Ramstein Air Base is scheduled to open in September, according to a job posting from the Exchange. They’ve been advertising for Ramstein staff for months, but this is the first public mention of an opening date for the burger spot.
    Hunt Brothers Pizza will move temporarily to the KMCC starting Monday. It will be at the new location while Ramstein Express Hunt Brothers closes for about two weeks for upgrades, according to a Facebook post from the Exchange. The pizza hours at the KMCC will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.

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