It’s odd that a foul, yeasty, rotten-egglike odor can serve as appetizing ambrosia.
Yet that’s just what occurs if you walk down Tübinger Strasse in downtown Stuttgart, Germany, where a stroll past the Dinkelacker Brewery means an encounter with boiling hops and the stink it produces.
The smell of beer in the making led me into the Brauereigaststaette, a rustic restaurant attached to one of the biggest regional beer makers in the Stuttgart area.
Inside, waiters wear traditional German lederhosen, a signal that the place also is serious about the German national drink: beer.
There also is a rock-solid menu of down-home German cooking: schnitzel, Maultaschen (raviolilike pasta), spaetzle (a type of egg noodle) and meat roasted in beer sauce are among the offerings.
On a recent visit, I ordered the schnitzel seasoned with horseradish, which came with a heaping helping of potato salad and a green salad. To my surprise, the plate was presented with not one, but two, cutlets. That, with a beer, cost 18 euros. Not cheap, but at least the serving was generous, bordering on overflowing American-style excess. It was delicious and filling.
And since the restaurant is connected to a brewery, there are naturally lots of beers to choose from, all connected to the Dinkelacker brand: Sanwald, Wulle and Cluss, to name a few. With rooms that can seat at many as 60 people, it also is a great place to have a big party, though a reservation is required to book a private room.
Strangely, the usually hopping restaurant was mostly empty during my visit, but I suspect that had something to do with my timing: the Cannstatter Volksfest, Germany’s second-biggest beer fest, was going on just a couple miles away.
But fest season will soon pass, so if you’re looking to re-create the magic that is Germany in October, consider heading to the Brauereigaststaette for old-fashion cooking and beer that is always on tap.
BrauereigaststaetteAddress: 46 Tübinger Strasse
Directions: The restaurant is located just off the B-14 before reaching the Heslach tunnel near the square at Marienplatz.
Times: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
Costs: Main courses run in the 9- to 20-euro range.
Attire: Casual
English menu: Yes
Information: Telephone: (+49) (0)711-603-797; website: www.brauereigaststaette-dinkelacker.de.
