Trixie Navarre

Germany is one of those countries that I can go, and will go back to over and over. Since 2015, I have visited Deutschland three times, and do not plan on stopping. This is a country that has rich history, charming villages, cultural cities, and glorious food.

This blog is Part One of two parts, for now! I am looking forward to creating multiple food blogs (Part Three, Part Four, etc) for Germany in the coming years.

From having a kiss in Heidelberg to my first Spaghetti Eis, my Part One List of “What I ate in GERMANY – A Food Journal”. 

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Bliss at Brenners in Baden Baden

We treated ourselves for lunch at Brenners Park Hotel Spa, particularly in their fine dining restaurant- the Wintergarten. We made reservations (required), and were seated outside in their private park that overlooked Lichtentaler Allee. The weather and the grounds were all so beautiful, and it made for an extraordinary dining experience.

I ordered a Riesling, which was crisp and chilled to perfection. This very glass has always set the bar for my full Riesling experiences, and nothing has yet compared. For my lunch, I ordered the Pike Perch with lentils. The fish was delicious, fresh and local. I always try to order whatever is fresh and local because it is usually a good bet the meal will be fantastic. My lunch was marvelous, and I highly suggest the Pike Perch if dining here. I loved it so much that I was taking my time to savor it.

From that first sip of Riesling to the last bite of pike perch, to dining in their private park, my experience at Brenners was everything and extraordinary.

For my complete YELP Review- Read Trixie N.‘s review of Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa on Yelp

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Fish & Chips AND Fish & Chips along the Bodensee

While wandering along the Bondensee aka Lake Constance, I had Fish & Chips on two days straight. As you see both were prepared and presented differently, which is why I enjoy ordering this casual dish wherever I go.

My first plate was in Meersburg, Germany along the lake shores. To get here, I had hopped a last minute boat from Konstanz, and chose the first city that looked interesting. The Meersburg Fish and Chips was a delicious full fish and crispy fries. For the second plate, I decided to walk across the border to  Switzerland and have lunch. Yes, you can walk right into Switzerland from Germany in Lake Constance. That made my day, and it also makes for great story to us Americans.

Do I have a slight obsession with Fish & Chips? Possibly. I have noshed on this casual dish of fried fish and potatoes in many European countries and various states of America. Although simple, this meal can taste different from location to location due to the type of fish, batter, and potatoes used. It is all so good

For more fish and chips – Fish and Chips | The Love of a Good Chippy

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A Kiss in Heidelberg 💋

Move over Hershey, this is where the first chocolate kiss started. When I researched fun and interesting things to eat and do in Heidelberg, Café Knösel came up. This chocolate shop and café is the oldest confectionary store in Heidelberg, with a cute and romantic history.

Since the 1860s, Knösel has been making little chocolates that were considered “Student Kisses”, as they were given to students, and girls by admirers. How sweet is that? Literally sweet- both taste and feelings. Sweet with taste, as these little foil wrapped candies are nougat and praline, on top of a light wafer and dipped in chocolate. Then sweet with feelings because this was a popular and adorable way to show love for a young lady back in the days.

For more story information and location, please visit their website – Heidelberg Student Kiss

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The FAKE Hard Rock Cafe in Heidelberg

I waw the Hard Rock Cafe sign, I was hungry, wanted to pay with my CC. and use the facilities. That is how it all began. I walked in and had a seat, I should have known by looking around but I thought it was like HRCs ugly stepchild. I was probably fooling myself because I was hungry, and needed to use the bathroom.

I looked at the menu and thought, “Ok it doesn’t look like an HRC menu, and prices are cheaper.” Curioser and curioser. I decided on the chili burger because it sounded good, it sounded good. I have been to American style restaurants across the globe that always tasted off. You know what I am saying. This was no exception. I’ve also been to HRCs in other counties, and as you know it is consistent.

It also seemed like every thee minutes an American would walk in, and ask for Merch but they were turned away. What HRC doesn’t have corporate merch? This one did not because it was a incorporated with the Hard Rock company. It was not a great experience in Heidelberg.

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My Spaghetti Eis along the Rhine River

Europe is filled with ice cream shoppes that serve spaghetti ice cream, and this was my first time that I had tried it. On this day, it was a particularly nice visit not only for the Spaghetti Eis, but I finally met a pen pal that I had been writing to since the 1990s. We started off in Bonn, and ended up in Königswinter, where I had this delicious Chocolate Spaghetti Eis.

A language lesson here, the word “Eis” pronounced “Ice’ is the German world for “Ice Cream”. I told my German friend Susanna that if you asked for “Eis” in America, they will give you frozen water!

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What I ate in BERLIN

On my two visits to Berlin, I experienced just a sprinkling of delectable dining although I know this city has a tremendous amount of incredible restaurants. I am sure that I will have my work cut out for me the next time I visit Berlin, when it comes to eating and noshing. I am looking forward to the challenge!

👩🏻‍💻 From lunching at the oldest restaurant in Berlin to exploring my love for currywurst, please visit my list → “What I ate in BERLIN – A Food Journal”.

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Diner at Gasthaus Löwenbräu in Baden Baden

If any place draws a tourist into their restaurant, it is Gasthaus Löwenbräu in Baden Baden. I wish that I still had my videos of the moving dolls in the front, inviting people to step inside this whimsical restaurant. We had passed by it for a couple of days while visiting this spa town, and I could not stand it anymore. I dragged Keith up the steps, past the flower boxes, trees, and colorful umbrellas so we could eat and drink something… anything!

I was the one who ate, and Keith ordered a beer because he was still full from the meal we had just ate. I ordered the Maultaschen, which is a traditional German dish that I had only once, and it was here at Gasthaus Löwenbräu. Maultaschen is a stuffed pasta dumpling that is filled with minced meat, spinach, onions, and bread crumbs. I thought of it as a giant ravioli or dumpling. It was delicious, especially swimming in that flavorsome beef broth.

For restaurant information and location, please visit their website – Gasthaus Löwenbräu

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I. Love. Marzipan.

When I read there was a Niederegger Café in Lubeck Germany, I knew that I had to go. I took a special day trip from Hamburg by train to Lubeck, just to visit the store and café. The Niederegger shop was crowded with wall to wall tourists, so I headed upstairs to the cute café for tasty Marzipan treats.

Since I had just arrived in Lubeck and was hungry, I ordered a tomato bisque with lots of cream on top. The bisque was wonderful, it was thick and creamy with a bit of sweetness. I also ordered the Marzipan cappuccino- how heavenly. It was not over the top Marzipan, and it had a good nutty sweet flavor.

When it came to dessert, I asked my knowledgeable server what the best marzipan dessert was, and she mentioned the marzipan nut cake. I was hoping she would say that. Wow. It was like fluffy marzipan crème wrapped in marzipan. How does life get better than that?

For more Lubeck information – Hanseatic City of Lubeck – A UNESCO World Heritage Site | Exploring Germany

For my complete YELP Review – Read Trixie N.‘s review of Niederegger on Yelp

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Wild Pigs That Live in The Trees or The Trout?

Server (in broken English): “We have a special today. It is… Ummm… how do you say… ravioli und inside is… wild pigs that live in the trees.”

😏 With a four second thought of screaming pigs in the boughs of trees, and trying to stifle my laughter.

Me: “No, thank you. I will have the trout”

Server: “Did I say that right?”

Me: “You were very close. It is ‘Wild boars that live in the forest’” 🙂

Besides my fun and quirky conversation with my server at a restaurant in Quedlinburg, this trout was incredible. It was one of the best things I had eaten on my trip through Germany. A fresh whole trout, pan fried with slivered almonds, and a lot of butter inside. Yes! Once you cut into the trout, melted butter just oozed out. I know, my head exploded too.

Quedlinburg, Germany was a town that I knew I would love from the first time I heard the name. It is a a small town in North Eastern Germany with some of the oldest Fachwerk buildings in Germany.

For more information – Old Town of Quedlinburg – A UNESCO World Heritage Site | Exploring Germany

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Mein Großer Salat in Dresden

“Mein Salat ist groß!” is what I said to the two ladies who walked by, and gawked at my Chicken Salad. They laughed. 😂 Not sure if they laughed because of the HUGE salad I was trying to ingest, or my American accent- I am sure it was the size of the salad.

This impressive Chicken Salad with goat cheese was at one of the lovely restaurants in Old Town Dresden. It was just what I needed on my last day in Germany, a huge green salad with protein. It was an incredible, fresh, and flavorsome main dish. I apologize that I do not remember the name of the restaurant, there was a lot of weirdness going on that day. Noting the restaurant’s name was not on the top of the list, sorry.

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Cruising Along The River Rhine

I started off early and came back in the mid-afternoon, and in between I did not eat much. Yes, it was as sparse as you see in the photos below. One cappuccino in the morning on the top deck, and a plate of sausage, stale brown bread, and a mustard packet for lunch. 😟

To be fair, the day was not terrible as I was cruising down the Rhine River, and watching all of its splendor roll-on by. At one point, I got off at the sweet little town of Unkel, and walked around before catching the return boat back to Cologne. The cruise was breathtaking, and I recommend it to everyone. There were many charming villages, and vineyards along the hillsides of the Rhine River. I would love to do this again, and stay longer at one of the towns and eat.

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Choosing Snacks For The Train!

No lies, I get excited when I pass by a pastry or confectionary shop. I love sitting down or walking around with a bag of sugary-carby treats in another country. This was no exception when I took this photo of my pre-decision at the train station in Baden Baden.

Can you guess which ones I chose? I decided on the white cookie with black stripesm and the sweet pretzel twist- Yum. I took my bag of sweet treats, and hopped a train to Heidelberg, Germany. Tschüss!

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What I ate in BAVARIA

While in Bavaria, I visited many historical cities and landmarks beyond Munich, and ate many delicious things. This is where I ate so much apfelstrudel that by the time I got into the other states of Germany, I completely stopped. I really have no regrets on how much I ate in Bavaria, and I would do it again.

👩🏻‍💻 From noshing at Oktoberfest to my first bite of Kaiserschmarrn, please visit my list → “What I ate in Bavaria – A Food Journal.”

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Danke schön, darling, danke schön…

– Wayne Newton

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📸 All photos are taken by me and are my intellectual property – Trixie Navarre