Guten Abend!
After about a year of planning, we FINALLY got to meet the Bergs (and the Romances!) at Waldhorn, a German restaurant here in Charlotte. Sunday night actually makes a pretty good meeting time 🙂
Growing up I heard of my German + Hungarian roots mentioned, so I asked my mom my family history and this is what she said:
Your dad’s paternal grandparents came from Hungary, although since they lived close to the German border, they may have been of German descent. Their name was Junger and your great-grandmother, Julia, was said to be a good cook. Someone changed the name to Younger, as people often did, to seem more American. My dad’s family was German. Their name, as you know, is Kiehne. At one time it was "Von Kiehne," and the story I was told was that during WWI, they changed it, since we were fighting Germany. My mom’s family is Pennsylvania Dutch, so they too, would have cooked up some very good German meals!
Cool! Forgive me if I blur German + Hungarian lines, because clearly my great-family did!
I decided not to imbibe tonight, but I had my share of sips from Matt’s mugs.
I am not a huge fan of European beers (I know, I know) but the beers I tasted tonight were some of the best ever!!!
Giant beers were loved by Justin
The Spaten Oktoberfest was AMAZING!
SO were the PRETZEL ROLLS!!! Like a doughnut with a hard, salty crust!!!
I had 2 throughout the evening. Couldn’t help myself 🙂
Rather than ordering an entree, I decided to piece together meal. It actually worked perfectly because I was able to taste Matt’s and had plenty of food myself. I often ask myself in restaurants "how much would I eat if I were cooking at home" and the four things I ordered were more than enough. Esp. with tastes of other people’s and beers and the bread…..
I started with a cup of the Ungarische Gulaschsuppe – Hungarian Goulash Soup! I remember my mom talking about goulash when I was little. Not sure if this is the same stuff. It was good, but reallllllly salty. Reminded me of Southern Brunswick Stew but with beef. Very rich and really good
I also ordered a side salad – for some filling greenery
For my "entree" I ordered two sides – red cabbage, which was like dessert it was so sweet and cinnamony!! (want to make this at home now!) and Kartoffelpuffer, a potato pancake served with applesauce!!
I shared with Matt and gave him most of one pancake half. I dominated that cabbage though!
Matt got these three different kinds of sausages – I had a taste of each. They were good, but one bite was plenty. SO rich! I think my palate has really changed lately.
While my choices weren’t the heaviest, I sure feel like I consumed a ton for dinner!
Headed off to bed! Tomorrow begins at 5AM….
[email protected] says
mmmm sounds like a delish german foodie night. I think my fave would be the sausage 😉
Jessica @ The Process of Healing says
Pretzel.. rolls… oh wow. Sounds amazing!
amanda @ fake ginger says
What a fun restaurant! You don’t see many German themed places. Those rolls look delish!
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says
Mmmmm, pretzel rolls 🙂
Looks like a fun meal, if not something you’d want to eat every night 🙂
Heather (Heather's Dish) says
i LOVE german food! my family is mostly german, but we never really had a lot of the food around. i really do enjoy it all though 🙂 how long did it take for your palate to register richness more profoundly? I’m hoping that happens to me soon 😉
sounds like a fabulous night!
Kath says
I really have no idea – perhaps 3 years!?
[email protected]://stacey-healthylife.blogspot.com/ says
Hope you had a great day. Looks like you had a fun meal
Ally (Exercise and Pies) says
wow, i’ve never had german food before… looks like fun though!
Estela @ Weekly Bite says
I would have just eaten the pretzel rolls for dinner 🙂
Jil says
That looks so delicious. My family is Dutch and German on my mother’s side (Wheele and Van Noy, respectably). We had goulash often as kids…however, it was more meaty and less stew/soup-like. Mmm, maybe I should put in a request with my mother. haha 🙂 Anyway, your meal looks wonderful! Love how you assembled the perfect meal for you! That cabbage sounds amazing.
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says
What a fun way to spend the evening! So neat to relate to your past like that. 🙂
Ashley says
LOVE this post, for many reasons. First, love the family background. Also, my family makes goulash, but not soup..it’s a casserole and is the most amazing un-healthy dish ever [well, I’m sure there was worse, but it’s full of cheese :)] Next, potato pancakes…Definitely had these quite often when I was younger [with the whole Jewish thing and all..we called them Latkes ] and DEFinitely ate them THEE best way with applesauce!! I think that is the cutest dinner roll ever..not sure I could have stopped at 2. And lastly…my tastes have totally changed lately!!!! [way way way less meat]
Shannon, Tropical Eats says
Wowza that pretzel roll looks delish! What a fun evening! Family trees are so interesting.. it always feels like you hit the jackpot when you solve an entire branch in the tree. My grandma recently learned we’re part Russian… she loves digging through our family history lol. Have a great Monday!
Lisa @bakebikeblog says
WOW what a fun evening! Good food, good company – what more could a gal want !! 🙂
Emilyeatsclean says
All that food looks yummy…..ESPECIALLY those rolls!!!! Mmmmm! But I’m a total carb girl and could make an entire meal out of a baguette and some butter! 🙂
-emily http://www.emilyeatsclean.wordpress.com
Kristen says
Looks like a great restaurant. I am of German descent and although it is heavy, the food is my favorite. Oddly enough, I moved to a very German-Hungarian area of NYC (without even realizing at first) and there is a great German restaurant down the block. Great Spaten beers!
Red cabbage is so so delicious and actually super easy to make! And while definitely not healthiest the potato pancakes are such a yummy treat!
Jules @ eatdrinklivelearn says
Looks like you had a really fun evening! Mmmm….pretzel rolls…Great strategy for enjoying the meal out and trying a bunch of things!
[email protected] thesimplespatula.blogspot.com says
I grew up eating Austrian and German food that my mom made and now I cook it as well. It really is my favorite kind of food!
Tara says
That looks like wonderful food! (Beer too!) Have a great week interning!
lauri Watson says
Hmmm… LOVE German Food! My maiden name was SCHULTZ!! My grandparents + dad lived right outside Munich, Germany until my dad was five! I LOVE making Schnitzel!!!! Might have to make it sometime soon… Glad y’all had such a YUMMY German Meal!
[email protected] Two Lives, One Lifestyle says
That all looks sooo delicious, I love German food (my paternal grandpa is very German, where I get my last name from!). Lately, I’ve been trying to answer the “what would I eat if I were at home” question as we are going out a lot. It works a lot of the time, but it’s tough when you want to try the restaurants specials. Looks like you did an awesome job of getting both accomplished
Katie @ Health for the Whole Self says
I like what you said about asking yourself how much you’d eat if you were at home. It’s a good reminder that eating out is an opportunity to try new, different, delicious foods – but it doesn’t mean you have to eat a larger-than-normal portion.
Wendy says
Very cool to hear about your family history! I’m about as German as they come, as are many of the people who live in my hometown and the vicinity. Also, I thought it was interesting that you have Pennsylvania Dutch roots. In college, I worked for a professor whose mother was Pennsylvania Dutch. He taught some really interesting courses on the Amish & Mennonite cultures.
Gretchen says
We have a German bakery in the area, and I love German baked goods… especially the pretzel bread like what you had! And they have the best cheesecake (not too sweet) around! The owners worked with my company for awhile and brought us stuff all the time (along with about 10-15 extra pounds!), so needless to say, I don’t have this much anymore! Looks like a fun night!
Mary (Food Fit & Fun) says
pretzels rolls are my favorite. I’ve been wanting to cut one in half and make a grilled panini cheese sandwich with mustard. I think it would be so good on a pretzel roll! Wegmans & Whole Foods sell them and I can never resist having one for a snack! You should see about making them at Great Harvest!
GurlOnA"Diet" says
mmm i loveee german food, esp spaetzle. german bread is the best! i literally lived off of bread and nutella because i just loved it so much while in germany!
Sarah Ikegami says
Looks great! Isn’t it exciting learning about your family name? I spent a Summer in Hungary and a little time in Germany, all of this looks very familiar!
thepinkpeppercorn says
I LOVE LOVE LOVE pretzel buns!!! Looks like an awesome time Kath!
Cole says
Dinner looks great!
[email protected] says
The restaurant where my husband works just started making pretzel rolls and I love them! Also, he is Hungarian and we are going there this summer!
lynn (The Actors Diet) says
i love super sweet red cabbage….mmm….
Monica (Musings of The Granola Girl) says
LOVE potato pancakes– my Polish family makes them Polish-style
it almost looks like viener schnitzel in those pictures, though! & with the colorful red cabbage…….. yum
Ashley C says
Omg, I need to get myself a pretzel roll! That sounds amazing!!
Katrina says
That looks fabulous! I’m very intrigued by the red cabbage and the soup. My experience with red cabbage involved the college cafeteria and the last day of summer term. It was….less than appealing. I remember thinking “who really eats this stuff??” I may have to experiment with that one.
I love your website! Someone sent me a link to it since I’m a diabetic and like to stick to whole foods. I had a grapefruit for dinner (long story on why JUST grapefruit) and remembered your post on cutting into easy-to-eat wedges. I linked the information back to your site, I hope you don’t mind. When I find ideas at other places, I like to link back. It worked beautifully! Thank you!
Kath says
Welcome!
Anne says
I love German food even though it’s usually (especially when made at my grandparents) very heavy with sauce and lots of meat and potatoes. But oh boy they know how to make a meal! and I usually don’t drink beer, but German Kölsch is the BEST I’ve ever had 🙂
Your pictures looked lovely!
Greetings from your European fan (all the way from Finland)!
Anne
Freya @ foodfitnessandfreya.wordpress.com says
Ooh you have a really interesting heritage! I’m very slightly descended from German stock too (if that makes sense!) but I have a heck of a lot of Dutch thrown in 😛 I really like how everyone in the USA is technically from somewhere else, it must be fascinating!
Rachel says
there is a difference between dutch and german! In cuisine as well as many other things! If your mother’s family is Pennsylvania dutch, they are of dutch, not German, decent. I live in NL- so I can tell you that the confusion would have both groups quite up in arms!
Tricia says
“The Pennsylvania Dutch are the descendants of Germanic peoples who emigrated to the U.S. (primarily to Pennsylvania), from Germany, Switzerland and The Low Countries prior to 1800. The Dutch are generally regarded as one of several Germanic peoples, which explains the corruption of the German word Deutsch to Dutch; therefore, the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch are really Pennsylvania Germans. “
Rachel says
sorry to be knit picky….but also, Hungary shares no borders w/germany. The food looks good, though.
Tricia says
Also, Hungary shared borders with Nazi Germany.
Mom says
Rachel,
While I’m no expert, I’m fairly certain the border was shared (or very close) 110 years ago or so. I do know the borders to Hungary have fluctuated some in earlier centuries.
Also, my mother’s family did come from Germany as Mennonites in the 1600’s and settled in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Dutch came mainly from Germany and Switzerland. The word “Deutsch” in German implied “German spoken.”
Hannah says
You had pretty much every food group covered there! Fruit, vegetables, sweet, savoury, carbohydrate, protein, beer (yes, I know these aren’t food groups… but you get my gist :P) I think I’ll make use of that “piece together” idea in the future – I love getting to try lots of little things!
Jenn (www. j3nn.net ) says
This is a change of pace! I’ve only had German food once in Epcot Center, potato pancakes. 🙂
I think last names that start with “Von” sound so sophisticated.
Jenn
christie @ honoring health says
Yum, those potato pancakes look stellar! Love that you pieced together a wonderful meal!
Chelsea (Chelsea's Chew and Run Fun) says
Those sausages look mouth-wateringly good. Applesauce and potato pancakes sounds like a divine combination. Glad you had a great dinner out!
Nicole, RD says
Looks wonderful! I think I have that striped shirt in navy — is it from Old Navy? 🙂
Kath says
Yep!
Caitlin @ Right Foot Forward says
That food looks great! Don’t think I’ve ever had German food before. Also, you mom is awesome 🙂
Sarah (Running to Slow Things Down) says
Oh gosh, I would have been all over those pretzel rolls too, for sure. 😀 Yum!
It’s funny how our palates can change over time. I find that the less rich meats that I eat, the less I enjoy them. I used to love keilbasa and things like that, but now that doesn’t sound appealing at all.
Looks like such a fun night out with friends! 😀
Nicole (dishin') says
YUM! Everything look delicious….especially the pretzel rolls. There’s a place in Boston that serves mini soft pretzels instead of bread…yum!
Johanna says
hey! i love this post about the german food! being a german and eating a lot of international food i often forget how good our own cooking is ;)…we don´t really eat much of it, but visiting a german restaurant can be a blast!
love you blog
Johanna
Lauren @ Eater not a runner says
Spaten Octoberfest is one of my FAVORITE beers ever!
Amanda @ Cakes and Ale says
My husband’s family’s German, and he LOVES German cuisine. Every summer we make sure to head up to Lincoln Square in Chicago for the annual General Von Stueben beer and brat festival! Lots of delicious brats, beer, sauerkraut, and old men in leiderhosen… it’s great!
Kristilyn (My 29th Year) says
All the dishes look amazing! When my husband and I were on our Alaskan cruise for our honeymoon, the ship had those buns – we called them pretzel buns, too! Whenever we saw they were out it was definitely a light dinner night – salad, cheese, buns, a little meat. Yum!
K
Kendel says
Here here for Germany! I recently did a post dedicated to the weird and wonderful German food. If you’re wanting to make the red cabbage at home, use this recipe as it is very authentic. The sweetness comes from apples!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/German-Red-Cabbage/Detail.aspx
Enjoy!
Sarah Leigh says
Hi Kath,
I was looking through older posts and found this one!
The next time you are in Durham or visiting Duke for a game (or whatever!) you have to check out Guglhupf Bakery. They have the best menu. They are more of a modern German restaurant rather than a brat and potato place (although they do have that!)
They have the best breads and desserts I’ve ever had! The fruit tart is to die for!!! They are closed on Mondays btw 🙂
http://www.guglhupf.com/