|
 |
|
| American Dream Cuisine™ |
|
GARDEN RESTAURANT
Hotel Bayerischer Hof |
|
| In Munich, Germany
receives |
|
Extraordinaire - Society |
|
5 Stars &
6 Stripes for
Extraordinaire - Society Cuisine & Service |
|
The Ultimate Award:
Seven
Stars and Stripes ™ |
|
|
|
| As we entered the Garden Restaurant
at the Bayerischer Hof, Restaurant Manager Sigmund Biel greeted us immediately.
His demeanor was warm and friendly and we were escorted to our table surrounded
by an international crowd of happy guests seemingly savoring their dining
experience. We strolled past a decorative table piled high with all kinds
of attractive food items designed to enhance the appetite by giving you
a peak of things to come. Later in the evening this table with its unusually
tall bottles filled with 'schnapps' will play an important role in the winding
down of a tastefully done cuisine presentation. |
|
| As Thorsten and I were seated and
began to scope out the menu, we were attended to by so many people
that it almost made our heads spin. The sommelier brought us two Bellini
Champagne cocktails, one made with fresh raspberry puree and the other
peach. Then Restaurant Manager Biel came back to announce that our
dinner had been planned and laid out by Executive Chef Pfister and
soon after the first course of Warm Bavarian River Crayfish over Deep
Fried Arugula and aged Balsamico arrived. |
|
 |
|
|
| This creative and tasteful appetizer
was followed by the above pictured Lobster Tail and Papaya with twin sauces
and Bean Sprout Salad. Both selections went well with the accompanying wine
selection of 2001 Rheingau Riesling Weingut Robert Weil. Cover crops, exclusively
organic fertilizers, and a complete absence of herbicides are particularly
important to the production and excellent quality of the Weil wines. Aromas
of hay with citrus, light-bodied fruit with lively acidity, flavors of bruised
apples, light mineral notes. |
|
 |
|
With the finishing touches being
applied to the first two courses by Thorsten and myself, dinner was
beginning to look like the gourmet Olympics. The superb quality and
architectural designs of each course reminded me of works of art that
were amazingly palatable. Our next course arrived of Sliced Loin of
Bavarian Venison in porcini au poivre demi-glaze and thyme potato
croquets and it was eagerly received by Thorsten. The ruby slices
of venison offered a slightly wild aroma and delicately tender texture,
while the porcini contributed just enough earthiness blended with
the zest of whole black peppercorns. |
|
|
A glass of "Owen's Estate" Shiraz,
South Eastern Australia Geoff Merrill, Mount Hurtle Wine Estate was offered
as the perfect accompaniment to this artfully crafted main course. It was
well balanced and appropriate for this game entrée and the wine produced
a very dense display of dark red color while blackberries and currents wafted
from the glass.
We paused briefly after the outstanding presentation of culinary mastery
to continue to savor the wonderfully smooth lingering texture of the Shiraz.
This wine should reach its full potential in another few years to come.
|
|
Clearing the table was a tableside
performance as the servers cleverly moved in sync with each other
to remove dishes and crumbs and reset with suitable tableware and
stemware for the dessert course.
Caramelized pear tart with hazelnut gelato and champagne sabayon arrived
with fresh berries and sugared red currants. A fluted glass of Veuve
Clicquot Rose Reserve Champagne was presented and this sparkler was
created by blending Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Petit Meunier grapes
to produce a balanced nose of apples and pears. |
|
 |
|
|
| Espresso
and petit fours ended this evening's activities in the Garden Restaurant,
or so we thought until Restaurant
Manager Sigmund Biel arrived tableside with one of those very tall bottles
we had seen upon entering the restaurant. The bottles, though decoratively
long and ornate, contain a special distillation of fresh fruits such as
apricots or raspberries. It must be poured into tiny glasses very carefully
as the bottles being so long must be held at a distance. There is much tradition
and pomp involved in the consumption of this liquid, which is reminiscent
of grappa and one must look in each other's eyes and toast to a 'shoenen
abend' or fine evening in order to complete the custom. |
|
Sigmund Biel & Pierre Pfister &
Thorsten Piosczyk |
|
A perfect time for a photo op presented
itself when Executive Chef Pierre Pfister joined together with Restaurant
Manager Sigmund Biel to have an event ending toast to a great dinner
and a new and exciting day at the fairgrounds tomorrow for Oktoberfest.
|
|
|
| |
|
by John Lomitola
& Thorsten Piosczyk
Editor-in-Chief: Ingrid Lemme
|
|
