My First Experience with German Cuisine
I took a trip up to Germany, I mean…Milwaukee, Wisconsin this weekend for a concert with a friend. Since our main mission was to see the concert, I thought we’d grab a quick bite to eat for dinner, nothing exciting, maybe pizza or something. Little did I know I would be experiencing something completely new and exciting…my first German meal. And a very nice one at that.
Before our drive into Milwaukee, I had no idea it was such a German city. We were greeted by very old world European-style buildings. I wish I had pictures to show you, I felt like I was in another country. Now, pizza seemed like hardly an option and German food became a must. Enter: Mader’s Restaurant.
I felt like I was at Medieval Times, except with much better food. German greetings were written on the walls, ornate German beer steins greeted us on the way in, and the waiters were dressed in the type of costume you would see at a place like Medieval Times.
I had the traditional Bavarian sauerbraten, which is essentially roast beef covered with a sweet tangy sauce. My friend, who was more experienced than I in the likes of German cuusine, recommended this to me. Served with spaetzle and a red onion relish, I had no regrets.
Now, I had seen the recipes our users have submitted, like: Holly’s German Spaetzle Dumplings, or Marinated Gingersnap Sauerbraten but I had never tried sauerbraten or spaetzle for myself. I knew very little about both. Spaetzle are supposed to be homemade noodles or dumplings. They can take a variety of shapes and be prepared many different ways. This spaetzle was clumpy and it seemed like it was lightly fried but it was very very good. The roast beef in the sauerbraten was absolutely amazing. It was tender, earthy and complemented well by the sauce.
We also split an order of potato pancakes, something I was very familiar with. I was excited to taste a German potato pancake, to see if it differed from the traditional potato latke I eat on Hannukah. It was very similar and I was delighted to see it was even served with applesauce, just the way we serve our latkes.
They were probably a little thicker and less greasy than our latkes but they were just as delicious, especially doused in the applesauce. It surprised me that they weren’t served with sour cream but we asked for some and it was available.
My friend had the viener schnitzel, which is a breaded cutlet of pork, also served with spaetzle and what seemed like a cabbage relish of sorts. He seemed quite satisfied with his meal.
Overall, the whole experience was a lot of fun because it was different. I’m not sure what I enjoyed more: dinner or the concert. The food was very hearty and delicious, and the restaurant put me in a whole different world. So if you need an interesting dinner in Milwaukee, try out Mader’s. Why not?
Mader’s German Restaurant
1041 N. Old World Third St.
Milwaukee, WI 53203
Popularity: 3% [?]
Tags: German cuisine, German food, Mader's, Oktoberfest
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German food can be so good & comforting too!
Posted by kat at September 23rd, 2008, 8:59 amYou’ll find those german pockets all over the midwest. Oh yum, time for a trip back home soon : )
Posted by Melissa at September 23rd, 2008, 10:17 amThat looks like some seriously hearty fare! I just visited Milwaukee myself, and ADORED the city!
Posted by Cakespy at September 23rd, 2008, 4:27 pmOhhh..I love German food. And German BEER!
Posted by Leslie at September 23rd, 2008, 7:03 pmThanks for your comment on my Oreo Turkeys..they seriously a super quick to assemble and everyone thinks they are darling!
I wasn’t hungry a second ago, but now I’m forced to grab myself a midnightish snack. That looks like some great food, specifcally the latkes.
Posted by Josh P at September 23rd, 2008, 10:40 pmLove German food and that potato pancake would look so good on my breakfast plate :D…pardon the drool
Posted by Lore at September 25th, 2008, 3:15 amMerci pour cet article !
Posted by kitchen machine at August 9th, 2010, 9:28 pmsigné : un Fan de ce blog !
Yes, Milwaukee is a haven for Germans. It’s very similar in terms of climate.
Posted by Beer Stein at September 1st, 2010, 2:01 pm