Mainz, Germany Recommendations

[Joe H]

As part of a lengthy annual driving trip on business with stops in a half dozen countries I will spend two nights in Mainz. In past years I've stayed in Frankfurt and Heidelberg on this trip but this year I wanted to try somewhere different. Does anyone have any experience with Mainz? I'm staying at the Hyatt but will have a car and a navigation system so location is not a concern.

[markk]

How much do you like (or love) German baked goods?

[Joe H]

How much do you like (or love) German baked goods?

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My 58 year old obsession with food, particularly excessively fattening food, does not discriminate.

[markk]

I spent a few months in Mannheim, and I can honestly say that one of the gastronomic highlights (and there were very few) was a local bakery with a number of branches throughout the region called Grimminger. The baked goods, the pastries, the desserts, were all just outstanding. They're the more substantial German style, as opposed to the French pastry style, and I love them. (And that would be the only thing about German food that I do love. The food in that region was especially, especially heavy.) You may even know Grimminger from Heidleberg come to think of it. However, if German pastries appeal to you, you might ask around if they have a branch near to Mainz.

[Joe H]

I spent a few months in Mannheim, and I can honestly say that one of the gastronomic highlights (and there were very few) was a local bakery with a number of branches throughout the region called Grimminger.  The baked goods, the pastries, the desserts, were all just outstanding. They're the more substantial German style, as opposed to the French pastry style, and I love them.  (And that would be the only thing about German food that I do love.  The food in that region was especially, especially heavy.)  You may even know Grimminger from Heidleberg come to think of it.  However, if German pastries appeal to you,  you might ask around if they have a branch near to Mainz.

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Appreciate the suggestion and will look out for Grimminger. I fully understand your point about "heavy" food in areas of Germany. There are times when I would have killed for a salad, even Nordsee!

[reuvens]

BRASSERIE

im Hilton Hotel

55116, Rheinstr. 68

Tel. (0 61 31) 24 51 29, Fax 24 55 89

www.hilton.de/mainz

Geschlossen: Samstagmittag, Sonntag, Montag, Dienstag, erste 4 Wochen in den rh.-pf. Sommerschulferien

Menü 20/50, à la carte 24/39 Euro

DER HALBE MOND

Thilo Neu

55252, Stadtteil Kastel, In der Witz 12

Tel. (0 61 34) 2 39 13

Geschlossen: Mittags, Sonntag, Montag

Keine Kreditkarten

Menü 45, à la carte 28/42 Euro

i found these two restaurants at www.gaultmillau.de. the "brasserie" is awarded with 14 points and the restaurant "der halbe mond" with 16 out of 20.

hope it helps a little bit,

vue

[Joe H]

BRASSERIE   

im Hilton Hotel 

55116, Rheinstr. 68 

Tel. (0 61 31) 24 51 29, Fax 24 55 89

www.hilton.de/mainz

Geschlossen: Samstagmittag, Sonntag, Montag, Dienstag, erste 4 Wochen in den rh.-pf. Sommerschulferien

Menü 20/50, à la carte 24/39  Euro

DER HALBE MOND   

Thilo Neu 

55252, Stadtteil Kastel, In der Witz 12 

Tel. (0 61 34) 2 39 13

Geschlossen: Mittags, Sonntag, Montag

Keine Kreditkarten

Menü 45, à la carte 28/42 Euro

i found these two restaurants at www.gaultmillau.de. the "brasserie" is awarded with 14 points and the restaurant "der halbe mond" with 16 out of 20.

hope it helps a little bit,

vue

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Sincerely appreciate the information. I've used Gayot/Gault Millau before for Germany although, for whatever reason, I didn't look at it for Mainz.

[vigna]

Why not drive an hour south to Deidesheim and have a really great meal at the Schwarzer Hahn? Another good option is Luther in Freinsheim, also an hour's drive south, but closer in distance as a good part of the drive is not on an Autobahn.

[Joe H]

Why not drive an hour south to Deidesheim and have a really great meal at the Schwarzer Hahn?  Another good option is Luther in Freinsheim,  also an hour's drive south, but closer in distance as a good part of the drive is not on an Autobahn.

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Noting a post of your's on Dal Pescatore where you mentioned Schwarzwaldstube, how would the two restaurants you mentioned compare? I've been to both Schwarzwaldstube and Bareiss, several times for the former. It is one of my favortie restaurants anywhere in Europe (along with Le Calandre). On Thursday night of this trip I'll be in Paris and will have dinner at Le Cinq. Friday and Saturday are not, for me, considered on the same level. I tried to return to Schwarzwaldstube but couldn't get in. Same result wiht Bareiss. But I'm open to a serious dinner either night. Would either of these approach the two restaurants in the Black Forest?

[vigna]

Why not drive an hour south to Deidesheim and have a really great meal at the Schwarzer Hahn?  Another good option is Luther in Freinsheim,  also an hour's drive south, but closer in distance as a good part of the drive is not on an Autobahn.

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Noting a post of your's on Dal Pescatore where you mentioned Schwarzwaldstube, how would the two restaurants you mentioned compare? I've been to both Schwarzwaldstube and Bareiss, several times for the former. It is one of my favortie restaurants anywhere in Europe (along with Le Calandre). On Thursday night of this trip I'll be in Paris and will have dinner at Le Cinq. Friday and Saturday are not, for me, considered on the same level. I tried to return to Schwarzwaldstube but couldn't get in. Same result wiht Bareiss. But I'm open to a serious dinner either night. Would either of these approach the two restaurants in the Black Forest?

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The Schwarzer Hahn is not in the same league as The Schwarzwldstube. (I haven't been to Bareiss.) However, the Schwarzer Hahn is definitely worth a trip. Luther is good, but not as interesting as the Schwarzer Hahn. If you go to the S.H., definitely have one of the tasting menus and put yourself in the hands of the sommelier for paired wines. The Pfalzer wines are really interesting and surprisingly good and varied. Because it is fairly south (for Germany), they can grow many varietals here that just cannot be grown in other regions of this country. Here is an excerpt from my comments on the Schwarzer Hahn, written in April, 2004, shortly after my return from a trip to Germany:

The Schwarzer Hahn gained some fame internationally when it was said to be the favorite restaurant of former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, a place where he took his foreign guests to impress them with such local specialties as Saumagen (pig's belly). Actually, the restaurant has had a very high culinary standard, consistently receiving a Michelin star and high ratings in the Gault Millau guide (17, down to 16 this year). There's been some change of personnel, with a relatively new chef de cuisine, Stefan Neugebauer. The Deidesheimer Hof also has a second restaurant, the St. Urban, which specializes in the regional food of the Pfalz. I've eaten at the St. Urban before -- it's much more informal and less expensive than the Schwarzer Hahn and does have very tasty Saumagen! Both restaurants were filled to capacity on a recent mid-April Saturday.

Options at the Schwarzer Hahn include two 7 course gourmet tasting menus offered at 100 Euros for the "French" menu and 85 Euros for the "regional" menu. One can trim down these to 6 and 5 courses at a reduced cost. I chose a 5 course regional menu at 72 Euros and also chose the 5 course wine service for an additional 35 Euros. One of the highlights of the meal was to have local Pfalz wines paired appropriately with each of the courses. There are many a la carte courses that were enticing as well, including a Saumagen dish with fois gras, but considering the quality of both the food and the wine served on the tasting menu, I was glad I chose that option.

Soon after I arrived, I was served an amuse-guele of three little glass jars, filled respectively with a dill cream, chopped matjes herring and apples, and cold spicy asiatic vegetables. Another amuse-guele trio followed: a piece of salmon in thin crispy dough, rice topped with caviar and a quail egg, and a strong consommé with vegetables. All six of these little extras were interesting, the consommé and herring were delicious. Served along with these was a Weisse Burgunder (Pinot Blanc) from near Deidesheim -- dry, spicy, and crisp. Excellent breads (walnut, bacon, and whole wheat) were brought to the table.

My first real course was a strudel of spicy rabbit (Kaninchen) served with cold red beets and coconut foam, a stunning combination that was really tasty. The accompanying wine was a Rosé from Schneider, a local vintner, dry with a touch of berries. The second course was a large raviolo stuffed with fois gras, over which was ladeled a broth made from green lentils. This was another interesting and delicious dish. The wine (surprisingly) was a steel fermented Chardonnay (I didn't note down the vintner). I learned from the sommelier that local vintners are experimenting with some non-traditional grapes (Riesling is generally King in the Pfalz, Chardonnay is relatively new in this region) and producing some very interesting wines. This Chardonnay was a bit fruity but was also unusually light and crispy.

Next, a risotto with chicken and shrimps was served along with another Chardonnay, this time barrique-aged, fuller and fruitier, from Jacob Pfleger of nearby Herxheim. Again, the combination of wine and food fit well. The chicken in this dish, especially, was outstanding. The fourth course was slices of orange-infused duck breast served with carrots and asparagus. Again, delicious, served with a red blend of Pinot Noir and St. Laurent that tasted better than any red German wine I'd previoiusly tried. Finally, came the cheese course (I substituted servings from the cheese cart for the dessert course listed on the 5 course tasting menu, at no extra charge). I had five cheeses, all French, including a good chevre and a Münster, served with my final wine, a sweet Riesling/Sylvaner hybrid (I didn't note the vintner). A selection of pralines were offered at the end of the meal.

[Joe H]

I go to Mainz next week. Thank you for taking the time to respond and your recommendations. They are sincerely appreciated.

[reuvens]

The village "Baiersbronn" includes another Michelin rated restaurant called

"Schlossberg" in the small family runned Hotel "Sackmann".

http://www.hotel-sackmann.de/index.html