Wirtshaus Restaurant Part 2- Food

It's the last Friday of Oktoberfest, and we hope you are having a festive and fun evening! 

If you've been following our shenanigans, you are probably already aware that we went to this festive and fun German restaurant to get a taste of what LA has to offer to fellow German food and drink enthusiasts, as well as to learn a bit more about said food and drinks. 

We are aware the food is rather homely - i.e. difficult to do justice in a photograph. But it is so tasty, satisfying, comforting and, dare we say, underrated that there is little out there on the WWW (world-wide web, anyone?) to guide those who have experienced it and want to recreate its deliciousness.  

Ms. Schnitzel to the rescue!

However, in order to know whether the recipes we are sharing are true to others' standards of German cuisine, it is imperative and FUN to check out the local offerings. So even if you're not from LA, we hope these field trips help bring some clarity and maybe inspire you to check out the scene in your own town. We'd love to hear about it if you do!

Speaking of imperatives, it felt necessary on this trip to order up some schnitzel... We have yet to share a schnitzel recipe with you despite our name, soooo yeah. It was real good. Especially with sauce. 

There were six of us, so rather than boring you with descriptions of every little thing we tried, let's keep it brief and say there was nary a complaint. Everything was delicious.

Now let's talk favorites. 

Hailing from the south, Virginia to be exact, GK was astounded at the similarities between his meal and the cooking he loves from back home. The green beans and mashed potatoes were the ideal pairing to his chicken schnitzel, all done to perfection, and he left a happy (if a bit nostalgiac) man.

Tara absolutely loved the Jäger (hunter) sauce which she remembered fondly from the small town she visited in the Bavarian Alps (Ausgang? No, that means exit. Remind her to tell you the story sometime). She mixed it with spätzle. Actually, frankly, she mixed it with everything. But with tons of fresh mushrooms and tender homemade spätzle, the Jäger-spätzle combo was her favorite. Well, also the potato pancakes with caramelized onions and mascarpone cheese sauce (pictured at the top). She and Jen began dreaming up their potato pancake post and all of the delicious toppings they could create!

Janet's favorite was the Gulasch, with tender and juicy beef in a hearty and flavorful sauce, served over the spätzle, which we might add was an all around favorite. Perfectly al dente with just a hint of garlic flavor... If you've never tried spätzle, it's time that you do!

Jen is torn between her entrée, with delicious bites that combined the chicken schnitzel, Jäger sauce, and sauerkraut (also a winner all around - very sour and very tasty), whose flavors all worked so well together, and the Nutella Pudding!

Adrienne was smitten with both the sauerkraut and the mashed potatoes. Those taters - creamy, rich, and full of flavorful potato goodness - were a total hit with those who tried them! We might have to convince Adrienne to come and experiment with us to replicate the magic...

Bob, the chocoholic, loved the Nutella Pudding as well and could not stop talking about it afterwards! Seriously. Did not stop talking about it. Yum!

Whew, so that's a lot! Right? We didn't even talk about everything, after two full posts! What a treat. So let's finish the last Friday of Oktoberfest 2014, though there's a whole weekend to come mind you, with this little guy below. 

Jen's tummy was feeling a bit unsettled going in to this experience, but we do what we have to do. It's for the greater good, right? At the end of the meal, it was decided a little digestif action might help.

It was like Jäger on crack, the liquor not the sauce mind you (is that hilarious to anyone else?). It settled Jen's tummy nicely and she was alright with the flavor. Tara HATED it. If you like Jägermeister, you very well might love this. Try at your own risk.