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| Photography by Fitz |
I would very much like to refer to Hollerbach's as the greatest place in the world. However, I've already given that honor to Marino's Beverage Depot in Sylvania, Ohio. And clearly it's mathematically impossible for there to be two Greatest Places In the World. So Hollerbach's shall instead be referred to as The Best Place Ever. Located in beautiful downtown Sanford, Florida, Hollerbach's was the first stop on our Floridian epic eating tour. Cousins Ryan and Julie, who graciously hosted us for three nights in Orlando, took us up to Sanford for what I hoped would be the German feast of my dreams. Hollerbach's claims to serve "the freshest expertly prepared German Food in
Central Florida". They aim for their patrons to "experience German Gemuetlichkeit" (a sense of well-being and happiness that comes from enjoying the company of friends and family while savoring good food and drink). On both counts, I'd say they've succeeded!
It's hard to go wrong when you start with an entire liter of beer. Out of several choices of German draft beer, I opted for Krombacher Dark. There are few things in life better than a good German dark lager, and Krombacher is one of the best. I've previously mentioned that Tami and I have a little bit of a soft pretzel obsession. Hollerbach's Riesen Brezen has taken it to a whole new level. This thing was divine - a gigantic 10-ounce German imported pretzel, served piping hot out of the oven with sweet Bavarian mustard and a beer cheese made with cream cheese, sour cream, diced onions, salt, pepper, and sweet paprika. The four of us devoured two of these bad boys. Tami and I agreed that it was the best pretzel we've ever had. If we had left the restaurant after eating nothing but the pretzel, I would have been content. But why just be content when you can feast? I ordered the Kaiser Wurst Teller - a three sausage platter with three sides. I opted for Bratwurst, Mettwurst, and Nurnberger sausages. My sides were sauerkraut, potato pancakes, and Kase spatzel. I passed, with great sorrow, on the sweet red cabbage. But I have no regrets. Choices had to be made. All my sides were superb - so superb, in fact, that they were my favorite component of the platter. And keep in mind that the sausages were great. The kraut was sweet and tasty, the spatzel was creamy and perfectly seasoned, and the pancakes were crispy and delicious. Tami, who also had the three sausage platter, ordered potato dumplings and an item called heaven and earth - mashed potatoes with onions, bacons, and apples. She loved the dumplings but found the heaven and earth to be a little too sweet. If we go back...let me rephrase that, when we go back, I want to try the schnitzel. Ryan seemed to have little complaint with his.
I would have liked to have added some thoughts on the sweet fare at Hollerbach's, but we were all too stuffed to even think about dessert. And you know that I ordinarily live by the credo that there's always room for sweets. Maybe next time!
Now let's subject Hollerbach's to our FABS scale:
Food- I can die now. 25/25
Atmosphere- A really fun place. Not formal or fancy. A cute cafe set-up that's bright and comfortable. We were too early for the live German music. The only deduction is for the street parking situation. But what are you gonna do in a downtown setting? 24/25
Beer- Come on, man. It's German beer off the tap! And I ain't talkin' about Beck's. 25/25
Service- All in all, service was fast and friendly. One point subtracted since we had to wait a little too long for our check. 24/25
Total score- 98 (out of 100)
Yep, The Best Place Ever. And food-wise, it wasn't even the highlight of our trip! How could this food possibly be topped? Stay tuned to find out!
-JoshIt's hard to go wrong when you start with an entire liter of beer. Out of several choices of German draft beer, I opted for Krombacher Dark. There are few things in life better than a good German dark lager, and Krombacher is one of the best. I've previously mentioned that Tami and I have a little bit of a soft pretzel obsession. Hollerbach's Riesen Brezen has taken it to a whole new level. This thing was divine - a gigantic 10-ounce German imported pretzel, served piping hot out of the oven with sweet Bavarian mustard and a beer cheese made with cream cheese, sour cream, diced onions, salt, pepper, and sweet paprika. The four of us devoured two of these bad boys. Tami and I agreed that it was the best pretzel we've ever had. If we had left the restaurant after eating nothing but the pretzel, I would have been content. But why just be content when you can feast? I ordered the Kaiser Wurst Teller - a three sausage platter with three sides. I opted for Bratwurst, Mettwurst, and Nurnberger sausages. My sides were sauerkraut, potato pancakes, and Kase spatzel. I passed, with great sorrow, on the sweet red cabbage. But I have no regrets. Choices had to be made. All my sides were superb - so superb, in fact, that they were my favorite component of the platter. And keep in mind that the sausages were great. The kraut was sweet and tasty, the spatzel was creamy and perfectly seasoned, and the pancakes were crispy and delicious. Tami, who also had the three sausage platter, ordered potato dumplings and an item called heaven and earth - mashed potatoes with onions, bacons, and apples. She loved the dumplings but found the heaven and earth to be a little too sweet. If we go back...let me rephrase that, when we go back, I want to try the schnitzel. Ryan seemed to have little complaint with his.
I would have liked to have added some thoughts on the sweet fare at Hollerbach's, but we were all too stuffed to even think about dessert. And you know that I ordinarily live by the credo that there's always room for sweets. Maybe next time!
Now let's subject Hollerbach's to our FABS scale:
Food- I can die now. 25/25
Atmosphere- A really fun place. Not formal or fancy. A cute cafe set-up that's bright and comfortable. We were too early for the live German music. The only deduction is for the street parking situation. But what are you gonna do in a downtown setting? 24/25
Beer- Come on, man. It's German beer off the tap! And I ain't talkin' about Beck's. 25/25
Service- All in all, service was fast and friendly. One point subtracted since we had to wait a little too long for our check. 24/25
Total score- 98 (out of 100)
Yep, The Best Place Ever. And food-wise, it wasn't even the highlight of our trip! How could this food possibly be topped? Stay tuned to find out!
http://www.willowtreecafe.com/
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