Cincinnati's German Restaurants and Culture (Findlay: buying, storage, trendy)

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by t45209

the thought has crossed my mind!

The Vineyard in Hyde Park Square is closed and presumably available. A very charming spot, it has an outside courtyard that became a very popular place in good weather. Why did it close? Maybe that would make a great German Restaurant with a beer garden?

[progmac]

Originally Posted by t45209

That is very surprising for people from Milwaukee. The worst I have ever seen is Rochester, NY. I went to a grillout there last Memorial Day and the locals we're serving what they insisted were "white hot dogs." I never heard of such a thing, so I looked at what was on the grill and said, "well, where I come from, that's a bratwurst." They looked at me like I had two heads. They showed me the package, and sure enough, it said "white hot dogs!" I'm here to tell you, they were decent examples of German brats, on par with Queen City, but no one up there had a clue.

I think "white hot dog" is a better word for those "brats." I mean, they are okay, but they are a totally different food product than a real brat cooked from a raw state. I grew up in rural german northwest ohio, in a place with low german groups, polka fests, and where german words were a part of everyday language. and i had never seen a white hot dog before coming to cincinnati! typical fare at a gathering was usually beer-cooked, non grilled brats with kraut.

[deg1114]

Originally Posted by wilson1010

The Vineyard in Hyde Park Square is closed and presumably available. A very charming spot, it has an outside courtyard that became a very popular place in good weather. Why did it close? Maybe that would make a great German Restaurant with a beer garden?

The Brits beat you to it Wilson! It is opening as the **** & Bull early next year.

**** & Bull English Pub to open third location in Hyde Park - Business Courier of Cincinnati

Edit: LOL - I'm being sensored on restaurant names - it's the C-ck & Bull!

[kjbrill]

Some authorities list over 40 varieties of German bratwurst. I still prefer the grey Cincinnati variety since it is distinctive. A slow grilled one on a bun with either finely chopped onion and/or kraut and hot coarse brown mustard or horseradish - OMG. But I will have to admit the ones from years ago produced in natural casings were the best, the skinless ones today are more bland, probably since the small batch production of years ago had more variation in spices.

The Wisconsin variety (Johnsonville) now dominates, but to me I cannot distinguish between it and the Sweet Italian Sauage Kroger sells. Taste wise to me the same and you have to watch them like a hawk on the grill due to the fat content flaring up.

For those contemplating opening a German restaurant anywhere in Cincinnati, I advise sitting on it for awhile. Let's see whether the Christian Moerlein Lager House in the Banks project makes it past its 2nd anniversay.

Being of German descent, I of course would like to see a better selection of German restaurants in Cincy. I am old enough to have visited virtually all of the better known ones mentioned earlier in this thread. But I also recognize times have changed and the melting pot aspect of the USA dictates you come up with an offering which transcends the cultural boundaries or you will not be successful.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by wilson1010

The Vineyard in Hyde Park Square is closed and presumably available. A very charming spot, it has an outside courtyard that became a very popular place in good weather. Why did it close? Maybe that would make a great German Restaurant with a beer garden?

German food is a little declasse for Hyde Park, dontcha think?

[deg1114]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

German food is a little declasse for Hyde Park, dontcha think?

I would disagree. With places like Arthurs, Tellers, and Echo - it would be a welcomed change for me. But then again the wife and I eat in the square a lot and we are looking for something new. Truthfully I would rather have a place like Mecklenburg Gardens over more pub food.

[Ohiogirl81]

That was a joke, son.

[UKUKUK]

Haha! Psh, if only I had the money for such a restaurant! It seems like it'd be such a costly endeavor :S

Hofbrauhaus is mediocre at best, we need to bring some German pride back into Cinci, maybe even sponsor some German immigrants :P I'm sure if you give them a square block in OTR they'd work wonders. We Germans have an inherent ability to engineer great things, physically and socially! :P

[t45209]

Originally Posted by wilson1010

The Vineyard in Hyde Park Square is closed and presumably available. A very charming spot, it has an outside courtyard that became a very popular place in good weather. Why did it close? Maybe that would make a great German Restaurant with a beer garden?

My understanding is that the people who owned the Vinyard operated serveral restaurants in town and mismanaged them out of business. I think the same people operated Red in Hyde Park.

[t45209]

Originally Posted by progmac

I think "white hot dog" is a better word for those "brats." I mean, they are okay, but they are a totally different food product than a real brat cooked from a raw state. I grew up in rural german northwest ohio, in a place with low german groups, polka fests, and where german words were a part of everyday language. and i had never seen a white hot dog before coming to cincinnati! typical fare at a gathering was usually beer-cooked, non grilled brats with kraut.

In Germany they have hundreds of variations of sausages, strongly dictated by the region you are in. If you go to a butcher shop in Munich, you will see a half dozen or more varieties of "white hot dogs" alone. In Bavaria, what we tend to call bratwurst in Cincinnati is most similar to a weisswurst (white sausage). They tend to serve them boiled, and Bavarians will peel the skin off and just eat the guts. If you get good brats in Cincinnati, they will be very much like what you can find in Munich, no disrespect to your German upbringing.

Someone else, earlier in the thread said they traveled in Swabia and never found a "bratwurst." Well, you can find plenty in Bavaria, and they call it that too. Granted, it can take on a lot of different forms, and is more of a term that describes the method of preparation, but they have it.

Interestingly, some towns in Bavaria you can find what they call a "bratwurstl". It's a white sausage (and not a bockwurst) about the size of your finger, grilled, and served in a bed of sauerkraut. This dish is particularly good in Regensburg. YUM!