The daily diary of a wandering restaurateur
February 13 - Rothenburg ob der Tauber
I was actually a bit surprised when Annaliese recommended the Ratstube that was right on the town hall plaza. I would have expected it to be very tourist-y but the clientel was largely local.
The Ratstube had an excellent selection of pastries. Just merchandising them in the case promoted their sale. I also liked the way they presented the coffee. The tray presentation increased the value of the product without adding additional cost.
Schneeballen are peculiar to Rothenburg and they fill the windows of shops all over town. They are strips of dough, formed into a ball and deep-fried. The originals are just dusted with powdered sugar but all sorts of variations have been created, primarily for the tourist trade. They were interesting, but one was enough for me.
Pizza is alive and well in Germany where it is usually thought of as a budget food. They seemed to be offering the same sort of combinations we are used to seeing in Europe and the pizzas we had were wood-fired. A downside of German restaurants is that everyone seems to be puffing on a cigarette and we rarely saw a non-smoking area. I was reminded how pleasant it is to enjoy a good meal in a smoke-free environment.
© 2004 Restaurant Doctor