Café Berlin

Serving traditional German cuisine on Capitol Hill since 1986, Café Berlin occupies the ground floor of three joined townhouses whose front yards serve as patios for outdoor dining in warm weather. The interior features a small bar and two prettily decorated dining rooms. The chefs at Café Berlin are German, as are the owners, so the traditional dishes are authentically prepared but with a lighter touch. Changing seasonal menus feature fresh asparagus in the spring, Bavarian dishes during Oktoberfest, and wild game in the winter. Desserts are made in-house, and the extensive repertoire includes apple strudel, black forest cake, and luscious cream tortes. The bar offers a selection of imported German beers and wines as well as cocktails. Closest Metro is Union Station.

Travels to Zell, Germany

Zell in Mosel Valley, Germany was founded by the Romans sometime after AD 70, and is characterized by its vineyards along the river with nearly 820 acres of planted vineyards making this quaint town the second biggest wine growing center in the Mosel wine region. Traditionally, it is mostly Riesling that is grown here, which is one of my most favorite white wines and so we chose to visit this town after our stop in Munich.

Travels to Oktoberfest in Munich

The 185th Oktoberfest in Munich was held September 22 - October 7, 2018.  Keith and I traveled to Bavaria, Germany for opening day of the world's largest Volksfest. Held annually, beer is not served on opening day until 12pm, after the parade ends and the first kegs are tapped.  Read more below of some of our tips and a photo recap of our time there.  Prost!

Dacha Beer Garden

Dacha Beer Garden located in the Shaw neighborhood offers an inviting smoke-free garden setting with a carefully curated selection of world-class German, Belgian, and American craft beers along with wines, meads, ciders and other refreshments. The food menu gets its inspiration from traditional Bavarian beer gardens – hardy and tasty, but falls short with execution.  Closest Metro is Dupont Circle.

At Home: Jägerspätzle

In 2006, I was in Southern Germany for a few months on a work assignment. There I was introduced to Jägerschnitzel, a dish consisting of fried pork cutlet with a mushroom sauce (Jäger = Hunter, and a sauce made with mushrooms and onions is commonly referred to as "hunter's sauce".)  I just love the homey flavor combination of mushrooms and onions.  Spätzle or spaetzle is an egg noodle with soft texture.  I had the best version ever when I was in Bavaria. It was pan fried with cheese and tasted like a skillet mac n' cheese.  For my next experiment of What Micky Eats...At Home, and in honor of Oktoberfest, I decided to combine my two favorites and make Jägerspätzle. This side dish is the perfect accompaniment to your German-inspired meal.

Oktoberfest Best Bets

Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810. Many communities in the Washington, DC area hold Oktoberfests as a family fun event focused on German beer, food, music and dancing. Here is are some of my recommendations to enjoy Oktoberfest food and beer in DC, Maryland and Virginia.

Biergarten Haus

One of the most popular restaurants to open in the Atlas District, Biergarten Haus brings the feel of a traditional German beer garden - complete with Masse litres of beer, brezels, sausage and live German folk music. The place is set up with different sections - the front entrance area is decorated as a typical hunting lodge with an all wood bar and buck head on the wall. From here you can head upstairs to more regular seating area, or out back where large wooden bench seating is bountiful. The middle area is situated against the large wall where the projection screens are and flanked by the outside carriage house turned into the outside bar area. The back has the more open garden feel with large Franzikaner umbrellas for shading. Closest Metro is Union Station. 

Café Mozart

Last date I was here: 09/12/2009

Restaurant: Café Mozart (http://www.cafemozartonline.com/)

Location: McPherson Square

Total Rating: 3.75
Food: 4, Price: 3, Service: 4, Ambience: 3, Accessibility: 5

Summary: Café Mozart is an authentic German deli with a restaurant and bar attached in back. Serving authentic German Austrian fare ranging from knockwurst to schnitzel and large masses of quality German beer, Café Mozart transports you to Europe with their friendly hospitality and quirky ambience. Closest Metro is McPherson Square.

We stopped by to check out their deli and see what authentic cuisine they had to take home. The bakery section is a little small and lacked any German bretzels that I was looking for (those are the big soft ones). We also had a gift certificate so we decided to stay and eat a late lunch. Our server was very friendly and attempted her German accent while listing the German beers available on draft. Our food arrived fairly fast and was genuinely cooked in traditional style. Besides German beer, they carry German wines and I had one of my favorites from Alsace. We were too full to try any dessert – which is supposed to be wonderful – and will definitely come back again.

What I ate:

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Boneless chicken breast stuffed with ham and swiss cheese and then breaded and fried.

Served with spaetzle and vegetables.

Plus Keith ate:

Wiener Schnitzel
Veal cutlet breaded and fried. Served with German potato salad and sauerkraut.