Holy Schnitzel: Review of The German Cafe

THE HEARTS: German ambience, Napoleon, close to free parking

THE FARTS: Dry chocolate cake, closed Monday evenings and Sundays

Young At Heart says...

I was transported to a quaint little cafe in Germany this afternoon. Upon entering The German Cafe, my visual senses were surrounded by all things Deutsch. The walls are peppered with cuckoo clocks, signs and artwork reminiscent of a vintage village cafe. I am delighted to say that even the waitresses are clothed appropriately. Yes, definitely a mini vacation getaway.

On this day, we did not indulge in the full lunch menu but instead dove right into dessert. I did let my eyes meander the full dinning area to "scope out" what others where eating and all the fares looked appetizing. YOF kept scolding me about my sleuthing abilities and insinuated that I was checking out the "meat" next door (a young gentleman taking two elderly ladies to lunch). In fact, I was checking out a schnitzel dish past the party next to us. Oh well....I guess it's all in the eyes of the beholder.




Our "German" waitress recommended the Napoleon for dessert and I obliged. It was delicious, I am happy to report. And yes, it was a twist on the traditional Napoleon, but one I thoroughly enjoyed. It was layered with fresh whip cream and Philo dough and then topped with an almond icing drizzled with chocolate. A fine combination to my palette. But, I am a lover of all things almond. If you don't like the taste of Amaretto or almond, I would suggest you try one of the other desserts. All of them looked yummy!



So for a total check of $12, excluding tip, we were transported to a small village haus in Germany. And yes....I will be back for the full fare in the future.

Küssen,
YAH

Young Old Fart says...

Guten Tag! Have you ever wondered what it would be like to nibble on some wiener schnitzel while whispering sweet nothings into your lover's ear? Yeah, neither have I. But that's besides the point. Wilmington's The German Cafe (located behind The Cottage Exchange downtown) is like going on "It's A Small World" in Disney World and stopping to have a meal when you spot the kids in lederhosen. In other words, it's a German dream come true. Both the decor and the music were notable additions to the authentic ambiance the restaurant was trying to create.




Like YAH said, we only stopped by for some dessert (the best part of the meal anyway). While I went in intending to purchase the Napoleon I changed my mind upon seeing the chocolate cake (what can I say? I have a weak spot for anything choco-related...). I dove my fork in and shoved it into my mouth expecting a chocolate explosion to ensue, however, I was thrown for a loop. This cake isn't all that chocolatey. I can't put my finger on it, but it's almost like the gingerbread man cheated on his wife with the neighbor, Devil's food, and spawned this concoction . Though the flavor wasn't what I expected, my biggest problem was the dry cake. I'm sorry, I thought Germans were supposed to make the best chocolate cake. They have their own version named after them for goodness sake! While this cake left much to be desired, I enjoyed my mom's dessert and spotted other meals and goodies that definitely warranted a second visit.

All in all, I really liked this outing, even if it didn't subside my constant fatty cravings. Besides, I learned two important things:

1) My mom is an undercover cougar who enjoys ogling young dashing lads.

2) I should work here...I would look bangin' in some pigtails and dirndl (the female equivalent of lederhosen).

Kätzchen and fondant,
YOF