Swabian Potato Salad (Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat)

We had traditional Swabian potato salad (Schwäbischer kartoffelsalat), a salad which has yellow potatoes and a very simple oil and vinegar dressing, a few times while in Stuttgart. It is often used as a base for salad greens such as arugula or lettuces, and in fact it was served beneath the green salad at every restaurant we visited, a warm golden surprise waiting at the bottom of the plate.

It didn’t taste anything like the German potato salads we’ve had in the U.S. and we initially thought the difference was in the type of vinegar used, and it turns out we were right. Read more

Stuttgart Markthalle

This short jaunt to Germany has been so much fun, and I have to say one of the highlights was visiting the Stuttgart Markthalle, an historic market in the old part of Stuttgart. A vegetable market has been in this location since 1864, and the building was constructed between 1911 and 1914. The building was reconstructed after receiving heavy damage during World War II and the interior underwent extensive renovations after a 1993 fire. The building has been noted as a cultural monument since 1974. Read more

Restaurant: Calwer Eck, Stuttgart, Germany

Billed as the “kleinste bräuerei Stuttgarts” (the smallest brewery in Stuttgart), Calwer Eck is a brewery restaurant worth a look. In a central downtime location on the Calwer Strasse, a pedestrian street near the Stadtmitte S-Bahn stop, it’s easily accessible and close to a number of tourist attractions in the Altstadt (old part of town). When walking down the Calwer Strasse, look for this menu station and the sign above that says “Hausbrauerei,” then go up the marble stairs to the left, or you can dine outdoors in front of the entrance. The interior is warm and inviting, with walls covered in stained wood and beautiful windows overlooking the Calwer Strasse. They have large raised booths with wooden benches or tables with chairs.

The restaurant features traditional hearty Swabian favorites and they have both German and English menus available, though I had fun trying to dust off my high school German from years ago translating the menu for Michael. They serve breakfast daily lunch specials (Mittags) including drink from 11:00 am to 5 pm, dinner after 5 pm, and a Sunday all you can eat brunch from 10 am to 4 pm. The daily lunch specials are very reasonable at just €6,50 with soup and salad extra at just €1,80. Read more