(My theme for the A-Z challenge is places, things and people around Chicago)
When Tom asked me to pick a restaurant for our Valentine’s Day dinner, it was a no-brainer for me to chose the newly opened Hofbräuhaus in Rosemont. I had been craving authentic German food for a long time. How long? Well, since I left Germany in 1986, I’ve only been to a German restaurant once (in Petersburg, Virginia). However, I asked if we could go the Monday after Valentine’s Day because I thought it would be crowded on the other days, plus it was very cold here and the Monday after seemed the least brutal day for venturing outside.
I had checked the website beforehand to get an idea about what foods they had, and to my delight they have Jägerschnitzel, which I ordered (see above). Tom had the Sauerbraten (see below).
We both cleaned our plates and had room for more, so I ordered Black Forest cake to go. Why to go? Well, the restaurant has hard benches only (it’s modeled after the Hofbräuhaus in Munich) as to make for an authentic experience, and I have a hard time sitting without back support. We took a couple of pics of the interior (see below).
The food was totally awesome and my German taste buds declare it authentic. Even Tom, a first-timer to true German food, noticed a significant difference from American cuisine in the taste. Portions are smaller than American fare (that is how it works in Europe) and a little bit pricey, but the experience was great. The Black Forest cake was okay, but not out this world. So, I’d skip paying the 9 bucks for it. Other than that … Gemütlichkeit! (helped along by the live oompah music they play)
T and A Travel Almanac 
Hi TandA .. I can quite understand your desire for food from the homeland … and I love some German food – while hard benches .. just blogging and too much sitting doesn’t inspire me to sit on hard benches!
Cheers Hilary PS hope the outage has eased up …
Maybe they figure after a few beers the hard benches do not matter!
Oooh Yum! Both dishes look so good. I think I’d would be hard pressed not to lick the plates!
Hah, I think we could have polished off a second round of plates.
It’s been a long time since I have been here! Need to go back I think.
—
Tim Brannan
The Other Side and The Witch
Red Sonja: She-Devil with a Sword
The Freedom of Nonbelief
There is no time like the present.
Now you have Tom take you to the German area in Chicago on Lincoln Avenue. You can go shop at some authentic German markets and eat at some other excellent restaurants. My family and I love going there……it’s like experiencing Europe in the middle of Chicago! Glad you enjoyed it!
Looks delicious! Next stop is the German neighborhood on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago….You’ll be in heaven with all of the authentic food stores and restaurants. We love going there…..it’s kind of like experiencing a bit of Germany in the middle of the city! If there is a Treasure Island grocery store around you, check it out. They’ve always been known as the grocery store that carries a lot of European delicacies.
Lincoln Avenue … sounds expensive and not like a place where we’d fit in lol. Is that downtown Chicago? I am still learning the area, but Tom seems more like a northwest suburb type of person. I do not handle traffic well either, even as a passenger. There is so much to do here, I have a long list of places I want to go to. Well, I don’t plan on moving away!
Those smaller portions are probably closer to what we are supposed to be eating anyway.
Been years since I had real German food. Hard to find an authentic restaurant.
Well, a lot of people think bigger is better …
I’m not sure I’ve ever had typically German cuisine but your food looked lovely so maybe I should try it someday. I think European sized portions are the way forward!
I prefer quality over quantity, but unfortunately am able to polish off a good-sized meal!
Yum! Sounds delish.
Sounds good. But never have had German food. Have a search for an outlet here. 🙂
– fellow blogger from A to Z!
http://sheethalsusan89.blogspot.com/