Bier, Brats & Bavaria

Part I
So, my latest work endeavors have taken me to the land of dirndls and glockenspiels, pretzels & bier and everything Bavarian in-between.  We were doing a series of events, media presentations and customer work in Munich, Germany for a few days so I took the opportunity to arrive there a few days earlier and take advantage of the travel.  I was excited to explore a new country and since Bon Appetit declared Germany the new culinary leader & influence I was anxious to explore from a culinary perspective, despite my general thinking that Bon Appetit is bullshit these days, but I digress...

Leaving New York City in the middle of a heat wave (temps reached 105), I was screaming to visit a place that was cool and rainy, so I packed up my coats, tights and closed toe shoes and embarked on my Bavarian adventure.  I arrived in Munich on Sunday and stepped out of the cab to a lovely 55 degree temperature – it felt like fall and was a welcome respite from the heat and humidity I had just left behind in New York.  My hotel was located near the town square in Munich, the Marienplatz- the center and heart of the city was just a few blocks away.  So after a nice nap, I woke up feeling refreshed and ready to start to get to know the area.  Since my hotel wasn’t an American Marriott or Hilton, the reception had little to offer me in terms of directive other than “make a right, THEN make another right”. Thanks.  Luckily I always travel prepared, with guides and maps! So, that night I walked and walked and walked some more. In a few hours I saw the famed Glockenspiel, the Baroque Theatinerkirche, the Felderrnhalle and a few other churches in the Marienplatz area. 

The Glockenspiel

Theatinerkirche

Inside the Theatinerkirche

Since it was Sunday, the majority of people that out & about were locals taking a leisurely stroll- so it wasn’t as crowded and all the beautiful churches were open to the public.   At around 7-8 after all that walking, I needed a meal.  The nearby Nurnberger Bratwurst Glockl am Dom fit the bill- traditional Bavarian food served in a traditional setting, a restaurant that first opened in 1893 across from the Frauenkirche (the largest Gothic church in Southern Germany).

The meals were all served on tin plates, the atmosphere was warm and typically German with cuckoo clocks, heavy furniture, wood paneled walls, bier barrels in the back and prints from Albrecht Durer on the already picture heavy walls. Warm fresh pretzels are a given on every table and my crispy pork came with a veal meatball, potato dumpling and a lovely potato, cucumber, apple salad that I of course complimented with a half liter of the house bier. 

I finished off my meal with the lightest apple strudel which wasn’t what you would imagine a strudel to be- since the apple was layered, cut paper thin, more like a piece of pie and coupled with the MOST amazing warm vanilla sauce.  I left loosening my belt and ready for a good night’s sleep.

            My plan for the next day was the hit the historic Residenz. Originally a moated castle (1385), it was eventually made in an extensive complex with seven courtyards which served as the home of multiple generations of Bavaria’s famed Wittelsbach dynasty.  MASSIVE in structure, I was told to devote at least a half a day to touring the facility in its entirety.  In addition to something over 160 rooms, the Antiquarium, a 225 barrel vault housed frescoes, grotesques and other embellishments was a must to be seen, as was the Cuvillies Theater (the royal theater) in all of its Rococo glory, the Treasury (where all the royal jewels and crowns were held), the Ancestral Galley, chapels and halls.  

Antiquarium at the Residenz

Ancestral Gallery at the Residenz

ONE of the Receiving Throne Rooms

Cuvillies Theater

Treasury at the Residenz

Honestly I could have stayed at the Residenz ALL day, it was beautiful, impressive and sometimes unbelievable. In some rooms it looked like Liberace had thrown up gold leaf all over it, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from a royal residence!  The royal jewels were unbelievable, a testament to the gross amount of wealth these families had.  I emerged from the Residenz rubbing my eyes and in need of a good meal.  Part two of my day was reserved for the Viktualienmarkt an outdoor food market and bier garden established in 1807—I was ready for a few pints to be sure!