The best dishes of 2013 – “The Directors cut”

Again in 2013 many good meals were had, many extraordinary dishes were consumed in restaurants in Luxembourg and Europe.

I think my favourite meal this year I had at Falco in Leipzig, the most romantic eve I experienced in Anna Amalia in Weimar. The most surpricing and low budget lunches but with great food was also consumed in the Pickled Piglet in Birmingham and Le Fromagerie Marylebone, London. It was nice to be back at Le Cinq but especially the amuses let me down a bit.

There was less dining out in Luxembourg, especially the drop in quality in some old favourite places made me sad. I do think that Restaurant Clairefontaine and Bouquet Garni are among the best in the country. And my favourite Italian Il Riccio never let us down. I enjoyed some easygoing and Luxembourgish inspired menu at Brasserie Aubergine.

Private great cooking classes were held at Clairefontaine and in a small German town where I found new friends and an amazing group of people that were all with an amazing cooking level. And who knew how to have fun.

I shall present you with some of my best shots of some of those dishes that made 2013 a VERY gastronomic year for me.

Here you go…

10. Gaumenschmaus, Potsdam, Germany

Simply the best Flammkuchen I ever had. The missus had an equally good salad. GREAT quality for little money. Potsdam was such a nice city, especially the Dutch Quarter.

9. The Pickled Piglet, Birmingham, England

Went here with good friend Jörgen, to catch a Bruce show, spiced up with performances by good friend and great singer Gazza, who dedicated a song to me – The Ghost of Tom Joad and after the Bruce show Mark Wright performed his Elvis show. What a day. Lunch was had at the Pickled Piglet, and the army of GREAT tasting tapas dishes amazed us. They outshone the meal the next day at one star rated Turner´s by many miles. I think we had a range of nine Tapas and especially the lamb meatballs blew us away.

8. Restaurant Clairefontaine, Luxembourg

A burger as good as it gets. I think it stayed on the menu for quite a while. It was damn good. Kobe style beef, with panfried frois gras. Respect Arnaud.

7. Restaurant Clairefontaine, Luxembourg

And while we are here, why not stay. I must say I think my favourite meal this year at Clairefontaine was my birthday menu. I thank you for that dear Arnaud and Edwige. This dish is of course one of Arnaud´s classics. His bio egg on truffles and risotto his way.

6. Lameloise, Chagny, France

I have said it before and I shall say it again. Lamb at Lameloise is a marriage made in heaven. Happy to be back always. The service, the room, the food, the wine, – pure class. The crust on this lamb, the roasted garlic. Oh my God.

5. Schloss Berg, Nennig, Germany

And just as Lamb is never wrong at Lameloise – Tuna is never wrong at Schloss Berg. In fact nothing is ever wrong there lol. The staff, especially Mrs. Bau and sommelier Daniel Kiowski make sure you are spoiled while Christian Bau and his brigade in the back does their magic.

4. Falco, Leipzig, Germany

Without compare the evening at Falco was the best dining experience the missus and I had in 2013. The fun, the interaction, the sometimes crazy and surpricing ideas that was presented to us. This porc, was the best meat I have had in 2013 for sure and maybe in my life. It was outstanding. Thanks, Peter, Christian, Oliver and all the staff that made this evening stand out.

3. Le Cinq, Paris

Even though the menu as such let us a down a bit, it was good to be back, and to be here with good friends Jerome and Dragana. It was definetely a treat to be invited here, thanks Drag. But the amuses was not up to par, and the menu swayed a bit up and down. This starter, variations of octopussy was the best octopussy I have ever had in my life, and I have no problems in saying that THAT dish and watching the ballet that Le Cinq is was worth the admission alone.

2. Falco, Leipzig, Germany

So lets repeat what I said about Falco. That evening blew us away. This dish was the best fish we had all year. The somehow unlucky glazing of the plate made it hard to shoot – but trust me the Omble Chevalier wth wasabi, curry apple was to die for.

1. Greenhouse, Mayfair, London

The Greenhouse was awarded their second michelin star for the 2014 edition of the guide. And that holds out. From the minute we entered the room we felt special and in good hands. Many of the dishes were amazing. This little something was mainly cornish crab and mint jelly, cauliflower, apple (granny smith). I do believe it was more or less a signature dish of the talented French chef Arnaud Bignon. So if you go there – try it out and say hi from FWRR. Sometimes it is the little things that counts. I never wanted this dish to end.

So, I again thank you dear friends who made all those meals worthwhile and possible in 2013, I missed dinners with some old friends I hope we will be able to catch up in 2014 – for what is outstanding food without the right dining partners….so thank you dear missus Astrid and dear dining friends, Torben, Jerome & Dragana, Serge, Johan & Tracy and Jörgen and of course Oscar and Emil who again made room for some very proud parents.

I shall leave you with some shots of the boys fine dining.

Emil at the Greenhouse after a long London day.

Oscar having a Burger at Clairefontaine – 1-2 and 3 🙂

I am the Walrus…

Knive and fork is a Man´s Job

Chocolate cake is never wrong 🙂

And finally Emil looking not so impressed. He finished the plate 🙂 at wonderful Hotel les Florets in Gigondas.

Schloss Berg, Nennig, Germany – 31 May 2013

“Lost in thought and lost in time
While the seeds of life and the seeds of change were planted
Outside the rain fell dark and slow
While I pondered on this dangerous but irresistible pastime

I took a heavenly ride through our silence
I knew the moment had arrived
For killing the past and coming back to life”

Coming Back to life – David Gilmour 1993

.

Coming back to Schloss Berg is ALWAYS a pleasure. A pleasure because you know what to expect. Outstanding food, – a momentary lapse of time. I was so excited to go here with Gijs a while ago. Unfortunately a flu stopped Gijs from participating. So much more was the excitement of finally being able to show him my favourite restaurant in this world. Gijs like classic food. Classic French, given the choice, but classic as such, being a classic German Sauerkraut, or an Italian dish. As you will know by now Gijs knows his trade. He is a fab amateur chef, with a basic knowledge of food I could only dream to have. In a kitchen we each work differently, but in a restaurant – after 18 months of friendship and many good dinners behind us – we know excactly what the dining partner will highligt, like…not like.

So when this is said – Schloss Berg and Christian Bau is pretty pretty far from classic – but what I knew Gijs would enjoy was the explosion of tastes and respect for the produce Bau most certainly has.

But but but…having wrote so many times about this little “Pearl” in Nennig 😉 – I will highlight something else today. I have also mentioned this before – but it becomes more and more evident. Bau has the best f…….. sommelier I have ever met in my life. There might be better ones around – but I have never met them. The ones that comes close would be the ones from my dinners in Le Cinq.

Daniel Kiowski, – you are a dream of a sommelier and yet you are still so young. It is not only your knowledge and choice of wines that impresses me, but the way you treat your customers with such confidence and laid back charm. You are a monument, and that at the age of 26….(I think).  That calls for a Carlsberg. I mean – I have NEVER seen anything like it. You are at peace. This is your profession and passion for sure.

Gastro, the German equivalent to the Michelin guide says in its 2013 issue something like – “Would we have a price for the best sommelier in Germany, the price would easily go to Daniel Kiowski. Of course it would. Damn you are good Daniel.

This´s ones for you.

King of the world

I will of course show you a few shots of the food tonight…but not all – because I decided this post should highlight the wines of Daniel.

1st wine.

This perfect light, crispy Riesling was to accompany our first amuses… here are a few of those…..

Italy revisited…

Tuna – Germany 10 points.

Bio Egg

2nd wine

Markus Molitor

What a wine – I think Daniel has a weakness for Molitor, and one can understand why.

Japanese Hamachi

What a dish. The Lightness, the freshness. A pure 10.

With this dish I think we got both the wine above, but also another blinder – and no we could not guess it.

Nanbu Bijin

One way to describe this wine in 4 words. Go there, try it.

Fois Gras, from Landes

I LOVE fois gras, and  LOVE what Christian Bau do with his Fois Gras dishes. I could eat this every day of the week. To go with it another Riesling- we got that much, but we were far off with the vintage, well Gijs said something like 2007 or 2002, and I said guess older, even before I heard his guess. It was a fresh 1995

2 words. Wauw.

Turbot…

A simple dish, but nothing is really simple here. Everything in perfect balance, the fish cooked to perfection. But in compare to many of the dishes before a much more classic presentation. And today, inside this menu, I think it was the weakest dish.

Back to life…

And back to Molitor. Let me just say I was far off on this one 😉 Was this wine full-bodied, rich and a feast for your pallette. Hell yeah.

Dear deer…

An aroma arose from the plate. The reduction done with a twist. Curry. Apart from that, classic German ingredients here, Knödel, cabbage, pear…but with a twist of Asia.

To go with this one…we were both fooled big time, guessing Pinot Noir, I was put back to recent memories where I guessed Bonnes Mares in Lameloise and in the end I was a few miles away, the wine being a Clos de la Roche. Today we were both as it turned out roughly 1000 kilometers away. What struck us most was the freshness of this wine.

Did you like this one Gijs? Hell yeah.

Gijs claimed afterwards – I will never forget this wine. And I know he won´t. He had never been as surpriced anywhere, anytime, anyhow…;-) He loved it.

Black Forest Cherry

– and to go with that the final wine of the day – oops…no picture but it was another perfect Riesling, a 1999 Auslese, Von Hövel.

and sweets –

Cheese cake

Last man standing

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Conclusion:

Of course the judgement of Gijs was more or less decided after the first amuse. This is as good as it gets. The chairs, the ambience, even the new young waiter – when he opened his mouth to present a dish the first time – nothing is left to coincidences here. Everything is in balance, the service the food, the wine. The food – the wine – well of course that is why we are here. And it is – stunning. So, Gijs happy. Me happy. Some dishes always get to you more than others. That was also the case today. But as I said in my long intro. Daniel. Today you outshone it all. You are a fucking rock star. Or you are Picasso. Or Beethoven. You certainly are on the top of your game. I have two words for you. Rock on.

Gijs, I am glad you like Schloss Berg as much as I do. Your opinion is weighting a lot in my book and you know that. And I am glad you now know why the missus and I keep coming back to this one. Even if its not classic 😉

We adored the food, the wine – the service. Thanks for having us. Be sure to find us back. As for Gijs, I know he will pass on my recommendation to his family and friends, and they will all be there at Schloss Berg before you can say Blueberry Pie.

My rating of this visit: Hell yeah….

“I took a heavenly ride through our silence
I knew the waiting had begun
And headed straight..into the shining sun”

Coming Back to life – David Gilmour 1993

Schloss Berg, Nennig, Germany – 14th December 2012

“You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town”

So Christmas came early this year, both the snow as well as the invite to join two of my best friends for a pre-Christmas lunch at our beloved Schloss Berg. Jörgen had not been here since he celebrated his 50th birthday here a good 4 years ago. And of course the development of Christian Bau has only just begun it seems.

Expectations were sky high and the dull cold weather and the boring Riesling we had in the neighbouring hotel, did not spoil our moods.

The beautiful Schloss Berg

Schloss Berg had decided to open the doors for Friday lunches during the month of December this year and with a Duck theme to fit the season we were ready to meet Santa. It was good to see Daniel Kiowski – the best sommelier I have ever met, and I met a few – and Steffi, the prettiest waitress in Germany – among others familiar faces.

The two elderly gentlemen awaiting the amuses…

Good friend Jörgen…

and good friend Torben.

What then follows is among the best range of amuses you will ever find in any restaurant. I dare you. I double dare you….”Kulinarische Einstimmungen” for sure.

Tartare…

A classic by now, this time with a creme of smoked eel in the cornet.

Red beet

Amazing shrimps

Crab…

Green stuff…

I loved the grilled avocado – this amuse was amazing (if not  overly winterly !)…

The fois gras creme with parmesan…

Also a classic with bits of truffels – LOVE IT.

The bread….

The crust and quality of this bread is so good…..and also the Foccacia (not on the picture) – one can say that the bread alone is worth a visit….

So, having enjoyed all this – a first moment of being happy and impressed occured. Jörgen with his usual dry humour claimed that until now he had nothing to complain about. It is really amazing, both the number of amuses but also each single one of them are justified and still not taking the focus off the menu. And what I like is that some of these amuses you will be happy to find again on your next visit, and some have been replaced.

So – the menu as such was ready to begin….

Fois Gras from Alsace

The fois gras being matched with raw langoustines, green apple and smoked almonds. A great dish. As good as it gets.

Duck “Bouillon”

With a chinese touch, the “Dim Sum” lovely the bouillon of course very tasty and powerful with a hint of asian spices I think.

Black Halibut

Great dish, nothing to complain about here. The sheer quality of the oyster on top…the citrus and the cauliflower.

Duck Supreme “Mieral”

I guess you can tell by looking at the picture that everything on this plate was cooked to perfection.  Top of the pops.

Time for sweets….not that we were hungry at this point…but also not overly full. The lightness of the dishes makes you cope “with all this food”.

Chocolate and Banana

One of my all time favourites from the kitchen. Their updated Banana split is so so good.

Sweets two…

This little crunchy thing was a bit like your breakfast serial….Jörgen was really impressed by now. And just when he thought the dinner and the amusement was over, this little devil made him smile just one more time.

Sweets three..

Sweets four…

And it was over and out for these fat Danes.

Conclusion:

As you can tell, I was as always, and we were as always, mighty impressed. And it is hard not to be, The wines that Daniel found for us, included a GREAT crispy 2011 Silvaner from Rheinhessen, a 1999 Riesling Auslese from Saar, A 2009 Meursault from Louis Jadot, A 1998 Chateau de Fieuzal, and a Beerenauslese from 2006. His confidence, his style, his calmness. Daniel I love you.

And Christian Bau, once again – we thank you and your team for the outstanding level of the dishes, service and ambience. Nothing is left to coincidence, and nothing can be done better. Duck not being my favourite product, I must say that still you managed to impress me and us. And Jörgen has already asked when we are going back.

Rock on Christian Bau – wishing you and your dear ones and all the team at Schloss Berg a wonderful Christmas, see you in 2013

My rating for this as all other Schloss Berg visit. As good as it gets, like a Christmas evening – top of the pops.

And if you are not in the Christmas mood, then check Bruce out on the link below….

Schloss Berg, Nennig, Germany – 8 August 2012

“I got a dollar in my pocket
There ain’t a cloud up above
I got a picture in a locket
That says baby I love you
Well if you didn’t look then boys
Then fellas don’t go lookin’ now
Well here she comes a-walkin’
All that heaven will allow”

Bruce Springsteen 1987

I always think of a good fairytale when I see this building…

Having a nice round anniversary to celebrate choosing our favourite restaurant as the scene was not a hard one. And having the in-laws visiting, the babysitter situation was under control and a overnight stay at the beautiful Schloss Berg was too big a temptation to say no to.

You know my affection for Schloss Berg and for the cooking of Christian Bau. The whole place embrace you, from the arrival, check-in, and later pre-dinner cocktail and amuses – you are at all time at ease and can´t help but feeling special and mighty privileged.

The missus, 10 years burning down the road….

So, expectations high, but with absolutely no worries about them not being met

Bastian, – familiar faces and recognition always appreciated – served us a great pre-dinner Tanqueray 10.

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The Gates of Heaven, not believing in any kind of afterlife, Im happy to find these doors right here – just around the corner…

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A rose for my friend Sony.

Wines were chosen, two half bottles – actually three but the third – a Condrieu was not living up to the expectations, and most likely also not to the expectations of the sommelier – the GREAT GREAT Daniel Kiowski, because it was taken from the final bill. Great judgement.

A great drop.

Best wine of the evening. Smooth, elegant.

So….all set – hold on to your hats folks, the usual “army” of amuses are just about to hit you….

Round 1…that falafel to the right…yummi.

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Round two, the tartare cornet, this time with salmon.

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Round three…crab, salmon and eel.

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Round 4 – Greetings from Italy…Tomato ice, textures of green olive and buffalo mozzarella.

Funny little thing, very fresh. I loved the return of the exploding olives.

Round  5 – Tuna, Caviar and radish. Light as heaven, tasty and elegant

So,……thats it – the amuses. All absolutely amazing and tasteful. All with a purpose and all greatly presented by the skilled staff. This is what you want.

But, you also get an idea about the fact that you have to bring the big tummy, if you settle for the big menu to follow the amount of amuses you get here. We did settle for less this time around. But even a smaller menu does the trick and here is what followed.

Japanese Ocean

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Blue Lobster

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Different textures of Artochoke from Brittany

which came with a little crispy salad

Simply lovely…

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Deer from Eiffel

Off all these dishes I think one can easily say, they were all wonderful, the cooking of fish or meat always perfect. But the vegetarian dish, the artichokes which was in fact a “throw in” surprice by Bau was outstanding.

Sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey…

Structures of Peach “Melba” with raspberries and Champagne

Lots of things going on here. So you take a rapsberry, and it turns out it has been done moleculary and is indeed restructured. Or the peach stone – is in fact a nougat creme. Mind you this is a pre-dessert. Look at the details. That plate must take an hour to prepare. I would like to know how fast actually…20 min ? Have to ask next time.

Multivitamin – tropical fruits in different textures

Ending the menu here with a very refreshing and indeed light plate.

Final round…

I for my part ended the meal with a lovely Poire William from Alsace, generously poured by Yildiz Bau, who despite a virus was as charming and entertaining as always.

Conclusion:

I don´t think I have to tell you how much we love and adore this place. This night was no exception. Bastian, Steffi, Daniel, Yildiz, – the other service staff and all those guys behind the kitchen door made sure we had a memorable evening and a worthy 10 years anniversary. If one should have any regret, its only that money does not allow us to eat here more often. But its probably a good thing. My weight would sky rocket given the chance. Mind you the above was the small menu (!) – with the artichokes being an extra surprice dish. But that menu comes at 128 eur pp – and simply have to be the best gastronomic offer you will find almost anywhere. Be sure to book ahead in good time.

Thank you Yildiz and Christian – we will be back to celebrate our 20 years anniversary – and hopefully before that 😉

And as for you “Mrs. Bo” – Thanks for being such a big part of my life. I love you dearly, and thank you for mostly being a good sport when I have my mood swings. Rock on Astrid.

My rating for this visit:

I know Bau does not like to be rated by amateurs like me (or anyone for that matter…) But let me just say we had a perfect evening with no flaws whatsoever. You should be very proud of your team, food and restaurant – and I bet you are. Top Score my friend. A league of your own – or at least of a very few.

So – at this point – our bed was calling us – a bed that would fit a king and a queen.

Goodnight…

“Rain and storm and dark skies
Well now they don’t mean a thing
If you got a girl that loves you
And who wants to wear your ring”

Bruce Springsteen 1987

My favourite restaurants 2011 !

And the FWRR awards 2011  goes to….

The below list is most likely also my all-time favourite list. But I will update the list next year and see if there are movements. Most of the restaurants on the list all gave me some memorable lunches or dinners in 2011. Some are still so present in my memory from earlier vistis that I cannot disregard them. So if I had 10 restaurants to re-visit on this planet, this would be my choices today.

–

1. Schloss Berg, Nennig. Bau continue to improve his cooking to perfection. I like everything about this place, the ambience, the service – the food and wines top notch.

1 - Schloss Berg - The Champion

2. Sölleröd Kro, Copenhagen Now had this pearl been in France it would be a 3 star michelin – but as it is – its in Denmark and thus “only” have 1. Jan Restorff is the best maitre in the world.

2 -Sölleröd Kro - runner up

3. Lameloise, Chagny Frederic Lamy and his team in the service makes sure the perfect food from the kitchen is delivered and presentated to perfection.

3 - Lameloise

4. Le Cinq, Paris. Not visited this year, but I cannot and will not leave it out of my list. Its simply too good. Maybe in 2012. One can always dream. 2 star michelin rating. No food photo – but a photo I never get tired of. Oscar and the missus meeting Bruce Springsteen, just outside Le Cinq.

4. Le Cinq - well actually Bruce Springsteen meets Oscar...

5. Restaurant Babette, Vordingborg – Henrik and Brian in the front and Vivi and her team in the kitchen make sure your dining experience is close to perfect. Being in rural Denmark, 1 hour from Copenhagen i.e. it has no michelin star rating but I am sure it would have at least 1 in France.

5 -Restaurant Babette

A shared 5th place go to

5. Der Butt, Warnemünde. 1 Star michelin rating. Tillman Hahn in the kitchen and all is well in the world. The dinner we had here last summer was outstanding, and even better than the years before.

5 -Der Butt

7. Restaurant Clairefontaine, Luxembourg. When Arnaud Magnier is good, he is really good. He is for sure the best chef in Luxembourg, and he often surprices you with combinations or presentations you would never dream of – but afterwards you will. Take a look at the the Cordon Bleu Revisited below and you will know what I mean. 1 star michelin rating.

7 - Restaurant Clairefontaine

8. Restaurant Rosin, Wulfen. Visiting Frank Rosin in his newly awarded 2 star michelin restaurant was something else than expected. Very down to earth cooking. Beautiful settings, and a wine list among the best I have seen in Germany.

8 - Restaurant Rosin

9. Bouquet Garni, Luxembourg. Thierry Duhr is among the best chefs in Luxembourg, and this adress is probably the most romantic gastronomic restaurant with its stone walls, and open fire in the evening. 1 star michelin rating.

9 - Bouquet Garni

10. Hotel Marbella Club, Marbella. For sure worth a visit. Javier Doncel, or the other waiters will treat you as a king, And you will be stunned by the quality of the food and surroundings. No michelin rating.

10 - Marbella Club Hotel, The Beach Club Restaurant

Enough gastronomy….

I shall finish the list of with some Brasserie style restaurants – but they all managed to impress me – some of them once some of them repeatedly..

1. Bullerei, Hamburg. Tim Mälzer and or his team, produces simple food, but with an outstanding price/quality, super friendly staff and an ambience I simply fell for. A surprice on the list, but the evening I spend there was really something. No michelin rating.

        1 – Bullerei – perfect beef

2. L´annexe, Luxembourg. Award winning in two categories, Jerome with J.P., Sebastien and Christophe in the front and “Miche” and his team in the kitchen provide you with super Brasserie food and you always feel welcome no matter how crowded the place is. And believe me, it can get very crowded. No michelin rating.

                       2 – L´Annexe

3. Ill Riccio, Luxembourg. Tano and Tina holds this restaurant in firm hands. Luca is slowly taking over the responsibilities, and he is everything you could wish for in a host. Its a TINY restaurant with a large menu, good wine list. The kitchen is very flexible and will cook just about anything you ask for. Easily my favourite Italian restaurant. No michelin rating.

3 - Ill Riccio

I am thankful forall the good friends that shared the moments with me along the way in 2011. Rock on….

“Just one of the guys” – Schloss Berg, Nennig, Germany – 21 October 2011

Hey, Eddie, can you lend me a few bucks
And tonight can you get us a ride
Gotta make it through the tunnel
Got a meeting with a man on the other side

Bruce Springsteen – Meeting across the river

*

Some of my friends had never tried Schloss Berg before, which is why this lunch was arranged. Christian Bau had agreed to open the restaurant just for us. I think it was a perfect way to do it, because this way 8 “loud” gentlemen had no worries in regard to disturbing other guests with our laughter or dirty jokes.

Since I have just made a review from Schloss Berg – see 18th December -I shall just recap that it was a perfect lunch. One guests was not so impresssed by one dish, one maybe had reservations about another, but in the end we got outstanding food, and perfect wines to match. Daniel engaged again in storytelling and opinions on the wines chosen. And I promised the guys to put of a little something so we can always remember this very special afternoon we spend “across the river on the other side…”.

Here it goes…

Tasters…

So of all these…I think the white truffles/chestnuts creme stood out. What a feast for your nose and palette.

And the menu could start….

Fois Gras - Bau style...

I love this. Having had it before here in more or less the same presentation, I think actually that Bau had been TOO generous with the amount of Fois Gras today – it was ALMOST more than one could handle. Off course only almost.

Scallop with Pumpkin - what a beautiful dish !

Fish, Langoustine and shrimps....

Some of the “audience” wondered why the presentation was done like that. I mean, we amateur chefs all learn daily from television or books etc. that a real gastronomic dish is naturally centered in the middle, and you avoid the ring around the plate. So what does Bau do ? He avoids the middle and place everything in the ring. Maybe he just wanted to remind us all that there are no rules in good food.

Nebraska beef

Some discussion here, one of the guys was not too impressed with the meat. I think it was just about lovely. But I do prefer the presentation from 18th December – where I forgot to take a picture – sorry. But the standing slimmer pieces worked better than this.

Re-take on a classic - Banana split !

Simply loved it…..The desserts here NEVER lets you down. Explosions of taste in your mouth.

Sweets...

Non-alcoholic (!!!) 😦 Mojito shots...great colour.

So….thank you guys for joining me, I think we had a blast. And again I thank the wonderful staff on the floor and in the kitchen for having us, and for performing at such high level always. We especially thank you for opening the doors at a time where the restaurant is normally closed.

Happy faces and full bellies....

I cant wait to be back in Spring. I wish you a all at Schloss Berg a Happy New Year.

If you have the time, take a moment to read this wonderful post by a good friend. he visited Schloss Berg for the first time, and he puts it in top 5 of the world. And he has tried many along the way….

http://michelinstarfinedinings.wordpress.com/2011/09/16/victor%E2%80%99s-gourmet-restaurant-schloss-berg-perl-nennig-german-cooking-precision-oriental-inspiration/

Hey Eddie, this guy, he’s the real thing
So if you want to come along
You gotta promise you won’t say anything
‘Cause this guy don’t dance
And the word’s been passed this is our last chance

Bruce Springsteen – Meeting across the river

Schloss Berg, Nennig, Germany – 18 December 2011

“Now the hardness of this world, slowly grinds your dreams away
Making a fool´s joke out of the promises we make

And what once seemed black and white turns to so many shades of grey
We lose ourselves in work to do and bills to pay”.

Blood Brothers – Bruce Springsteen

*

Schloss Berg with Christian Bau and his team is our local pride, situated “just across the river on the other side…” – you will know by now that this restaurant is my favourite one. We were invited by best friend Jerome to share a wonderful December Sunday afternoon. The daily routines and stresss has left little space for nursing our friendship with Jerome lately, so a quiet place with the best food and wines in the world seemed like a good spot to be to catch up.

Jerome with the missus and Jochen Hünd in front of Schloss Berg

We always get warmly greeted by all the staff, but Jerome seemed to take some of the focus, since this was his second or third visit within the last months. He loves this place, and I am happy to have introduced him here. We settled for the medium menu, and many good wines landed on our table. I am more and more impressed by the sommelier Daniel Kiowski. He is everything you want in a sommelier. He is dedicated and passionate, relaxed and still with a lot of style. He engages in each and every single wine he serves. The first question he will always ask you whenever a “blind” wine is served is…”Do you like the wine?”. I hope he never leaves Schloss Berg. He is a true gem.

What did we drink this day….I forgot.  But we started with a local Riesling 2004 (?) , and further on a California Chardonnay which was outstanding. A Chassagne-Montrachet 1. cru from Paul Pillot was followed by this pearler..

Lovely - vibrant.Thanks Jerome.

The usual army of amuses came heres a few of those…

Excellent, loved the melon

The duck liver flan with truffles and a foam of parmesan is back on the menu, and its absolutely stunning, but very difficult to get a picture to show – so you just have to imagine the most perfect delicate duck liver flan, topped with truffles amd then a light foam, – the foam is all you see when the dish is presented, so you have to dig in….but no picture this time.

The menu started then with the Asian inspired “sushi” dish…

Hamachi - Bau Style

A scallop never tasted better than this...

Fantastic, simply fantasticly cooked scallop.

Turbot....

Best dish of the day in my book. Perfect turbot, decoration and balance wise this dish just was to die for. Could I have one more please ?

What followed was the Nebraska Beef, 3 standing slim slices with a piece of slowly cooked rib-eye on the side and this was a presentation and taste worth a whole page alone. But I forgot to take a picture…so you will have to go there yourself and check it out 😉

You get a picture of the table deco instead

A rose (for the Nebraska Beef)

Pre-dessert...

The dish was perfect, nuts and apple in different textures….

Dessert

A walk through the forest in the fall…..with a fat truffle on the left…chocolate truffle in this case, but what a taste.

Then came the sweets and the coffee. And what was left was big smile around the table.

My conclusion for this visit:

Its fairly easy, and I shall make it short. So let me just state. This is as good as it gets in my book. Thanks Mrs. Bau, Daniel, Jochen, Jovana, Bastian and all the others on the floor for taking so excellent care of us. And BIG Thanks to Christian Bau, Tristan Brandt,  , Michael Mikolajczak and the rest of the kitchen staff for continue to produce small miracle both on the plates and in our palettes.

Thank you Jerome for your friendship, always…

“But the stars are burning bright, like some mystery uncovered
I´ll keep moving in the dark with you in my heart, my blood brother”

Blood Brothers – Bruce Springsteen

*

My rating for this visit:

Food 10p (10), service 5p (5), ambience 5p (5), Total Score  20p (20)

Schloss Berg, Nennig, Germany – 28 April 2011

I am a privileged person. I live only 35 kilometers from heaven. If I had one last meal on earth, and could choose it – it would be at Schloss Berg in Nennig. The constant development of the dishes together with the asian influences, and the respect for the produce is simply second to none.

I simply love the room, and the warm ways of all the staff. You feel at home. The small room with the high ceiling embraces you.

Yesterday I was happy to re-introduce my good friend Pascal to the place. He had not visited the restaurant for some time and thus the changes both in the room but also on the plates of the last two years were all new to him.

I have already told you a few times about the stunning quality of the kitchen of Christian Bau and his team, and let me just say that the food yesterday was up to the incredible high standard I have gotten use to here, and thats an effort in itself. Because putting the bar so high time after time…as a chef – you are bound to disappoint a client every now an then. But no. Not here. The food was again stunning and taking the grand voyage together with a food and wine lover was an extra bonus.

But the highlight yesterday in the room for me was young Daniel Kiowski. Maybe it was because I was with Pascal – a true admirer of German wines whos knowledge on that subject was more a match to Daniel than the standard knowledge of yours truly. Daniel shone like a diamond throughout the evening. Entertaining us, explaining us, testing us. A lot of different wines landed on the table, in between the suggested bottles, we got small tasters….just the way you want it to be. This was the only time EVER – I experienced someone coming  close to the level of passion and service that my good friend Jan Restorff offers you at Sölleröd Kro in Denmark.

We almost only had German wines – (and coming of age, starting to appreciate Riesling), I was again and again stunned by the wines – perfect companions to the excellent food –  that were selected.

I shall give you some shots of the evening. Not all the plates we had, just a few.

Fois gras...what a dish....for me it broke the scale.

Nebraska Beef. Beef seldom get any better than this.

Exotic fruits. One of my best desserts - ever.

My conclusion:

Spending an evening at Schloss Berg is always fantastic. Your eyes are spoiled with beautiful arrangements. You are welcomed and treated like a king, and your palete is served the best plates and exciting tastes you can ever imagine. Yesterday we experienced a young sommelier on top of that with a passion for his job – wine – which clearly matched the high quality of the kitchen. He was in his element. Simple as that. Thanks to the whole team –  to Yildiz, Jochen, Christian, Tristan – and especially to Daniel – we had a blast. I even liked the German Pinot Noir (Friedrich Becker Kammerberg 2005)

On a leaving note I can inform you that the sous-chef of Christian Bau, – Tristan Brandt – is in the finals for becoming Chef of the year 2011 in Germany. A contest for young and upcoming chefs. I wish him the best of luck. Good to know that the knowledge and ideas of Christian Bau is passed on to the next generation.

My rating for this visit:Ambience 5 (5) Service 5 (5) Food/Wine 10 (10) : Score 20 out of 20.

Schloss Berg, Nennig, Germany – 3 September

As good as it gets.

Thank you Yildiz, Christian, Daniel, Jochen and all the rest of the great team that again made our evening special and our lives a little more rich.

Schloss Berg, the entrance.....

Christian Bau – I do not know how you manage to improve the level time after time. Coming back is always fantastic. Food should be fun. It sure was yesterday. Some of the dishes yesterday were not human any more. Must have been made with the help of Merlin or maybe Harry Potter. The details, the combination of every little thing on the plate. Each plate is not a plate in that respect. Its a piece of art. But that only works if the taste can give one what the eye expects. And thats the wonder of your kitchen. Congratulations, I hope to be back soon…next time with my camera.

Words can not describe your cooking, at least not my words, so I shall leave this to Trine, I envy you Trine – you may expect something special, but I guess you know that – Have fun.

– and to my friend Jan. Please come soon – you dont wanna miss this.

My rating for this visit: AS GOOD AS IT GETS !

My rating for this visit: Ambience 5 (5) Service 5 (5) Food/Wine 10 (10) : Score 20 out of 20.

Schloss Berg, Nennig Germany – 20 March 2008

Chef: Christian Bau, Germany´s youngest 3 star chef. Michelin rating: 3 stars, Millaud rating: 18 points

Menu Decouverte at 168 Euro, corresponding Wine Menu apxm. 100 Eur.

A faboulous lunch that was planned shortly before it took place. It was the first time I settled for their “Menu Decouverte” and my 5th visit to this nice restaurant. Schloss Berg is at this point one of my favourite dining places and the attentive service is just what I am looking for. Respectful but not snobby, and a good distance between the tables and a nice quiet vibe to it.

It was a quiet lunch, so I was entertained and discussing the food, the wines and the world with the staff.

I settled for the wine menu for the first time here and was not disappointed even though it was a bit heavy on the whites, and furthermore sweet whites – than I would have chosen myself. I had 8 different wines, and one or two was refilled complimentary, as each wine was later billed per wine. All in all I paid 158 euro for the Menu (since I left out the cheese the price was reduced) – and the 8 wines clocked in at around 90 euro.

When I arrived, I was warmly greeted by the friendly staff on this cold day, and I bursted out…”Please spoil me today…”.

So how did I spend these 3 hours of my life….I shall tell you.

First let me tell you about the settings…..The restaurant is situated in the historic building of the Schloss Berg Complex which furthermore consist of a casino and a nice hotel overlooking the Mosel River and the villages below. Walking through the hall you will find a nice chesterfield-like sofa, where you can enjoy your drink or later the cognac. The restaurant is then a few steps down, with a celler/castle feeling to it, with partly wooden ceiling. The restaurant is very small with only room for apxm. 30 guests.

As mentioned above, I asked for wines per the glass / wine menu however, with the small edge to it that I wanted to try them all blind.

And to go with the amuse I was served the following wine …….

2007 Weissburgunder Kabinett trocken Mosbacher, Pfalz

The amuse……Beef tartare with eal creme and eggs of heering, dried filet of tomato on a millefeulle, and king macrel on pesto, topped with a small rattatoulie. Roasted almonds, pastry filled with a creme of chorizo and thin bread sticks wrapped in thin lardon 8p

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Another small greeting from the kitchen……Flan of chicken liver with pieces of braised Chicken liver and truffles. Topped with a foam of Parmesan, but I uncovered the dish in order to get a good shot of the inside….10p – Wine 2005 Pündericher Marienburg “Noar” Riesling Spätlese, Clemens Busch, Mosel

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A second greeting from the kitchen, variation of Salmon….. ( I started the plate, thus the fork and knife on the plate….) 8p

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First Dish of the menu, Crab and St. Jacques with fruits of citrus 9p

 

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Fois Gras from Alsace, with Jabugo ham and spoon of iced Fois Gras creme 10p – Wine 2004 Juracon “Clos Uroulat”, Charles Hours, Sud-Ouest

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Bluefin Tuna and Tatare of Lobster 9,5 – Wine 2006 Sancerre “La Moussiere”, Dom. Alphonse Mellot, Loire

 

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Best dish of the day – Coated Langoustine with asparagus, morilles and beans 10p – Wine 2004 Sa Vall Seleccio Privado, M. Gelabert, Mallorca

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Sole with Sauce Mousseline with Gillerdeau Oyster 8,5p -Wine 2004 Meursault “Narvaux”, Dom. Philippe Chavy, Bourgogne

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Refreshment of Sake / Wasabi / Appel 8p – no picture – sorry

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Roasted Limousine Lamb and a touch of Provence 9p – Wine 2003 Saint Joseph, Chateau de Saint Cosme, Rhone

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Crumble with Rhubarb compot Almond milk, Mascarpone-Rhubarb sorbet 9p

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Chocolate and passionfruit, Canache of Valrhona Café-Couverture, Ice cream of Cocoa beans 10p – Wine 2003 Orange Muscat “Essensia”, Quady Winery, California

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Small plate of sweets….

The highlights for me was the Flan of chicken liver, the Langoustines with the asparagus was to die for, the lamb accompanied by my favourite small beans in a mediterranean style, Im a sucker for Rhubarb and the serving was a beauty. You can never go wrong with chocolat and passion fruit with me. Small let downs was the salmon. I am very tired of salmon, though the sashimi to the left did its best to convince me otherwise. And I found the oyster flavour to dominant in the sauce Mousseline. Its needless to say that all servings where cooked perfectly. The sole extraordinary juicy.

I want to thank all the staff for making this again a very memorable experience. I shall be back soon.

My rating for this visit: Ambience 4,5 p (5) Service 5p (5) Food/Wine 9,5p  (10) : Score 19 out of 20.