This is the eleventh post in the London & Munich series. Other posts in this series include The Square, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, Exploring London by Foot, Alain Ducasse, Marcus Wareing, Classic Munich Beer Houses: Hofbrauhaus & Wirtshaus, Viktualienmarkt and De Pschorr, Chinesischer Turm Beer Garden, Visiting the Residenz and lunch at Spatenhaus, and Weinstephaner Brewery – Oldest Brewery In the World
“There’s never a bad day for a beer and a weisswurst.”
These famous words were uttered by President Obama as he munched on a traditional Bavarian breakfast in Munich while visiting the G7 Summit this past summer. We happened to be in Germany at the exact same time.
“If it’s good enough for Obama, it’s good enough for me” said Bryan as he started researching where to get weisswurst.
Unfortunately, my schedule did not exactly line up with the President’s. He had just arrived, and I was flying out early the next morning. Unfortunately, I would not be able to follow in the President’s culinary footsteps here in Munich. Luckily for Bryan, he still had several days in Munich and another week in Frankfurt.
So Bryan went solo, hunting down fun things like weisswurst and many other German eats for another week. Here is the rest of the Munich and Frankfurt trip, from Bryan’s camera’s eyes!
WEISSES BRAUHAUS
Weisswurst is a traditional German white sausage made from veal that is only supposed to be eaten “before the bell chimes twelve”. Originating from a pub right inside the Marienplatz called Zum ewigen Licht Gasthaus (“To the Eternal Light”) in the mid 1850’s, this very Bavarian specialty can now be found all over Munich, especially at beer gardens and restaurants.
Traditional weisswurst come in pairs, floating in water and served with mustard and a pretzel. The skin should come off easily, and it should be as white as possible.
Bryan found it at Weisses Bräuhaus, right outside the Marienplatz in Munich.
Weisses Bräuhaus is owned by Schneider Weisse, the oldest wheat beer brewery in Bavaria. The brewery adheres to very strict Bavarian purity standards when making beer.
Schneider Weisse beer regularly wins international rewards. The Beer Advocate gives the restaurant an “Outstanding” (94) rating, and the beer selection is excellent.
To complement the weisswurst, Bryan also ordered a pork knuckle salad, a lighter and healthier way to enjoy another Bavarian specialty, the pork knuckle (which we’d tried multiple times already in its full form at other brewhouses).
Dessert was a traditional Apple Strudel, which came with apple, nuts, and a side of vanilla custard.
All in all, the place was great – good food, excellent beer, and a fun ambiance.
PAULANER BREWERY
Another really well-known brewery in Germany is Paulaner and the associated Paulaner Bräuhaus (there are several throughout Germany).
Paulaner was founded in 1634 by friars in Munich, named after Francis of Paola.
Paulaner is one of the largest breweries in Germany and is one of the “big six” that supplies beer during Oktoberfest. The others are Augustiner, Hacker-Pschorr, Hofbräu, Löwenbräu, and Spaten.
Bryan visited Paulaner twice, once in Munich (a much larger one with a bigger selection of beer and food), and once in Frankfurt (where he got to sit outside!).
If you have a chance, try the Paulaner Oktoberfestplatte. For only €15.90, you get half a grilled pork shank, breaded pork escalope, meat loaf, white sausage, beer gravy, two different kinds of mustard, a potato dumpling, and fried potatoes.
For balance, there’s some sauerkraut and shaved radishes. We had seen similarly shaved radish at the Chinese Tower Beer Garden in Munich and wondered what it was. Bryan confirmed that it’s some sort of radish/daikon.
In any event, it’s a fantastic deal. Pair this with a liter of Paulaner beer, and you’ll feel like you’re at Oktoberfest, even if you’re not.
[…] fun exploring the Residenz (Bavarian monarchy’s former royal palace), classic German beer halls, outdoor beer gardens and food markets (so fun!), the oldest brewery in the world, and even one […]