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We've eaten at "The Bavarian Chef" (TBC) numerous times over the years
and I have to say, this is one place where you can't go wrong. My
Thesaurus runs dry on superlatives for this restaurant.
One story may put this one in perspective. My older sister recently
married a retired Army Colonel who was stationed in Germany for most of
his career. The man absolutely loves Germany and everything German.
When he takes members of my family to visit there, the guy makes
everyone "enjoy" trips to the most out of the way, but wonderful,
Bavarian restaurants. The man knows German food.
When I mentioned that I lived in Charlottesville he immediately
remarked about being sent to the management training center here. And
about discovering "the best German restaurant I've ever been to in the
U.S." That's TBC.
First note: this place is POPULAR. Expect some wait even with
reservations. Our shortest was 10 minutes, but it's usually more like
20. It's worth it.
The decor is charming in a woodpanel sort of way, and it's crowded.
The fit is tight, whether at a table or at one of the booths on the
second floor. The first time I squeezed into the place I was a bit
uneasy, but it actually works.
The wait-staff are about as good as it gets (maybe The Clifton Inn
beats them, but not by much). They know the menu, they are quick and
smooth, and they do not leave you tapping your finger in anticipation.
You're greeted early and often: drinks are kept flowing from start to
finish and the wonderful breadbaskets do not go empty.
Oh those drinks. As you may deduce I love beer. Pretty much any beer,
but particularly German beer. And get this--you can get 2 LITERS of
beer in one glass. That's a big glass. The only downside is--actually
there is no downside. The beer alone is worth the visit.
But the food--how do I love thee, let me count the ways. The appetizers
are wonderful; I usually get the sausage sampler with the wonderful
mustard and share it. But you can't go wrong with any of them. The main course
comes with "family style" vegetables: everything from corn, potatoes,
red cabbage--you name it--in a steady stream of shared bowls. The actual
dinners cannot be fully described--the schnitzel is to die for, but so
is literally everything else. They even prepare a duck dinner for one
of our gang who loves duck.
Now for the last--the desserts. I've tried most of the chocolate
deserts and cheesecakes. My all time favorite--pumpkin cheesecake
drenched in a walnut sauce, and packing most likely 3,000 calories on
the one dish. Again, it's worth it.
Go there--ask for Sara and get Das Boot with the lager.
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World Class |