Schmenkenden Deutschland in Mitte Stadt
Written: Oct 01 '02 (Updated Oct 02 '02)
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Pros: authentic German cuisine, great beer and friendly staff
Cons: sometimes too busy
The Bottom Line: Authentic German cuisine finally invades Philly's downtown area.
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| fuche_bu's Full Review: Ludwig's Garten |
Few beer lovers would dispute the importance of Germany in the development and evolution of beer. Germany has produced a staggering array of excellent brews. From lagers to weizens to bocks, the Germans have been great innovators in the craft and art of brewing. Since I don't have the time or financial means to pop off to Germany on a whim, I need to seek out German beers on a local level.
Nearly four years ago, those prayers were answered with the opening of Ludwig's Garten on Sansom ST. This is a German restaurant and bar with authentic German food and an extensive range of German beers. This is a place to let your hair down and feast and savor the flavor of Germany. Center City finally had a place to cater to the fan of Teuton suds.
I have been patronizing this restaurant/bar for over three years now. I often go in simply to indulge in a couple beers. It has a friendly, casual atmosphere. It is a lot of fun to go there. But I have also eaten there numerous times. I have enjoyed both lunch and dinner there in the past. I can attest to the quality of food and drink. I can attest to the quality of the food as well.
My early visits were largely drinking expeditions. They have two rooms. Originally they had a bar and a dining room. The bar is dimly lit and features rustic decor. The oaken booths sit beneath stuffed animal heads. PETA members probably wouldn't feel too comfortable in this environment.
They started off with 18 taps of German beers as well as a selection of over 100 beers in bottle. They rotate the beers often so there is always something different. It was a joy to have a place to indulge in such classics as Reissdorf Kölsch, Kostritzer, Aventinus and others. They also serve a selection of German wines and liqueurs. Draught Jagermeister is available.
I never actually dined in the old dining room. They have recently renovated and added a bar into the dining room. There are still booths along the walls and a few tables but the room is dominated by a square bar. A portrait of Prince Ludwig hangs among Bavarian flags as well as flags of the Munich soccer team.
Eventually my curiosity got the better of me. I kept hearing how good the food was. It took a few visits but I finally started to occasionally eat there. The first couple times I ate there, I was conservative and ordered the sampler platter. This platter includes a few kinds of wurst, wings and onion tart fingers. It runs $12.95 and is a good introduction to the cuisine.
I have tried several dishes there like their Jagerschitzel (pork cutlet), Schwetzinger Spatzle (asparagus and Black Forest Ham) and Sauerbraten and Weinerschitzel entrees. The entrees run from $11.95 to $19.95. They also serve a variety of game platters. You can indulge in Wildschwein (wild boar), Rehbraten (venison), pheasant or Hasenpfeffer (rabbit). I have yet to try any game but the platters generally run around 18 to 24 dollars. These are often pending availability.
There are few options for a vegetarian. There is a tasty Spinatknodel (spinach dumplings). There are also some side dishes and appetizers that cater to a vegetarian diet. The Zwiebekuchen (onion tart) and Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes) are pretty good.
For the seafood lover, they serve rainbow trout, salmon and mussels. I have never tried any of their seafood dishes so I can't really rate any of these selections. They generally run between 17 and 19 dollars.
The last time I was there was last Saturday when they held an Octoberfest celebration. They closed off the block and had tents and tables set out on the street. It is a mighty fine block party. Live bands entertain the crowds and food and beer is sold al fresco. This is becoming a popular annual event in Philly. There were hundreds of people. They offered three authentic Octoberfest beers (Spaten, Paulaner and Hacker_Pschorr) on draught. They also had the full range of other German beers as well. The food stand had kasewurst, bratwurst, weisswurst as well as wings, potato pancakes and onion tarts as well as a couple different krauts.
Ludwig's is a great place to go. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. They have beer classes for the staff so they can sufficiently aid unfamiliar beer drinkers. It's also important to make sure people are aware that some doppelbocks or other beers might be 7 or 8% abv. They also offer beer classes for beer geeks who want to learn a thing or two about German beers.
Some of the beers can be pricey so they usually will give a small taste to someone who isn't sure. (Somehow they never offer me these small free samples). It would be a terrible shame to pay 7 dollars for a half liter of Aventinus and not like it. Most of the beers run $4.95 for a half litre and are sold in traditional German style half litre glasses.
They even have an upstairs room for people who wish to have a private event or party. That room is where I held my Fringe Festival event the last two years. Overall, this is a great place to both drink and eat. German cuisine wouldn't be my first choice but my appreciation for it is beginning to grow. And my fondness for German brew has existed for quite some time. This is a comfortable, friendly place. It can be a bit loud at times so it may not be a good choice for a quiet dinner. It is a place to go for good food, good beer and a real good time.
Ludwig's Garten
1315 Sansom ST
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215)985-1525
www.ludwigsgarten.com
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: No
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fuche_bu
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Member: George Schaefer
Location: West Bristol, PA
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Busy at work and missing a lot of epinions fun.
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