One of the great joys of travel is tasting the local fare. I once heard of a woman who traveled the world and only ever ate at McDonald’s. That woman must have been mentally ill.

When we landed in Munich, we were exhausted. The first thing we did was go to our hotel. Luckily, the hotel let us check in early (11 a.m.), and we got showers and naps. I can’t tell you how important that was. If you’re flying to Europe from North America, sleeping on the plane is crucial. When we arrived, we had basically been awake for about 24 hours. We are too old for that!

After our naps, we went to the Old Town in Munich for a while then went in search of food. One of the restaurants on our list of places to check out was the Augstiner Keller.

Augustiner Brau is a beer based out of Munich originally brewed by Augustinian monks in 1328. In 1829, a family of brewers, the Wagners, bought the brewery and have owned it ever since. The Augustiner Keller was purchased in 1862 as a storage cellar in order to expand production.

We didn’t have a reservation, so they sent us downstairs to the Keller (cellar). There was also dining on the main floor as well as the bier garten, but it was chilly outside. We didn’t ask questions – we just went where they pointed, which was down was a narrow, spiral staircase that seemed to never end.

At the bottom was a spacious, beautiful dining room, lit by candlelight.

We were seated at the a long table, where another couple were also seated. When our server arrived, he spoke to Steve in German. Steve nervously said, “Sprechen Sie English?” The server said, “Oh! You look German!”

Hooray! We blend in!

Steve started to order a dunkel (dark beer) but the server recommended the Edelstoff lager, which was amazing. I had the weiβbier (wheat beer) and it was also amazing. Pretty much all the beer we had on our trip was the best beer ever. I should just say that now. But I have to say, Augustiner held onto its lead in our minds.

While we sat at a long table with another couple, there was a bowl of pretzels about halfway between us. We weren’t sure if the other couple had ordered them or if

they were for the table. We were so hungry, and we kept eyeballing the pretzels, unsure what to do. Eventually, we got the nerve to ask the server, and he explained that the pretzels were for the table. When you pay for your meal, you tell the server how many you ate. This is a fantastic way to do business, in my opinion. More pretzels for everyone!

Our food was incredible, and it was the first delicious meal of many that week.

Check out our pictures below. Unfortunately, the photo of Steve’s Bavarian sausage platter was too blurry to post. But here’s the description: Bavarian sausage platter with mixed grilled white and pork sausages, Regensburger sausage with sauerkraut and roast potatoes. He loved it.

My meal, pictured below (also a bit blurry) was the Munich schnitzel: pan fried pork schnitzel breaded with mustard and horseradish, served with potato-endive salad. Perfection.

More incredible German food to come in a later post. Prost!