Sarasota Restaurants: Schnitzel Kitchen
A schnitzel a day keeps the doctor away—or with you for a wholesome meal!
Schnitzel Kitchen has opened in what I like to refer as our own little European village--Gulf Gate. While the “gourmet German" restaurant on Palm was short-lived and never caught my eye, this little gem on Superior Avenue has what it takes to go the distance: Good, wholesome German dishes, pleasant service and, oh, that strudel.
I love pickled herring!
As luck would have it, Dr. Jeff Kaine happened to be free for dinner on the night we checked out everything from potato pancakes to spatzle and, oh yes, that schnitzel. For me, many offerings were a reminder of family dinners (I being Jewish and of Eastern European descent). Nothing starts my meal off better than some pickled herring in sour cream. A hint of apple was a pleasant surprise and while hubby, The Irishman, was too scared of the little fish fillets, Jeff and I summed up this dish as being worthy of another round.
A latke a day keeps the doctor away--or dining with us, in this case.
Now, granted, I am a bit of a potato pancake snob. But, I confess to being pleasantly surprised by these spud-studded pancakes, which were crispy on the outside with a tender bite inside. The bratkartoffein appetizer--sautéed potatoes with bacon and creamy sauce--didn't impress, but the homemade pretzel with the kinder sausage more than made up for one boring potato dish.
Now that, my friends, is a darn good pretzel.
What were a wonderful surprise were the little salads. Shredded carrot and apple was sweet and delicate, while the cucumber salad and tomato salad both have a balance of acid and flavor, making them refreshing and inspiring--quite frankly, something I didn’t expect from German cooking. Husband Paul had the sauerbraten, mostly because I made him, and it was much better here than I remember in German Kitchen at Johnson and Wales.
Schnitzel!
Now, onto that schnitzel. Jeff and I each tried veal schnitzel with different sauces--mushroom cream sauce for me, and gypsy-style red sauce for Jeff. Both meals came in extra-large portions with good flavor and a crisp coating. There are other traditional offering like beef goulash, chicken paprika and schweinbraten--tender pork braised in brown gravy, which I am anxious to try on another visit--but it was hard to get away from the veal schnitzel. Dinner was washed down by a peach-infused beer. I was the first to try it and yes, I recommend.
Light, moist, fluffy version of Black Forest cake...
...and who doesn't love a good strudel?
Now for those pastries--a German’s pride is the strudel, and this recipe delivered, as did the traditional Black Forest cake--layers of moist chocolate cake brushed with Kirsch liqueur and loaded with homemade whipped cream.
I knew we should have worn our lederhosen.
Service was so nice, and I'm pleased to see Chef Kerstin cooking again in our town. With all the financial trauma in Europe these days, why not stay in Sarasota, wander the street of Gulf Gate and enjoy a bit of German hospitality? Guten appetit!
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