Restaurant Tip: First Christmas Day Dinner at Hotel-Restaurant Reweschnier

In Germany the Christmas Holiday is celebrated over a three day period.  On Christmas Eve almost all stores and businesses close at 14:00 hrs (2 p.m. for you civilians) and traditionally it is that evening that the Christmas tree is set up and decorated by the adults and the presents are put out.  Then the children are let into the room around 18:00 - 19:00 hrs (6-7 p.m.) to see what the "Christkind" (Baby Jesus) has brought them.  Old St. Nick drops off little sweets or coal and a switch, if you have been bad, in your shoe or stocking on the 6th of December, St Nicholas Day.  After the "Bescherung" (giving of gifts), very devout catholics attend midnight mass on the 24th.  The 25th and 26th are the first and second Christmas Days, in my family we usually go out to lunch or dinner at a nice restaurant on the First Christmas Day.  On the Second Christmas Day we usually have 3 or 4 friends over to celebrate and enjoy a Germanic take on a traditional American Turkey Dinner.


Now to the restaurant tip, this year as in the past 5 years we had a table reserved at the Hotel-Restaurant Reweschnier.  It is a family favorite for special occasions and holidays, in fact we celebrated my Grandmother's 80th birthday here.  The Reweschnier is located in the little village of Blaubach just outside of the town of Kusel in the county of the same name.  Blaubach is roughly 25 Km north-west of Ramstein Air Base and 19 Km south-east of Smith Barracks, Baumholder Germany.  The cuisine served at the Reweschnier spans the categories of International to Regional specialties.  My dad opted for the traditional Christmas Goose leg with potato dumplings & red cabbage, my mom opted for the pan fried Wiener Schnitzel (breaded boneless pork cutlet) with french fries and salad from the buffet, and I chose the Pefferrahm Steak (New York Tip with green pepper cream sauce) with fried potatos with onions and bacon & a salad from the buffet as well.   The meals were outstanding and I could not resist swiping a bite of goose with the crispy skin, it literally melted in my mouth.  If I did not have an aversion to the side dishes I would have probably ordered the same as my dad.  We shared a bottle of mineral water with the meal and each of us chose our wine favorites to accompany the meal.  My personal favorite is a semi dry Portugieser Weissherbst, a light and fruity rose', a staple wine made in the Rhein-Hessen and Rheinland-Pfalz wine regions.  The meal was rounded off with a bowl of mixed ice-cream for myself and my mom, my dad picked his favorite "Heisse Liebe" (Hot Love) vanilla ice-cream topped with warm raspberry's and sauce.   As always the meal was outstanding!


The Reweschnier is also a very popular location for hosting conferences and weddings.  The most famous wedding reception held there was that of Polish born German National Soccer Player Miroslav Klose.  Klose started his soccer career with the SG Blaubach-Diedlkopf and is now a striker for the Italian Serie A (First League) team Lazio Rom.  If you have an opportunity to dine at the Reweschnier make sure you also check out the Klose wedding pictures prominently on display in the lobby entrance area.  


Guten Appetit (Enjoy Your meal!) and check out the pics and links below.


http://reweschnier.de/en/Home/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blauer_Portugieser


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miroslav_Klose