Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their re¬views are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.
On the recommendation of our friends Charles and Di (no, not those two), we headed out to the Schnitzel Platz Restaurant in Glendale Heights for an authentic German evening. Jim and Diane were really looking forward to it, since they are both of German descent.
Nancy and I vacationed in Germany a few years ago, and as soon as we walked in, it was, to coin a phrase, “déjà vu all over again.” The décor was straight out of a travelogue, complete with lace curtains, beer steins, and cuckoo clocks. Even the dinnerware had a beautiful, delicate floral print.
To our surprise, playing in the background was the Tyrolean Duo performing a host of German and not-so-German songs. They were a sight to behold, complete with Lederhosen and a WWI German spiked helmet.
Diane wanted to try the Schofferhofer beer (grapefruit flavored), and Nancy tried the Hefe-Weissbier dark beer. Nancy is not a drinker, but after trying Diane’s beer, she had to order her own. It sounds awful, but she said it was refreshing and delicious.
For the appetizers – or, should I say, the first seating – we ordered four potato pancakes ($8.99), large German soft pretzel with homemade “Bier Cheese Sauce” ($8.99), sausage sampler, five each of their “mini thuringer, frankfurter, and bratwurst sausages ($8.99) and last but not least, sauerkraut balls ($7.99), which were breaded sauerkraut mixed with spicy ham and sausage and fried to perfection. They were delicious, but each of us had our own personal favorites. We may have overdone the appetizers a wee bit, because when it came time to order dinner, Diane bailed out and just ordered a side dish of sauerkraut and spatzle. The rest of us, however, forged ahead.
Now for dinner, Nancy ordered the Chef’s Special Roulade, which is beef wrapped around a pickle, onion and bacon, and mashed potatoes with red cabbage ($16.95). Chuck ordered Wiener Schnitzel with German home fries and red cabbage ($19.99).
Jim had to have all of Germany on his plate, are you ready? He ordered the Deutsche Haus Platte, which consisted of a sampling of pork schnitzel, German chopped steak, a bratwurst, a frankfurter, and a thuringer, plus German fried potatoes, red cabbage and sauerkraut for $21.99. Yes, this was a dinner for one person, and that person being Sgt. Schultz. Jim took one for the team, and now he has lunch for three days this week!
All dinners come with soup or salad. We passed on dessert since we didn’t want to make pigs of ourselves; oops, too late. And I was serving dessert at my house later that evening, so we are sort of piggies.
For the huge amount of food and drinks we consumed, the total bill was $138.61 for four people; wunderbar!
The Schnitzel Platz Restaurant is a cute European restaurant with lots of ambiance and terrific German food. Special thanks to the Tyrolean Duo for putting the icing on the proverbial (German chocolate) cake.
He said/she said:
Jim’s take: I love this restaurant; it offers great food served in a fun-filled atmosphere. It’s always a good sign when the chef periodically checks on the diners to see how they are enjoying their meals. My favorites were the pork schnitzel and the German chopped steak. I never heard of German chopped steak, but it was awesome. My only regret is that I didn’t save room for the homemade apple strudel and ice cream.
Nancy’s take: It’s nice to go to a restaurant and feel like you’re on a European vacation. I really enjoyed the fun atmosphere and the band. I never knew I would like thuringer, but I loved it. The sauerkraut balls and the giant pretzel with cheese sauce were my favorite appetizers. For my taste, I prefer my recipes for roulade and spatzle. My only regret is being married to a total glutton!
Schnitzel Platz
Restaurant
729 E. North Avenue
Glendale Heights, 60139
630-942-9900
www.schnitzelplatz.com
Directions: Take 90 east to 53 southto 355, exit North Avenue, turn right(west).Estimated Travel Time: 45 minutes
