Essigbrätlein was a small restaurant in the historic part of Nuremberg.  They offered a tasting menu where vegetables are the main ingredients, showcasing local produce.  They have been awarded 2 Michelin stars and a Michelin Green Star (for sustainability).  Chef Andree Köthe opened the restaurant in 1989 and won his first star in 1999 and the second in 2007.  He also was named Chef of 2012 in Germany by Gault and Millau.  Chef Yves Ollech joined Köthe in 1997 and Sommelier Ivan Jakir joined in 1999.  Together this trio presents a fabulous option to the standard tasting menu full of luxury ingredients and instead features the finest produce of the area.  The small dining room had bench seating along the walls facing nice sized white clothed tables.  The walls were dark wood, wood beams were in the ceiling, the wood floor was covered with rugs, and no music was in the background.  The windowless room had some dividers between tables, some mirrors on the walls and a mural on the wall above the door to the kitchen.  Their tasting menu was available in 5, 6 or 7 courses with optional wine pairings.  We chose the 7-course tasting with a bottle of white and glass of red toward the end.  The matches were great with decent size pours on the by the glass.  Service was as outstanding as the food.  This hidden gem of a restaurant has been discovered by Michelin and now you need to put it on your list to discover.

Set-up

Food

An amuse bouche was the juice of a red pepper with ginger and mint.  First you drink the cool broth and then eat the refreshing leaves.  Amazing.

 

Salad lettuce was a second amuse.  The small lettuce was filled with parsley and topped with parsley root yogurt, parsnip and dried lemon powder.  The creamy parsnip and young fresh greens were so seasonal and just a delight to eat.

 

Brussel sprout leaves were with a cream of woodruff in a spoon.  The woodruff tasted a bit like tarragon and was perfect with the soft warm brussels.

 

White cabbage broth was deeply flavored and came with some sourdough bread with spelt that was topped with caraway and lemon zest.  You dipped the bread into the broth so the seasonings would blend before you ate it and then drank the rest of the broth.  Divine.

 

The last amuse bouche was a black radish marinated with honey and horseradish and a cream of white radish. You ate both together for a bit of texture and fun flavors.

 

The bread service was thick slices of spelt sourdough bread and green bean butter. The butter had a faint green bean flavor, but you could taste it. The crusty, dense bread was lovely by itself.

 

Curly kale was in a kohlrabi broth that had been long braised with ham and sweet and sour pickles.  Part of the kohlrabi was dehydrated and then re-hydrated to give it a different texture and some huckleberries were in the mix.  The various kohlrabi textures made it an interesting mix and the berries added a touch of sweetness.  It was a lovely dish.

 

Leek was braised and plated with flat beans, oats glazed with butter and a vinaigrette of leek jus, cream and dill oil.  You could really taste the dill on the very tender chewy oats.  This one was yummy.

 

Salsify was under sliced parsnip and topped with walnuts all in a lime vinaigrette.  Some thyme and bay leaf added additional seasoning to the cooked salsify.  This offered a number of fun flavor combinations and lots of texture.  The strongly flavored vinaigrette left a good aftertaste too.  Fun.

 

Beetroots had been cooked in a bag over a reduced jus then glazed with this reduction and topped with grapefruit zest.  The bottom was a chive cream with rose vinegar gelee.  The wonderful firm beets were cooked perfectly and presented with tasty sauces that complimented, not overshadowed their flavor.  This was marvelous.

 

Trout with mushrooms was raw trout and shitake mushroom cream.  They were topped with some beetroot, anise oil and tarragon and then a shitake foam.  It was fabulous.  The sauce was divine with the tender fish.  They even left the extra sauce on the table and I was glad to make use of some of it.   Lots of flavor here.

 

Duck with salted blossoms was a slice of steamed and then grilled duck.  It was nicely rare and tender.  The skin was cooked with mustard seed and pickled watermelon rind and then placed on top of the meat with some fennel, dill and camomile.  The fat was cooked separately and placed on top of the meat in small strips.  It was a different presentation than I’d ever had and a total success.  A very fine protein course.

 

Lemon ice cream with bergamot was topped with cooked rice and lime zest.  Mix in tarragon, thyme, and mint.  Then the bergamot was blended with roast rutabaga peels and turned into dark shreds.  Loads of flavor in this combination of smooth custard, juice and rice.  Excellent.

 

The final treats were a range of chocolate sheets adorned with various seasonings.  Sunflower seed, sea salt and sugar cane; anise seeds (looks black); hazelnuts; fermented raspberry powder; and filled with sorrel marzipan.  All were quite good and very different.  A fabulous ending for a fantastic meal.