Gemütlich and gourmet

Joanna Pruess reports.

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Nuremberg, Germany—Food savvy travelers to Bavaria often take the short ride from Nuremberg's bustling Old Town to the quiet hamlet of Grossreuth bei Schweinau to dine at Gasthaus Rottner. The enchanting restaurant, in a 300 year old half-timbered building, is surrounded by a lime tree shaded beer garden. The property was first purchased by the Rottner family in 1812; today, Stefan Rottner, the family's fourth generation restaurateur, and his wife, Claudia, are at the helm. The couple's 18 year old son Valentin is an apprentice in the kitchen.

Beyond the idyllic setting and rustic charm, a meal at Gasthaus Rottner is never simply a quaint, gemütlich dining experience. Stefan trained in Germany for two years with three-star chef Dieter Mueller at the Relais & Châteaux Schlosshotel Lerbach in Bergisch Gladbach. Stefan has been called the German Jamie Oliver for his stylishly updated Franconian (Bavarian) specialties.

I visited the Gasthaus last spring at the suggestion of local friends. They promised it would be memorable, and I wasn't disappointed. With the region's famous white asparagus, or spargel, in season, Stefan prepared and ethereal cream soup and shimmering mousse as part of his asparagus tasting menu. Using sprouts, herbs, and baby vegetables from his garden, he also transformed young garlic shoots into a remarkably fragrant bisque.

Catfish sautéed with fresh bay leaf on quince and served with creamy sauerkraut demonstrated his deft approach to fish. His enlightened game dishes included duck breast on star anise/noodle risotto, and one of several vegetarian offerings was a tasty coupling of lentils with goat cheese. Kartaeuserkloesse, or Carthusian bread dumplings in spiced sweet red wine sauce, seemed to be the favorite dessert. Dishes were paired with surprisingly pleasant local Franconian wines, a Sylvaner-Riesling blend followed by a Pinot Noir.

In 1998, Stefan and Claudia added a 37 room country inn across the road from the restaurant. In contrast to the restaurant, the hotel is done in 20th century architecture. They are members of the Romantik Hotel Group, an association of 194 small hotels in 12 European countries that offer exceptional cuisine, elegant decor, and personal ownership.