Alpenhotel Reiger, Mittenwald

I decided to drive back to Mittenwald for a family style dinner in a family style place.  I felt finished with gourmet dining for a while.  This restaurant fit the bill exactly.  There was no ambiance but it was full of people.  The service was friendly but as hectic as the overall atmosphere of the dining area.  The menu was quite extensive.  As soon as I began to make my choices I realized that I came here way too hungry.

I had a Weisse Beir and while I was waiting for my first selection I literally inhaled the bread.  One nice thing was that two types of seasoned butters arrived with the bread.  Another thing is that my ordering for this meal was a bit confused, as you will see.

First serving was warm smoked duck breast tips on a bed of lettuce with walnut dressing.  It did not seem like it on the menu but this was a salad.  It was a very good salad.  The duck breast was excellent.  The lettuce was very fresh and the dressing was delicious.  The small tomatoes were very good, too.  Each bite was a bit of duck with a bit of lettuce and a bit of tomato swirled in the dressing.  It was really good.

Next serving was, well, a salad.  This was truly a gourmet salad.  The salad was composed of multiple types of very fresh gourmet lettuce and it was something to behold.  The salad was quite large and was literally covered with large prawns.  The prawns, although not fully peeled, were perfectly done and were delicious when dipped in the side garlic butter.  I elected to finish the prawns first and that took some time.  The peeling was messy but the dipping a devouring was perfect.  As soon as the salad was naked I dressed it with the honey mustard dressing and enjoyed every last bite.  I have not had this much green in all of my meals combined during this trip.  It was very good.

Lastly was the rich, unhealthy portion of this mini-feast.  This was sliced Kalbslendchen prepared “Zurich Style” accompanied by several different types of mushrooms, all in a bowl of very rich cream sauce.  On the dinner plate was a very large serving of homemade Berner Rosti.  The meat was tender, the mushrooms were firm and the sauce was just excellent.  I addressed this by placing spoonfuls from the bowl onto the Rosti, which was really a plate full of nicely prepared hash browns and then combining everything in each bite.  This was a classic German dish, the type I was served in my youth.  At the end, and I did finish, I was so full and so content.

It may not be a pretty place but it did serve lovely food.