Hot Dish Review

Here’s a post from almost a year ago….
Headed there now for some beer and brats!

I know, Oktoberfest is almost over now, but Helen, Georgia’s very own faux Bavarian village, is still worth a visit through November. Fall folliage in the north Georgia mountains is beautiful on a crisp Fall day and almost makes one forget that Summer is over and the dreaded Winter is coming.

Helen is fun any time of year. The only difference, in fact, is the Festhalle that is open during Oktoberfest which officially starts mid-September and runs through the end of October. The Festhalle is just that, a “party hall” with communal picnic tables, wurst and kraut, pitchers of beer, and lots of drunk folks, some wearing lederhosen, and some rowdy ones wearing Bulldawgs T-shirts. Yes, Helen is what you get when you cross a redneck with a German, then add beer. Charming.

I’ve visited several times recently as my family is there on weekends and it’s a quick and pleasant drive from Atlanta. ST met me there and we had lunch with my Mom at Hofer’s. I apologize for the semi-devoured state of the brats, sauerkraut, pretzel knodel, and goulash in the photo, forgot to get the camera out before the forks were flying. A couple of Warsteiners washed it all down.

Hofer’s is one of the oldest German bakeries in the south, opened by Horst and Gerda Hofer in the late ’50′s. Now owned by son Ralph, the bakery makes the most authentic German kuchen, pastries, and cakes, although never as good as my own Omi’s! I think the trick is in the ingredients so the real thing just can’t be duplicated here in the states.

As luck would have it, they had plum cake, or Zwetschen kuchen, last weekend. My recent experiment with puff pastry (see post Project Puff Pastry) was a take on this German cake, traditionally made on yeast dough. Their version’s dough was too thick, but the flavor was good, with sugar sprinkled on top and real whipped cream.

ST and I proceeded to The Troll Tavern. No photos here, but it is a picturesque locale down by the river. The best time to visit is during the summer when you can watch the current carry hundreds of chubby kids and their folks in colorful tubes down the river. The food used to be better. The beer, however, is always good.

Next stop was the Festhalle. Admission is free on Sundays, so we grabbed a pitcher and took a seat outdoors. It was a beautiful day, I was with a gorgeous man, and the oompah band was playing silly German tunes. Prost!

Walking back through the town on Main Street we ended up at The Black Dog for a final beer and watched the start of the Falcons game. In the mood for a stout, the darkest beer they offered was a doppelbock called Celebrator. It had a sweet aftertaste that I didn’t care for….should’ve stuck with the pilsners.

Our Oktoberfest experience was awesome! As much as I love brats, kraut, spaetzle, schweinebraten, and such, I visit Helen so often that my palette craves something else….anything else. There are numerous options, most of them bar food, one Mexican restaurant, a pizza joint, Paul’s steakhouse on the river. But there is one restaurant that is above the rest in a culinary sense and that is Nacoochee Grill. It deserves its own post so check it out tomorrow!

My first visit to The Porter last August was short and sweet, so I was excited to return on Friday, not only for the tremendous beer selection but for Nick Rutherford’s way-better-than-bar-food menu.

And who better to delve into The Porter’s lengthy beer list with than AM. He is really into specialty beers, even brewing his own. We met at the bar where I started with a tasting of three dark beers available on draught, the Weyerbacher Fifteen, Southern Tier JahVah, and Great Divide Claymore Scotch. Of the three, I liked the Fifteen the best, but honestly, I didn’t love any of them. I did, however, love the way they were served, in three little jars set in a wooden tray.

With 29 beers on draught, most of them unfamiliar, choosing is difficult. Eight pages of bottled beer makes ordering feel like studying, although it is very helpful to have a flavor description below each selection. I zeroed in on the Delirium Nocturnum, described as dark and delicious, black raisins, dried figs. AM agreed it was a good choice for me.

The only food I had tried on my first visit was the mac ‘n’ cheese and goat cheese fritters, both amazing. This time AM and I started off with the goat cheese fritters, drizzled with honey and sprinkled with black pepper, creamy and delicious.

AM got a Caracole Ambree, a Belgian strong ale with hints of caramel spice, cinnamon, and apple. In the mood for a stout, I ordered a Ten Fidy, described as “love in a can” with flavors of chocolate, coffee, leather and caramel. Now we’re talkin’.

More food was in order so we shared the house-made bratwurst and sauerkraut. Organic Fuji apples were listed as well but I failed to find any hint of them on the plate. The sausages were perfectly seasoned and delicious with the classic kraut pairing.

We moved on to Nostradamus, Podge Belgian Imperial, Koningshoeven Triple, and more. I lost track to say the least.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Last weekend I made the scenic drive to Helen to celebrate my Mom’s birthday. I love dining outdoors on beautiful sunny days. The Troll Tavern, located by the river, offers the best patio setting, but we wanted to try something different. Old Heidelberg, nestled in the back of the square on N. Main Street has a tiny balcony off their upstairs dining room with four picnic tables and umbrellas. Perfect!

We ordered two different glasses of riesling, both semi-sweet spaetlase style. As we perused the menu and discussed lunch options the sky grew increasingly dark. Ignoring the menacing clouds I decided on the grilled bratwurst with sauerkraut, served on a bun with potato chips. I requested the bun be left off and substituted red cabbage for the chips to create a small wurst platter.

Mom ordered the goulash, a stew made with beef, peppers, onions, and potatoes, in a tomato based broth. It says SPICY on the menu.

As soon as our server delivered our food the rain started! We dashed inside. My Mom said “that’s alright, we’re not made of paper”….awesome quote!

In the frenzy I forgot to photograph the food. I tasted my Mom’s goulash and thought it was too tomato-y, and definitely not spicy. She seemed to like it OK.

Our server came by to inform us that the gentlemen at the neighboring table, who had just paid and left, had paid for our lunch as well. Thanks fellas! I ordered another glass of riesling.

My bratwurst and sauerkraut were very tasty, however, their red cabbage was a tad too sweet, overly spiced with cloves.

Old Heidelberg offered a complete selection of German favorites, from schnitzels to schweinebraten. I had dinner here years ago with a German friend and thought the food was solid.

I am curious about one of their dessert selections, homemade “Kaiserschmarrn”. Mom wasn’t familiar with it, perhaps it’s a Bavarian specialty? Made with eggs, flour, sugar, milk, almonds, and raisins, and served with applesauce, she thought it might be a sort of bread pudding. That settles it…..I will be trying it on an upcoming visit.

But first, I must have a totally-not-German, totally-white-trash funnel cake!

8660 North Main Street, Helen GA 30545 706-878-3273

Helen, Georgia is known for its Bavarian facade and mostly Americanized German fare like bratwurst and sauerkraut. There are also the ubiquitous and decidedly un-German funnel cakes.

However, for the past nine or so years, visitors have had another more upscale option, Nacoochee Grill. The atmosphere is country casual in a remodeled old house next to the Habersham Winery. But the food is high quality, which is reflected in prices higher than average for the area.

Under new ownership the menu has undergone some changes recently, although I can’t complain. They had a seared foie gras special a couple of months ago that was fantastic and only $13, a bargain by Atlanta restaurant standards. I enjoyed it as my entree with one of their baked sweet potatoes and awesome salad on the side. (see my earlier post Foie Gras and Hot Boiled Peanuts in Helen, GA)

My parents and I have had dinner at Nacoochee numerous times, my Mom usually ordering the grilled Szechuan glazed salmon and my Dad sticks with blackened or grilled fish of some variety. I’ve been known to have the duck, pork chop, skewered shrimp and scallops, or fish, depending on my mood, all of which are served with a choice of two sides.

I’m very picky about my salads. I eat one almost every day. The side salad here is pretty standard field greens and often includes a few icky wilted leaves but I still love it because their signature honey balsamic dressing is delish!

Other sides served are slow simmered collards, sweet corn pudding, baked sweet potato with cinnamon butter, garlic cheese grits, smashed potatoes, and more, all with a sophisticated Southern accent.

Fried chicken, fried seafood, steaks, and pasta dishes round out the entrees while venison chili, smoked trout chowder, fried calamari, and crab cakes can often be found on the appetizers list. I’ve had the crab cake sandwich, sans bread, as a light lunch and it is pretty tasty.

However, my favorite lunch item is the French Country Salad. My Mom and I used to split it and get another dish like the above-mentioned crab cake or the smoked trout chowder, but recently we’ve taken to ordering two of the salads…..we love it that much! Made with field greens, it is topped with copious amounts of gorgonzola, walnuts, thick-cut bacon, and a few slices of apple and onion. It comes with warm bacon vinaigrette (pretty much just bacon fat which is naturally delicious), but of course, we opt for the house honey balsamic dressing.

Their wine list is mostly from neighboring Habersham Winery. Despite Nacoochee’s lack of German cuisine, do have the riesling, it’s a sweet deal!

Helen, Georgia is a quirky combo of faux Bavarian village and north Georgia white trash.  Cluttered with bikers, bratwurst, and honky tonks it’s hardly the kind of place one expects fine cuisine.  For years now, Nacoochee Grill has been the lone star in a sea of mediocre dining options in Helen.  There are a couple of decent German restaurants but most cater to visitors that think funnel cakes are fancy.  The menu features finer things like seared duck breast or grilled mahi mahi with mango salsa.  There are plenty of Southern inspired dishes too, especially the collards and sweet potatoes on the side paired with an entree such as the cornmeal dusted trout.

Having recently changed ownership, the menu has remained true to its original vision.  However, on my visit last weekend they certainly kicked it up a notch.  After tubing down the river and drinking a six-pack of Miller Lite the day before, I was ready for something a bit more refined.  Imagine my surprise when one of the appetizer specials was seared foie gras!  I tried to resist but to no avail.  I made it my entree with a sweet potato and side salad with their amazing honey balsamic dressing, one of my favorites anywhere. 

The foie gras was served on a baby biscuit round with toasted pecan and roasted apple chutney and a red wine syrup underneath.  A bit cloying, it could have used one acid element, but the foie gras was perfectly seared and delicious, and priced crazy low by Atlanta standards at just $13.

What could top foie gras in Helen?  How about some hot boiled peanuts!  I’d been craving them for months and finally found a vendor open on my way home.  Headed towards GA400 there were signs warning of an impending ‘Peanut Crossing’.  I was excited to see the pots still boiling and stopped for a big styrofoam cup to go.  Still hot when I got home, they were great with a couple of Oatmeal Stockyard Stouts from Trader Joe’s.