Over the Christmas and New Year holiday season, my wife and I visited friends in Radeberg, Germany. On our first night in town, our friends took us out to eat at nearby Gasthof Thiendorf. A traditional German "Gasthof" (or Pension/Inn), the dining room of Gasthof Thiendorf contains a couple of "Stammtisch" table arrangements. For those who may not know, a Stammtisch is a table arrangement that is uniquely designated for certain local customers, who frequently gather at the Gasthof with friends and spend time drinking "Bier" and sharing the latest goings on. As such, we - not being certain local customers - were displaced once before we finished setting down and once, right as we took our last bites of food and drank our last sips of bier. We were okay with it, as we understood the custom. Of note also, the dining menu at Gasthof Thiendorf differs from what guest who stay as the Gasthof are treated to as the latter contains a few more items. Anyhoo... since the menu was somewhat limited, we all opted for the Fried Schnitzel, with either Steamed Vegetables or Asparagus and a potato side dish of one's own choosing. My wife and I both had the Steamed Asparagus and I had in addition, the Pommes Frites. Despite the schnitzel being served plain with a lemon wedge for additional flavoring, we all agreed that it was very tasty and was an ample portion size. As for my asparagus, I was very pleased with the mild. buttery flavor but was sorely disappointed that it was barely warn and not hot. I was even more dismayed at the presentation of crinkle cut fries that I knew came from a bag in the frozen section, in lieu of the expected, more traditional fresh medium cut, regular Pommes Frites. It is actually quite a sad commentary about how Germans have gotten away from traditional gastric offerings. I could nearly write a book on the topic, but I digress. At the end of the day, I can say that I enjoyed the meal, probably more due to the fact that I was somewhat famished than because of the overall quality. This, since the ambience buzz was dampened because of us being asked to remove ourselves from the dinner table so quickly after eating. Nevertheless, I think anyone looking for a decent meal in the area won't be disappointed. If I was left with few options and I was in the neighborhood, I would eat at Gasthof Thiendorf again. If you decide to give it a go, I hope you have a good experience! Eat well. Be well. Cheers! read more

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