First off, allow me to address you ""Culinary experts"" on some cultural facts about German food.\r
1. You need to remember you are in AMERICA not Germany,thinking you can close your eyes and transform an Alameda location into a small town German Gasthaus is delusional at best.\r
2. Traditionally Europeans shop each day for their dinner menus because A- Their foods, especially meats are not processed and pumped full of hormones,steroids and preservatives. They taste fresh and flavorful and B- Since Germans traditionally consume more veal than Americans they are able to purchase larger cuts of veal that is why their portions are much larger than you find here in America. German women don't walk around holding signs protesting the treatment of baby calves bred for meat and locked in small, cramped cages otherwise veal might become more integrated into our diets.\r
3. For those of you complaining about costs, im sure during your commercially chaperoned trip to Europe they led you to more tourist friendly commercial establishments where you not only paid much higher prices than smaller Gasthauses but the portions were smaller.\r
4. Note to person with Austrian Mother- You should know Oktoberfest begins the 3rd week of September and ends the first week of October so moving it back a few weeks isn't soiling on the event, its the experience, NOT the timing which makes the event unique.\r
5.You all must remember you are in AMERICA NOT GERMANY. EVERYTHING tastes different. If you have every eaten Beef, pork,poultry or seafood in both continents you would know these are raised,farmed, processed and prepared differently and i guarantee if you have ever tried a burrito or Enchilada in France you would know what im talking about. I have yet to find a German Restaurant which even comes close to a REAL German Gasthaus but until im able to go back and load up on their fantastic cuisine ill make do with what these nice people are trying to provide for us here. I spent 6 years in Germany and if any of you know where I may find a steakhouse there which serves up a 24 oz Porterhouse with a loaded baked potato im all ears because you wont find it.
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