In a foodie town like Portland, it seems too easy to start almost every Map & Menu post with something along the lines of “this has been one of our favorite go-to establishments for awhile”, but every now and then, it’s exciting to visit somewhere completely new in our own hometown.

Schulte & Herr popped up on our radar very shortly after it opened on Cumberland Ave, since we pass right by it on our way to and from the gym, but for that same reason (going to work out, and coming back from working out), we had never taken the time to drop in for a bite of it’s authentic German cuisine. Recently however, some friends with which we were having brunch, kept going on and on about the delicious meal they’d had at Schulte & Herr, and we decided that we needed to break out of our comfort zone of favorite restaurants, and try something new.

As is the winter tradition with Map & Menu for photos, we arrived early for lunch last week, and excitedly grabbed a table. It took us mere seconds to settle on a starter – the potato pancakes with sour cream and homemade applesauce, and before we knew it, we were fighting over the last one on the otherwise spotless plate. Someone had recommended that Meredith try the spätzle  – more or less a German macaroni & cheese, with egg noodles that are sautéed with caramelized onions, cheese, and chives- and judging by the way she kept going on and on about the dish, I’d say the suggestion was a good one. Her spätzle  came with a side of cucumber salad, not unlike the sour cream & dill dish that my Polish mother sometimes whips up, and I think that I might’ve been guilty of eating more of it than Meredith had the chance to. I went the meaty route, and ordered the bratwurst with sauerkraut and German potato salad. I don’t think it’d surprise you to hear that the German restaurant did a knock-out job on the bratwurst and German potato salad, but my real surprise was the sauerkraut. My previous experiences with sauerkraut had never been pleasant – always over-vinegared, over-capered, and served cold – and I had fully expected to slide it off to the side of the plate, hoping it hadn’t touched the rest of the meal, but the wonderfully warm and tasty bed of sauerkraut that my meal was served over completely re-opened my mind to the side.

Right as the noon rush hit the restaurant, Meredith and I were paying our bill and putting on our coats, but now we’re faced with another problem – we’ve added yet another restaurant to chose from on our Portland go-to list. Such a tasty tragedy!