The Challenge

"In Love" means to be infused with, or to feel deep affection or passion. Therefore I think it's safe to say that I am in love with food. When dining out the anticipation of the appetizer is almost too much to bear. I walk into the restaurant taking in all the lingering aromas from the kitchen while scoping out the coziest corner to dine. Then the moment of truth arrives and it's time to partake of the offerings of the establishment and I open my mind before my mouth as it guarantees a better experience. I dig in aggressively, taking a big first bite instead of one of those dainty nibbles as I am intent on getting a true experience of the dish. If my mouth and mind approves I sit back and chew really slowly, daring the flavors to linger on my tongue. A variety of the best dishes usually end up on my plate at home. My personal dare is to recreate the masterpiece in the take away bowl in the fridge. I have been challenging my sense of smell and taste for years in this way and it has helped me master many dishes I use regularly in my catering service.

This blog was born after I read an article about the diversity of my borough Queens. It has been reported to be the most diverse place in the U.S. That got my brain and belly going immediately as I realized how many different cuisines there must be out there that I haven't tried. It is a life long dream of mine to taste food from as many countries as I can. Imagine my excitement to find that just about half of those countries were represented in my own backyard. The quest now is to find a restaurant serving authentic ethnic cuisine and savor the city that I now love so much more.

The Challenge:
1)Locate an establishment that serves up the most authentic food from a country or region on my list and taste as much on the menu as I can.
2)Write a review that includes pictures and all, telling the story of my total experience.
3)This is where you come in. For every four (4) reviews posted, I will ask you the readers to select one menu you would like to have me recreate. It will be my challenge to diligently and carefully cook the dish that you've chosen that best mirrors the experience.

Come with me on a fantastic and fun journey of cultures and flavors as I taste my way through countries and regions all represented in the best city on earth...Queens.

The German Rescue

The plan for the evening was to dine at a Polish restaurant. The plan didn’t quite go as planned. Shauna and I scoured Glendale for almost 2 hours in search of our next meal to no avail. Then, just when we were about to give up hope, we came across Zum Stammtisch. We were rescued from our hunger.

Located at 69-46 Myrtle Avenue, Zum Stammtisch is convenient as it's right in front of a bus stop. This will make things much easier when we’re too stuffed to even dream of walking. As we entered the German restaurant an attendant quickly found us seats and presented us with our menus. We really felt as though we were in Germany. The lighting created a nice ambiance and the décor was cohesive, with architecturally ornate fixtures and an assortment of animal heads, hung to add a rugged lodge feel. Soon after we were greeted by our lovely waitress, Nerina, who we thought added to the authentic charm of the restaurant. We explained to her who we were and what we were doing and she happily assisted us by making some very good suggestions on our meal and beverages.

We started off with the beer. Yes, this is definitely a manly kind of restaurant. We had the Warsteiner Pilsner and the House Special. Neither Shauna nor myself are beer drinkers but we were pleasantly surprised at the suggested glassed selections. The House Special was mild and refreshing. The Warsteiner Pilsner was a bit more potent and a tad sweeter.

Next, were the appetizers. Shauna had the Goulash Soup and I had the Herring in Cream Sauce. The Goulash Soup was wonderful. It was a rich, hearty seasoned tomato based stew-like soup with chucks of beef that left you more than satisfied. The Herring in Cream Sauce was equally great. The herring was steamed to perfection, drowned in a dressing that tasted like it was sour cream based and garnished with lettuce, parsley, cucumbers and onions. It makes for quite the treat for the taste buds.

It was time for the entrées. After a bit of a wait we were served with our main course. Shauna had the Breaded Pork Chops and I had the Sauerbraten. The Breaded Pork looked amazing. It was browned to perfection, garnished with lemons, parsley and apple sauce and also came with fried potato pancakes and red cabbages. The Sauerbraten was beef covered in a sweet and sour sauce accompanied by dumplings. Everything was pretty ok. Both meats were a bit bland in taste and the Sauerbraten beef was a bit to tender for my taste. Also, the dumplings tasted as if the were made with mashed potatoes of the powered variety.

The evening ended on a good note, however. For dessert we treated ourselves to the Strudel ala Mode, an apple strudel served with vanilla ice cream. We were stuffed but we made room for this delicious treat; a great way to end the night.

Despite a few mishaps with the entrées, our evening at Zum Stammtisch went very well. Our server, the beers, appetizers and dessert were great, and everything was very well presented. The pricing isn’t bad either. The grade for this location is a B. Zum Stammtisch is definitely worth the visit.