EDELWEISS (34 East Ramona - between S. Nevada and S. Tejon)

After a mid-morning appointment at Evans Army Hospital, Mike and I wanted to stop somewhere on the south end of Colorado Springs for lunch - you know, one of those places we don't get to very often - but not a chain restaurant. I suggested the Edelweiss - a Bavarian place situated on Ramona Avenue between South Nevada and South Tejon. The building is very German-looking and I know they had done some remodeling in early 2001 to preserve its looks. When you walk into the front, you're immediately transported to southern Germany:  Garmisch, Oberau, Oberammergau, Munich. And the dining room is typical Bavarian hunting lodge style - big fireplace, animal heads around the room, comfortable tables with colorful tablecloths, and big Bavarian blue and white flags.  German, definitely German.

Since the day was nice we opted for their Biergarten - which is one of the best outdoor dining places in Colorado Springs. There is some refuge from the sun, but not so much that you might as well be inside. We immediately ordered a couple of beers, Warsteiner Pilsner for me and a Dunkel for Mike. They came quickly - in big mugs - along with brotchen (bread). As we perused the lunch menu, we enjoyed being outdoors - and back in Germany. 

For lunch, I ordered the jaegerschnitzel - pork (unbreaded) with dark "hunter's" gravy and mushrooms, spatzle and veggies. I'm a sucker for jaegerschnitzel - I just love the gravy! Mike ordered the Cordon Bleu sandwich with potato salad.

Service was very good and our lunches came in short order. While my meal was excellent - the German potato salad that came with Mike's sandwich was the show-stealer of the meal. It was just like Dad (my grandfather Charlie Snyder) used to make.  A bit vinegar-y, a bit sweet, some chunks of potato, some a bit more mashed up.  It was really, really (really) good. They got the seasonings just right on that one.

If you visit the Edelweiss and your meal doesn't come with the potato salad, you'd be wise to ask for a side dish of it - it was that good.  Really!!

After finishing off our lunches and beers, we splurged and got a piece of their sachertorte to share - dark chocolate cake with raspberry jam between the layers, chocolate ganache, and whipped cream garnish on top. It was perfect and I'm glad we just got one piece to share.

All in all - an excellent excursion to southern Germany - without leaving town! Edelweiss - we'll be back!  You're on the Do Again list for us!!