Beyond Berghoff: Traditional German in Chicago
February 27, 2006 | Comments

The Berghoff is closing tomorrow and the Chicago news media has been chock full of "man on the street" interviews where people moan about not knowing where to get good German food in Chicago. If you were relying on this restaurant to serve your German food cravings, their closing might be a turn for the better for you. There are plenty of alternatives, all of them serving better food in a more convivial atmosphere.

The Top Tier
Irving Park, just west of Damen, provides the best one-two punch of German food in the city. Laschet's Inn is a long, narrow bar and restaurant with excellent food and a decent German beer list. Their menu is compact, but the nightly specials really extend it for me. I love to start my meal with their liver dumpling soup (when available) and an order of the perfectly seasoned hackpeter (a German steak tartare).

I always have a hard time ordering an entree at Laschet's. Their schnitzel is crisp and meaty (order it "holsteiner" to get it with a fried egg and capers on top). The roasted veal is moist, rich, and salty in a good way. The konigsberger klopse (veal meatballs with a lemon/caper/butter sauce) is a delicious Saturday night special. Frankly, anything that comes with their perfect spaetzle and red cabbage is a winner. (They also have a surprisingly good fried chicken). Laschet's was awarded a well-deserved LTHForum Great Neighborhood Restaurant Award for 2005. It's got that perfect bit of neighborhood charm that makes you want to be a regular.

Across the street and slightly east of Laschet's is Resi's Bierstube. While they're culinarily a step below Laschet's, in my book, there are a couple places where they shine. Resi's has a superior beer list, a delicious rahmschnitzel (fried pork cutlet in a creamy gravy), terrific boiled pork hocks, and famous potato pancakes. Resi's interior atmosphere is tilted slightly toward the beer-drinker than the serious eater, but the food is quite good. The rear boasts one of the nicer beer gardens in the city.

The Next Tier
If those two aren't enough for you, there's a trio of other places you can try, each with a different benefit. Mirabell on Addison near the Kennedy has a nice bar and decent food. Chicago Brauhaus in Lincoln Square is great for big loud groups, oom-pah music, and dancing. Glunz Bavarian House takes it slightly more upscale with their white tablecloths and quieter atmosphere.

That's five restaurants you can try in the post-Berghoff era, each one with it's own charm and history, each one better than The Berghoff. And that's just the north side of the city. Venturing beyond the city limits will reveal a host of other places like Edelwiess in Norridge and Schnitzel Platz in Glendale Heights (among others).

If that still doesn't work for you, and you're pining for the good old days, head over to The Berghoff Memorial Blog. Although I can't imagine why Laschet's wouldn't make you forget that The Berghoff ever existed.

Check out:

Laschet's Inn
2119 W Irving Park Rd
Chicago
(773) 478-7915
http://www.laschetsinn.com/

Resi's Bierstube
2034 W Irving Park Rd
Chicago
(773) 472-1749

Mirabell Restaurant
3454 W Addison St.
Chicago
(773) 463-1962
http://www.mirabellrestaurant.com/

Glunz Bavarian House
4128 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago
(773) 472-HAUS (4287)
http://www.glunzbavarianhaus.com/

Chicago Brauhaus
4732 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago
773-784-4444
http://www.chicagobrauhaus.com/

Edelweiss Restaurant
7650 W Irving Park Rd
Norridge, IL
(708) 452-6040
http://www.edelweissdining.com/

Schnitzel Platz
729 E. North Ave
Glendale Hts, IL
(630) 942-9900
http://schnitzelplatz.com/

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