Food must be on my mind. For the past almost year I’ve been researching classic restaurants for an upcoming book. In doing so, an idea dawned on me for a new BYRT series, “My Favorite Meal,” which features my favorite dish or dishes at restaurants that I love. The first comes from von Trapp Bierhall in Stowe, Vermont. This Austrian themed beer hall’s food is not easily forgotten.
I’ve touted von Trapp here before. I’ve paired its beer with Mozart, ranked it one of my eleven top breweries in the state, and declared it a perfect family-friendly brewery. The beer hall is owned by the von Trapp family who became famous through their portrayal in The Sound of Music. In Stowe they constructed a renowned ski lodge, known as Trapp Family Lodge, with views looking out over the majestic Green Mountains.
Their brewery began about ten years ago, located in a small building that served soup and sandwich-type fare. A few years ago though, they built a state-of-the-art beautiful beer hall with its wooden framed interior and hunting lodge accoutrements such as stuffed animals mounted throughout.
The Appetizer
*Disclaimer- I always order this meal with a flight of four of their beers. Typically I opt for something seasonal such as the Radler in summer or the Oktoberfest in the fall. I also try beers that are harder to obtain outside of the brewery, not sampling their four flagships.
To be super-decadent, I’d start with the Lager Cheese Soup made with their Helles Lager and Cabot cheese. It’s quite amazing, super-rich but not tremendously heavy, and yet oh so cheesy. If I were to order this, I might do so instead of the main dish since I think they’d have to roll me out of there if I were to consume all of the following food (and drink).
My go-to appetizer is the pretzels. Two perfectly baked pretzels are just right for sharing. Doughy with the perfect amount of salt, these Bavarian beauties come with two house mustards, one of the granier and one of the sweeter variety. Try both, they are delicious. For an extra few bucks, make sure to also order the beer cheese. A similar consistency to the above soup, the beer cheese is truly a dip of beauty. Slather the liquid cheese on the pretzel pieces, and don’t worry if you still have mustard or cheese left over. They can be used with the main course.
The Main Course at von Trapp Bierhall
When in Rome do as the Romans do. When in New Haven order pizza. And when in Kansas City eat barbecue. I think you’re getting what I’m putting down. Eat like a local. Maybe Vermont isn’t Austria, although yes, they are both green and mountainous. What von Trapp does though is mix the best of both worlds. They take the traditional Austrian cuisine and use local Vermont farm-fresh ingredients in the form of cheese, meat, veggies, and eggs.
Eat as the Austrians would do. Nothing against wedge salad or salmon, but I’ve been to Austria and I remember sausage. This is one reason why I opt for the three sausage entree of Bratwurst, Knackwurst, and Bauernwurst. The second reason is that it is truly amazing. It comes with more mustard, braised cabbage, and sauerkraut mashed potatoes.
Each bite of this entree is so flavorful. Each sausage has a very different flavor, texture, and appearance, ranging from a classic sausage look to one more reminiscent of a hot dog. Slicing the sausages into smaller pieces, each forkful includes meat, cabbage, and mashed potatoes. All the tastes blend together seamlessly in truly a barrage on the taste buds that won’t soon be forgotten.
Remember I said to keep the leftover beer cheese from the pretzel? Here’s your chance. In addition to the mustard dipping sauces, feel free to use the leftover cheese too. I wouldn’t recommend it on each piece since you want the flavor of each entree bite to shine through on its own.
This dish is large, meaning splitting the pretzel app, and three sausage entree is more than enough. Going splitsies with my wife for this meal, I’m never leaving hungry, but also not overstuffed. If I add the beer cheese soup, that’s another story.
Do yourself a favor and head up to the von Trapp Bierhall in Stowe, Vermont, for a true taste of Austrian awesomeness!
Now I’ve made myself hungry! Do you have a favorite meal at a certain restaurant? Leave it in the comments.
