There was absolutely no cooking at Crowded Earth Kitchen today. Sorry, folks! No, the stove sat lonely and neglected while we explored Old Town Cologne. Quaint cobblestone streets and a view of the cathedral are accompanied by predictable price inflation in many restaurants, but menus posted along the walkways make it easy to determine which establishments fit within your travel budget. We found a lovely corner café with prices that were a bit of a splurge, but not ridiculously so.
While most patrons chose to sit outside at little sidewalk tables vaguely reminiscent of Paris, I was drawn to the heavy woodwork I spied with a quick glance inside. We settled into a tall corner booth complete with little pillows – a whimsical touch!
My pint size travel companions each ordered a speckpfannkuchen from the “light” menu. Apparently, “light” is a relative term! These egg-rich, butter-laden pancakes were filled with smoked bacon and easily overwhelmed a standard sized dinner plate. My pint size companions barely made a dent in their speckpfannkuchen before they were contentedly full and ready to continue exploring the city.
At risk of betraying my German-American heritage, I will nervously confess that I was all carbed out by lunchtime… one can only indulge in so many bäckerei treats before one needs a break from everything made with flour! I ordered a champignon salat, and it was delicious.
Where I may have failed to order something from the “Top 10 foods to try in Germany,” two of my travel companions pulled through with currywurst. They described this quintessential German sausage as tasting like a mild bratwurst, soft in texture, with a sweet curry sauce accompaniment. Served with pommes frites, this was a picture perfect lunch.
Crowded Earth Kitchen will cook something for you tomorrow, I promise. Right now, we have a city to explore!
Crowded Earth Kitchen 