Tastemakers: Schlang‘s Weiner Schnitzel - Big Buck‘s Hefe-Weizen

July 13, 2005

AlpenFest has become the event for Gaylord to celebrate their German/Bavarian/Swiss roots. But this heritage has been celebrated daily since 1945 when the Schlang family, originally from Germany, moved from Detroit and opened a small dining room just outside of Gaylord.
Schlang’s Bavarian Inn quickly built a reputation for its German cuisine and excellent service. While they have the reputation for the best pork chops in the north, don’t overlook the Weiner Schnitzel. The thinly sliced veal is lightly coated in egg wash and Schlang’s special seasoned breadcrumbs. Prepared to perfection, the veal remains very tender, which is a real challenge with this dish. Try it a-la-Holstein (a fried egg over the top).
Schlang’s gives you a few options to accompany the dish but the German fried potatoes with onion and bacon are the perfect fit. Add the fresh warm bread with their homemade whipped butter and fresh herbs (by far the best in the north) and this dinner only needs one more item to make it perfect. Pair this meal with a 2003 St. Charles Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese. This wine is full-bodied, crisp and the aromatic fruit character accents the veal perfectly.
On a sad note, after 40 years of hosting the annual Beer Tent and Bavarian Festival with German bands during AlpenFest, Schlang’s is dropping the event because the new .08 drunk driving law has decreased business in recent years. Sometimes with all the new out there we forget about the old.


BIG BUCK’S
HEFE-WEIZEN

In 1994 Gaylord’s Bill Rolinski was in Colorado, skiing with his family during spring break, and stumbled upon a brewpub. Rolinski, who is not a beer drinker, thought the concept would be great for Gaylord. One year later he opened Big Buck Brewery and Steakhouse.
Now 10 years later Big Buck is still going strong; originally a microbrewery, they switched to a brewpub a few years ago in order to be able to sell wines and spirits at their restaurant. Being a brewpub means they can no longer bottle and sell their beer at stores, so if you want to enjoy any of their handcrafted brews, you must visit them.
This is a great week to do so with AlpenFest in Gaylord and there is no better beer to celebrate than with Big Buck’s German-style Hefe-Weizen. This traditional summer wheat ale has hints of banana, cloves, vanilla and touches of citrus aromas. The brewmaster leaves the beer unfiltered so Big Buck’s Hefe-Weizen has that classic summer wheat look. Order with or without a lemon depending on how much of the citrus flavors you want to draw out. Enjoy with the Blue Crab and Shrimp Cakes or with the Perch dinner. The good news is that brewpub laws include the ability to take home growlers (64 ounce jugs) of your favorite brews, so take a few with you. – Rick Coates