Vacations Blog

Chicago's Christkindl Market in Daley Plaza

Gliding down the Magnificent Mile and piling up credit card charges might signal  the start of the  Chicago  holiday season for some but for me, the official launch comes with  the fresh stollen, gingerbread and hot spiced wine of  the Christkindl Market. Considered one of the best German Christmas markets in the world, this open air, month-long event offers a more authentic (and cheaper)  holiday shopping experience.  Inspired by the famous Nuremburg  Christmas Market that started in 1545, the Chicago Christkindl features an official  November 25 launch by Nuremberg’s past Christkindl, a fairy-like character who wears a  shimmering, golden robe with a crown perched atop golden locks. Read More »

German Eats

Maybe it’s the Southern boy in me or the Irish ancestry, but I’m baffled as to why German cuisine isn’t mentioned more. It’s warm, hearty and cheap – the Soul Food of Europe. We managed to get into the well-known Schusterjunge, an excellent jumping off point in Berliner cuisine should you be a first-timer.

[Clockwise]

Solianka (actually, a Russian soup, but popular here…and fantastic)

Tea

Bratwurst w/ roasties and sauerkraut…all in a sausage gravy – insane.

The (in)famous digestive, Jagermeister.

Apple Strudel with custard – went down in about 3 minutes.

Gluewhein…sure, of out season, but they had some left from December. Read More »

My regular readers reader knows that I’ve written once or twice about my home town of Clayton.  Well, I would be dreadfully remiss in my “representin” duties if I did not blog about our annual Oktoberfest.

This year’s Oktoberfest was held on the weekend of September 26-27. Yea, I know. Don’t ask me. I guess all the weekends in October were spoken for. Whatever. In fairness though, that other Oktoberfest actually begins mid-late September, and ends in early October, so I guess we Claytonites just decided to jump right into the middle of the whole brew-ha-ha.  Get it??

*crickets*

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