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| Unimposing outside, delicious inside |
I gotta admit, I’m not a huge fan of Italian food in
Germany. Much of it is trite and
that’s being kind. Like scoping
out the women at Happy Hour, you really have to pick and choose. A bad one will spoil your evening and
maybe your weekend.
More years ago than I care to admit, I lived in a
different Germany. Italian
restaurants were few, but they were good.
In my estimation, proliferation lowered the standards. Fortunately, the better ones are fairly
easy to spot. Parking lots are
full. In good weather, umbrella
topped tables spill out onto the sidewalks and plazas. A dead giveaway: you hear a lot of Italian spoken, and
if you’re aurally challenged, you can go by the waving hands and arms,
synchronized with the moving lips.
There are exceptions to the general rules. I found one traveling through Landstuhl,
on the way to Kinsbach.
At first glance Da Gino’s is unimposing. No outside seating. Looks almost industrial. You could drive right by, and I did, until
some friends let me in on the secret:
Gino runs a special place.
Busy, yet intimate.
Tasteful décor. A stone
oven. A very happy bar. Food that dances on your taste
buds. An atmosphere that
begs for a leisurely meal and warm conversation. Invite several friends. Bring your loved one, or your wife.
Décor, etc can be perfect, but still the main thing is the
food. The second is a good
wine. Da Gino has got ‘em
both. I’ve sucked down the red and
white house wines. Friends have
tried the rosé. All memorable.
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| Bread straight from the stone oven! |
Pizzas from the stone oven look wonderful and the aroma of
fresh tomatoes and melted cheese follows them to your table. Haven’t eaten one, but the crusty pizza
bread Gino serves is so tasty you have to stop yourself. The gnocchi also looks and smells delicious.
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| Gnocchi |
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| The star of the show! |
For me, however, the star of the show is the seafood
salad. Yes, the seafood on the
salad is fried, but don’t let that stop you. Gently fried.
Very lightly breaded, the salmon and white fish filets are tender, not
dry, and the calamari are crisp on the outside and not chewy. Shrimp? Oh, my goodness.
Large. Succulent.
Wash it down with a soft Pinot Grigio, and end the meal with
a dessert, if you dare, or perhaps a snifter of Grappa. Bellissimo!
Been there twice.
Will go again. No arm twisting required. The perfect place for a bevy of friends to chat, drink, and
bolster their Italian appetites.
Buon Appetito!
Kaiserstrasse 79, 66849 Landstuhl, Rhineland-Palatinate,
Germany
+49 6371/914441
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| Gino at work. |
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| The wonderful stone oven. |
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| A glass for every type of thirst. |
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