Looking for Stuttgart restaurant recommendations
 

Would like to sample local specialties. Any recommendations?

For local specialties any of the restaurants in Stuttgart would be ok, as long as they as they aren't the chain kind that is the same the world over.

It's been a while since I was back in Stuttgart, where I grew up, but I fondly remember a restaurant whose name I can't remember, but it was on the Koenig Strasse, the main pedestrian area downtown. Coming from the Hauptbahnhof (rail road station), on the left, immediately before you come to the Neu Castle. Their food was wonderful and they were reasonable.

Hotel Marquart, across from the new castle, is excellent, but on the expensive side.

Try the Spaetzle and Sauerbraten. :-) That is about as Southern German as it gets. Apple strudel for dessert.

Well, Sauerbraten is a specialty from the Rheinland, not southern Germany, but if they have it on the menu you may try it (I have never eaten Sauerbraten in a restaurant which was even half as good as homemade sauerbraten - although it is easy to prepare).

Schwäbische Spezialitäten are:

- warmer Kartoffelsalat (warm potatoe salad)
- Maultaschen (kind of giant ravioli)
- Ochsenmaulsalat (cold beef salad)
- Wurstsalat (sausage salad)
- Spätzle (fresh noodles)
- Käsespätzle (with cheese)
- Spätzle mit Linsen (with lentils - not everybody's cup of tea)
- Schupfnudeln (potatoe noodles)
- Flädle (thin pancake strips, often served in soups)
- Filderkraut (kind of sauerkraut, made of pointed cabbage)

All in all, schwäbische Küche is not exactly gourmet cuisine. The Schwaben are extremely parsimonious and do not spend their money on food - but rather for a Mercedes.

Oh, I forgot desserts.

Applestrudel is from Austria, typical for Schwaben would be:

- Ofenschlupfer (kind of bread pudding with sliced apples)
- Kirschmichel (kind of baked pudding with cherries)
- Pfitzauf (souffle, served with fruit and vanilla custard)
- Beignets (apple doughnuts)

Everything mentioned above sounds delicious.

Here's my Stuttgart trip report:

RESTAURANTS:

ARCHE:
Informal place to eat under the restaurant’s front awning across the street from the well known Markthall (must see for foodies) on Stiftstrasse. Very popular in the evening for good value dinner dishes with indoor & outdoor seating (great for less smoky environment). The mediterranean waiters may need polishing on their waiting & communication skills, but food quality is solid for the price. I ate here alone in my first evening but the place was so loud. The tables around mine were full of Eastern Europeans speaking their own languages, I felt like I was in Eastern Europe. I'm sure it was just a fluke.
Food:
Zwiebelrostbraten 8.50 euro(I've had plenty better Rostbraten with fried onion topping in Berlin).
Maultaschen 6 euro (wonderful giant German tortellini stuffed with meat in broth ).
Great place for those who are craving for good, inexpensive STEAKS (13-18 euro) which I didn’t try.


FRANSISKANER at the Markthalle:
Two level outdoor terrace restaurant, great for people watching just outside of the Markthalle entry, right across the street from the Arche. Properly attired German waiters seemed to provide better service even though restaurant was busier and more hectic than the Arche. Prices are similar as at the Arche but it draws a lot more people for many reasons.
Food: fantastic Geschmelzte Maultaschen (caramelized onion sauce) , Kaesespaetzle (pasta with cheese as a classic comfort food. I tasted the local Weinschorle & Apfelbirnenmost(apple pear juice with alcohol) which were just OK. I'd rather enjoy the Trollinger-Lemberger cuvee wine over the light bodied Dornfelder wine, but it's actually a place for beer. Our table was so jammed together with the neighbors’, we could hear everything they said that eventually we had a friendly chat with them.

AMADEUS:
Direct entry from Dorotheenstr or from Kalrplatz through an arched entry into a building courtyard. Nice atmosphere for indoor seating but also has a large outdoor terrace seating inside the building courtyard.
Food: Swabian Maultaschen, Zwiebelrostbraten, Thai noodle with coconut. I didn’t eat any but stopped for a beer instead.
A nice place for a Sunday brunch amidst the locals.

And in case you are interested in entertainment after dinner, nightlife in Stuttgart is lively especially on Fri & Sat.
Here's my report:

STOCK 1: A couple people from my conference took me to the Erste Stock on Stein street, small bar venue on the erste Stock (translates to second floor in the US) where they had an incredibly good English rock band singing original songs, but it was too crowded to be comfortable (wall to wall people). I would’ve never found this club entryway, it’s right next to an entry to a local swinger’s club, good thing they knew where they were going.

HOLLANKE : This is a place that we escaped to after the rock band, it’s strictly a coffee/hot chocolate/espresso bar with soothing live jazz vocal music sung by the resident beautiful singer.

RENITENZ Theatre: German comedy & chanson, served hard liquor, wine & soda with small round tables set in 4 rows around a nice semi circular stage below a restaurant.

STIFTSKIRCHE Evening Performances: saw a fantastic choir group performance from Freiburg as part of an evening concert series at the Stuttgart‘s main church. I didn’t expect to enjoy it that much till I heard their voice from heaven, I was glued to the hard wooden bench.

LOUNGE BARS/CLUBS row along Theodor Heussstrasse (south of Buschnerstrasse): lively students hangout. Some have bouncers to prevent overcrowding (indoor outdoor seating) . I wished I could stop for a drink because they look like a lot of fun.