Speisekammer--Alameda (German cuisine)

Located at 2424 Lincoln Avenue, Speisekammer has been providing tasty German food since 2002, and has been one of my favorite restaurants for the last few years now. Not only because of the food, but also because of the fun experience with live music and events every week. They have a bar area in the front and a dining area in the back with large wood slab tables that make you feel like you're in mid-century Germany.

Their beer selection is consistent and includes (pictured below) Asam Bock, a richly-flavored dark beer. Also one of my favorite food selections is the Semmelknödel mit Pilzrahmsoße, 2 Bread Dumplings made with bacon served with a mushroom sauce. Unfortunately, I gobbled them up before remembering to take a photo. These balls of goodness are moist and full of flavor. My entree below is their Braised Wild Boar (one of their daily specials). A hearty portion of tender pieces of boar with a surprisingly tasty potato/carrot gratin and a side of Spätzle (German pasta).

One of their specialties is their Spätzle. They even include a whole meal of it in their version of Mac and Cheese. Except this one is called Gratinierte Kasespätzle, which is Spätzle baked with caramelized onions, parmesan & cheddar cheeses. Perhaps a bit of carb overload, but very comforting.

Bread pudding is one of my favorite desserts, and they make it very well. Moist with a crispy top and served with a warm vanilla sauce, this dessert is lightly sweet and has just the right texture and flavor to make for a perfect ending.

I would recommend reservations if going on a weekend, but they are also open for lunch and offer gluten-free options.

The Vine--Fremont

There's finally a nice place for brunch in Fremont. I gave The Vine a visit with my book club ladies on a Saturday morning and found the place utterly cute and delightful; and serving tasty food. Located at 37533 Niles Blvd., The Vine just opened in July of 2010, offer dishes made from local ingredients and strive to provide a cozy, comfortable atmosphere for their diners with indoor or outdoor seating. The Vine also serves lunch and dinner, which I will be sure to experience at a later date.

For a look at their web site, visit: http://www.thevineinniles.com/

Pictured below is my Guava Mama (guava mimosa) and my Southern Waffles (made with sweet potatoes). The mimosa was crisp and generous and my waffles were soft in the middle and slightly toasty on the outside. Just how I like them.

  

This is their Berry Pancakes. Made with ricotta cheese, they were fluffy and moist.



They also have Chilaquiles on the menu. Served with house-fried sun dried tomato and blue corn tortilla chips, this dish was savory and satisfying.



Niles is a quaint little neighborhood in Fremont with an old fashioned train station (fully equipped with a real train that works) for the kids and boutique and antique shops for the grown ups. It's a nice place to spend a weekend morning after enjoying a wonderful meal.

UPDATE: I went to The Vine for happy hour one night as well as dinner this evening and I was amazed at their other offerings.

How can one go to happy hour without having a drink? So I started off with a pint of one of their local beer selections (unpictured). Then the procession of snacking began.

I couldn't resist their Sweet Potato Tater Tots and just had to have them. They were hot out of the fryer, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Served with a pot of candied bacon aioli, which tasted like a mixture of melted butter, brown sugar and a bunch of chopped up bits of cooked bacon. This was a nice way to start the evening of indulgence.



Next was the Bacon-wrapped Hot Dog. This all-beef dog was housed in a toasted bun with fresh baby spinach, bits of bacon and an excellent jalapeno jelly that had a nice balance of sweet and heat. The garlic-parmesan fries it came with were quite tasty as well. Definitely a good drinking snack.

The grand finale was The Vine Burger. I'm not surprised that some version of this burger is on their brunch, lunch, happy hour and dinner menues. This put the stamp on artery-clogging heaven on a plate. This particular one was their brunch version. A thick sausage/beef patty is cooked until perfectly juicy and then placed, open-faced, on a fried patty of mashed potatoes (???), then topped with caramelized onions, melted jack cheese, bacon and a fried egg. Wow.

For my dinner visit, my friend and I started off with a pitcher of The Vine Sweet Tea with Soju, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice. It was not too sweet and not too tart. Very refreshing.

As a healthy starter, we opted to share the Arugula Salad with Medjool dates, feta cheese and a light coating of honey-curry vinaigrette. This was a hefty portion of fresh arugula, plump and sweet dates and lightly tangy feta cheese. Very nice.

For the first entree, the November special, Pumpkin Gnocchi, sounded good. This dish had wonderfully al dente plump little gems of gnocchi with a very light and savory cream sauce, sauteed kale and topped with toasted pine nuts and parmesan cheese. So good.

Next was the Blackened Salmon with leek, white bean, spinach and andouille sausage saute. The fish was nicely charred and flaky and the saute was savory as well as sweetened lightly with brown sugar. Very tasty.

Once I heard bread pudding was on the dessert menu, I had to try it. Bread pudding is one of my favorite desserts (if done well) and I was hoping this one would be good. It wasn't the best bread pudding I've had (I prefer more crustiness and less liquid), but it deserves a mention since they put bacon in it. That was a nice addition and it wasn't too sweet.

Since The Vine is one of the best restaurants for brunch, lunch, happy hour or dinner within a 15 minute drive from my house, I'm sure I will return again and again. Until next time.