One of the first posts to appear on this blog was a short review of Zum Gldenen Zopf, a very nice country Gasthaus in nearby Blankenhain. Back then I had promised myself to come back and have a taste of their more creative dishes. My parents, here for Sammis birthday, offered to baby-sit for an evening so Daniela and me used the chance to try the cooking of chef Hendrik Thormeier.
The restaurant (and Hotel) is situated in a charming historic building in the centre of Blankenhain. Beside the entrance a sign shows that the name of the house goes back at least to 1565. The name probably comes from the host at the time, Herr Gldenzopf. Records show that this house was already an inn back then, and remained one, through a few name changes, for a very long time. The actual restaurant-hotel opened in 1997. The dining room itself has a simple but welcoming atmosphere, all in light but warm colours, with pleasing pictures on the wall, some from the chef himself.
The offer has changed somewhat from last time we were here. The number of regional specialities seemed reduced to the advantage of the more creative (or modern if you wish) dishes. We decided to go for the house menu, which sounded quite interesting. Soon afterwards a little dish of carpaccio, very thin beef slices served with rocket and Parmesan shavings, arrived as amuse-bouche. Having seen carpaccio of almost any possible thing, from fish to vegetables, on restaurant menus in the past two years it was a pleasure to taste a well made dish keeping the spirit of the original.
Our starter, shrimp and wolf fish skewer on orange risotto, was quite good except for one detail that influenced on both look and texture of the fish. The fish had been left with what looked like skin or some sort of membrane on, and during cooking this had turned an unattractive grey and proved quite gummy once we bit into it. This was the only mistake from the kitchen for the whole evening. We didnt let ourselves get too worked up about it: the fish and shrimp tasted otherwise good and matched the lightly flavoured risotto very well.
After a short wait we were served our main, pigeon breast on asparagus with mint and honey sauce served with potato krapfen (sorry for the poor photo). We were both really happy with the dish: the pigeon was pink and juicy, the asparagus nicely al dente and what to say about the krapfen apart why only two??!! More more!! Also in this case the chef showed a light touch with the sauce; the honey and mint accompanied the taste of the meat without distracting from it. I would have maybe used a tad less honey and a little less sauce but thats a question of taste. Daniela liked the sauce and thought the amount was fine. Probably the result of our cultural backgrounds: me the sauce-less Italian, and her the sauce-loving German.
Before getting to the sweet a goat cheese topped crouton flavoured with lavender syrup was served. I was quite intrigued from the match as I read about it on the menu. Would it work? Yes, actually very well, thanks to the not too obtrusive lavender aroma. The homemade pickled walnut served with the dish added a nice touch.
The dessert was a nice combination of Italian influences and German ingredients: elderflower pannacotta with a strawberry-rhubarb sauce. I was really impressed with the dish. All the flavours were really clean and worked great with the creamy pannacotta. Im usually not a big fan of elderflower, finding the taste a bit chemical, but I must admit this dish changed my mind.
I was tempted to ask for the wine list, of which I had heard good, to find one or two suitable matches for the dinner but since I had to drive back we limited ourselves to two glasses from the pleasant and convenient open wines selection. Glass is maybe a bit reductive: here youll get a third of a bottle for each open-wine order. For those not wanting to drink too much sharing one order between two people is a good idea.
The service, in the hands of Jacqueline Zaubitzers, was friendly, confident and unobtrusive. She was always ready for an explanation regarding any of the menu dishes or available for a wine suggestion. I wish Id find service of this kind more often. The same goes for the prices. Not many places I know of offer a similar menu for only 25 Euros.
At the end we were both really happy about the meal. Zum Gldenen Zopf does what it promises very well. Food quality, service and price make this a very good address. As we where driving home I couldnt avoid comparing this place to Jenas finest: Scala and Schwarzer Br. All three are graded 14/20 in the 2004 German Gault-Millau but I find this judgment a bit unfair. Scala has a different focus (more creative, a more exclusive atmosphere and prices and formal service) so it is hard to compare the two. Still Id chose Gldenen Zopf any day between the two: eating here is much more enjoyable. Schwarzer Br doesnt IMO deserve the score it gets and is inferior to both Scala and Zopf.
As we left, I felt a bit angry. Why with the nice food, great prices and friendly service, was the dining room (on a Saturday night!) almost empty? I dont know if any of the readers of this blog come from the neighbourhood, but if you do, give this place a try. And if you like it, spread the word. Im quite sure this place deserves more recognition.
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