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Home » Oktoberfest in Georgia’s ‘Little Germany’

Oktoberfest in Georgia’s ‘Little Germany’

October 3, 2016 19 Comments


German Schnitzel

Delicious, Authentic German Schnitzel!

Germans really are great cooks with a delicious cuisine!  I never really knew this before my husband and I visited the little German mountain village in Georgia, named “Helen“.  There are just too few German restaurants to allow us to experience the delicious way in which their dishes are prepared.

Since October is the official month for celebrating the German Oktoberfest, I thought I’d take you to the closest similarity to Germany that I could.  About four hours away from us in the northeastern corner of Georgia is this little German town (well it is really quite a fake German town actually) that engaged in a marketing campaign to increase tourism to this mountain town.  To achieve this goal, every building exterior was converted to resemble old-style German architecture.

The strategy worked and Helen is a tourist trap extraordinaire.

But my husband and I visited during the week and not on the weekend when the crowds arrive.  This made a huge difference in the experience satisfaction scale.  An annual month-long Oktoberfest takes place and hotels fill up very early in advance.

So you my be asking, why would two people like ourselves, who try to enjoy the quiet, pastoral life on an acreage, venture off to a Blue Ridge Mountain town filled with bumper-to-bumper traffic and hundreds of beer-drinking, motor cycle riding tourists?

Well, for one thing, we went there in the high heat of August when the temperature in the mountains is quite literally 10 degrees cooler than in South Carolina.

And in August, I’ll take 90 degrees over 100 degrees any day!

We found an inexpensive lodge tucked far away from the noise that had a freezing air conditioner unit and an equally freezing outdoor pool for me to swim in daily.  It was marvelous!

Just what the Southern heat doctor ordered!

So we thought, ‘what the heck, we’ve never been there, so let’s go check it out’.  And truly the key to enjoying Helen, is to get the heck out of Dodge and stay on the outskirts of town.

From our lodge, we ventured in only a few times to ‘get our fill’ of what the town had to offer and were really quite pleasantly surprised.  It truly was hotter than “h—-“, so we spent as little time as possible outdoors on concrete sidewalks (other than in the swimming pool and sitting by the mountain stream rushing by our room).

So here’s my little pictorial tour of our experience of Germany in Georgia for Oktoberfest!

“Willkommen“ means ‘welcome’ in German (I’m sure that you knew that though) and this greeting was scrolled over the entrance to a marvelous, wonderful, delicious, quaint little 10-table German eatery called “The Vines”.  This is where I tasted my very first bite of authentically prepared German food.  My husband is part German, but his family never prepared German fare.  As a result he had absolutely no idea what he was about to put in his mouth.  All he was familiar with was German Apple Strudel; but there was much more to be had in this little restaurant . . . oh so much more that my tummy expanded 3 sizes in one sitting!

The Vines restaurant is on the first level of the Edelweiss Country Inn (about 6 rooms are upstairs) located in Sautee, Georgia, just a few miles drive south of Helen.  Check out the web-site to see some lovely photos!  This little establishment embraces the philosophy and sensibility of using locally grown, seasonal and sustainably harvested ingredients in their simple farm-fresh-to-table agrarian cuisine.  Only brunch and dinner are served, including a “Tyrolean Farmers’ Breakfast” with potato pancakes, sausages, fried potatoes, “Schnitzel ala Holstein”, and other Alpine dishes from Germany for those guests who lodge upstairs and come down with large appetites!

We chose to go to The Vines for dinner because it truly is their major attraction.  For appetizers, we began with “Smoked Salmon Potato Pancakes with Creme Fraiche”.  For our entrees, each of us chose a traditional ‘Schnitzel’ with potato dumplings.  Schnitzels are truly Germany’s most famous food specialty, which are flattened slices of veal that are breaded and fried.  For dessert we shared a decadent apple strudel creation that left us waddling out the door.  We highly recommend this restaurant, although the menu has become decidedly more French and Italian and very minimally German.  When we spoke to the owner/manager, he told us that he was going to make this change due to consumer preferences and therefore, you won’t find the “Schnitzel” on the menu any longer.  That is truly sad, because what we tasted in the town of Helen was extremely poor in comparison.

*NOTE:  Since the original posting date of this blog post, the restaurant and inn have both sadly closed.

Wine is becoming a major player in the Georgia mountains and the vineyards are beginning to receive national recognition.  Here is a map and list of the growing number of vineyards to visit, sample and purchase local wine and a link to Georgia’s Wine Country, a tiny version of Napa Valley.  German wine offers some of the best varietals for pairing with Thanksgiving turkey, such as Gewurztraminer, a white wine with subtle fruit flavors.  Along with Rieslings, you can’t go wrong with a delicious German wine at this time of year for a fall picnic of artisanal bread and cheese!
 
Just a few snapshots of the quaint German and Alpine (faux) architecture in town.
 
Since I’m a gardening fanatic, I had to take photos of the lush landscaping
that was meticulously taken care of.
 
The buildings had a lot of three-dimensional adornment depicting German life.
I thought they were darling and made the town more quaint.
.
The shops are filled with imported German products and crafts,  such as meticulously carved cuckoo clocks.
The store windows are filled with enticing items to tempt you inside.
 
 
 

And then there was this most incredible candy and chocolate factory called “Hansel and Gretel” where the most silky-smooth, melt-in-your-mouth, richly decadent slab fudge is made fresh daily.  The fudge is prepared in loaves that are cut into half pound chunks.  Together hubby and I easily put down a pound while there.  As I said, plan on gaining some weight in this little town.  This chocolate shop also has mail order available to take care of your your cocoa cravings.

and what would a visit (although not authentic) to Germany be without a few beers?
 
. . . even if it’s with a few painted pals on a mural!
There’s my wonderful husband on the right (below).
 
Can’t you just see the “German” in him?  (He’s mostly Scottish though!)
.
 
One other restaurant that I wanted to point out and highlight which also receives high praise is “Hofer’s Bakery and Cafe“.   This place is located in the hustle and bustle of downtown Helen, so expect traffic on the weekends when the bikers and other tourists swarm in.  There is also a new ‘biergarten’ (Bavarian beer garden) on site.
 
If you are like us, and go to Hofer’s for breakfast, expect to stand in line BEFORE the cafe opens; it is that popular.  This little place has been voted the #1 best bakery in Atlanta and NE Georgia combined.  Wow!  When you enter the door, you are teased by the bakery’s German pastry showcase that you can’t pass up!  There are also numerous German grocery items that are already canned or packaged to take a little bit of Germany home with you from your visit.
 
 
(photo above is from Hofer’s web-site and not my own)
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Once seated, a German menu like no other that I’ve ever seen is presented.  Listed are dishes such as “schwarzwald”, “jagershnitzel”, “apfelkkuechle”, Belgian waffles, goulash, more “schnitzels”, German pancakes, European pastries, Black Forest and German Chocolate cakes, apple strudels and other Bavarian delights!  Just check out the menu on the website and see if you can pronounce the German names!  There you’ll find just a tease of the German specialty breads and pastries baked at Hofer’s.  Can you say “wendelsteiner landbrot, schinkenbrot, sauerteigbrot and sonnenblumenbrot” three times without getting tongue tied?  This is truly German food!  One last comment about Hofer’s:  where in the U.S. can you sit down and read German magazines mailed directly to the States . . . but they are all written in German, so if you don’t know the language, you just have to look at the pictures!

On our last evening in Helen, my German husband was in the mood for just a simple pizza.  We had some fabulous pizza at a place called Bigg Daddy’s Tavern and Music Club that has its own vegetable and herb garden outside.  The fresh-from-the garden Margherita Neapolitan pizza with fresh basil and tomatoes was out of this world.  The beer selection, as you can imagine, is huge and extensive.  Anthony Bourdin of “No Reservations” food show has also patronized this pub.  On any day besides Friday and Saturday when the bikers take over the place, we give this little place a high thumb’s up.

In addition to the food and wine of Helen, there is a community theatre, an original and still operating grist mill where you can purchase wonderful stone-ground grits and flours, some antique stores, hiking trails, white water rafting outfitters, a folk-art pottery museum and more.

If you’re still in need of more German spaetzle, red cabbage, sauerkraut or strudels to take home with you from Helen, plan to stop at the famous Betty’s Country Store full of gourmet specialties that will make your foodie heart sing like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music!  (They also have mail-order services for hard-to-find German delicacies).

Happy Oktoberfest!  Auf Wiedersehen!
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Reader Interactions

 

I read each and every comment and respond to questions asap, so ask away!  As I always say, “If you’ve made a recipe, please take a photo and I’ll be happy to share your experience and photo of the recipe with all of us in this blog community!”

The kindness of giving a thumbs up 5-star rating is greatly appreciated!

~ Roz

Comments

  1. ....Petty Witter says

    October 20, 2010 at 6:25 AM

    I saw your blog mentioned on Boonie’s site, read Little Germany and knew I had to visit. We love Germany and especially the Christmas markets so I was delighted to read your post. Nice to meet you, I’ve enjoyed my visit.

    Reply
  2. My Carolina Kitchen says

    October 20, 2010 at 7:35 AM

    Wow, you captured Helen beautifully. We don’t live very far from there, so we’ll definitely have to go sometime soon.

    Our last name is Hoffer (and extra F) and we’ll be sure have to eat at the Hofer bakery cafe.
    Sam

    Reply
  3. Kim says

    October 20, 2010 at 8:01 AM

    Roz – Thanks for sharing your visit with us. I can see why the town of Helen is so well-loved by tourists (or anyone for that matter). The German and Alpine architecture is so charming. It looks like one of those places where you can forget about everything else and fall in love with your surroundings. Glad you all had a great time!

    Reply
  4. Pegasuslegend says

    October 20, 2010 at 8:11 AM

    There’s nothing like capturing the beauty of wonderful lands around the world some of us will never have to the pleasure to visit, this was an awesome post, I will probably never get to Germany, the closest I have been to is Epcot in Orlando lol….this is beautiful!

    Reply
  5. Jennifurla says

    October 20, 2010 at 12:22 PM

    Very cool, love all the color and detail.

    Reply
  6. Melynda says

    October 20, 2010 at 4:09 PM

    I love the tour! It looks like you had a great time, thanks for sharing. It is fun to see other little “German towns” in America, and yes I too am German.

    Reply
  7. Mary at Deep South Dish says

    October 20, 2010 at 4:16 PM

    Well, touristy or not, great pictures Roz!! I didn’t realize that your hubby was German.

    Reply
  8. Brenda says

    October 20, 2010 at 8:26 PM

    Oh it looks lovely! My daughter recently got back from spending almost a month in Germany, I’ll have to show her your post.

    Reply
  9. Bridgett says

    October 20, 2010 at 8:36 PM

    Bella Roz, your photos are stellar and really show the beauty of such a place. How lucky to have visited! I think you really captured the spirit enough to tell us this story. Wonderful!

    Reply
  10. All Our Fingers in the Pie says

    October 20, 2010 at 8:43 PM

    What an unusual little place! Very interesting. Thanks for the visit.

    Reply
  11. A Feast for the Eyes says

    October 20, 2010 at 11:30 PM

    I really liked the Bavarian decor building. Then again, that’s where my true German roots come from. You’ve gotta love a good schnitzel. Potato dumplings…mmmmm. My husbands has fallen in-love with my German recipes, though he’s from the Midwest. What a charming area you went to visit! I wish we had something like that where I live.

    Reply
  12. Carol says

    October 21, 2010 at 4:18 PM

    the Hubz and I have gone to Helen for years. We found renting a cabin through blue Ridge cabin rentals was the best fit for us. Most are away from town and very quiet. We also loved visiting Lake Burton and Lake Burton Gallery there. They have the most beautiful hard to find,, red pottery. Great pictures.

    Carol-the gardener

    Reply
  13. Julie says

    October 21, 2010 at 9:24 PM

    What an absolutely gorgeous place to visit. I’d love to go there!!

    Reply
  14. Leanne says

    October 21, 2010 at 10:07 PM

    Such wonderful, colorful, lively photos! I love Oktoberfest, and felt like I was traveling right along with you! (By the way, Edelweiss was playing in my head the whole time!)

    Reply
    • Roz says

      August 31, 2013 at 4:39 PM

      Oh thank you so much Leanne! It truly was a fun time, sort of Disney-like, but a nice little weekend escape!

      Reply
  15. Healthy Mamma says

    October 22, 2010 at 1:01 PM

    What gorgeous photos! It looks like such an amazing place to visit and play and especially eat!
    I’m so thrilled that I came across your blog! I have “Bella Vita” scrolled on the wall in my foyer.
    look forward to reading more of your posts!

    Reply
  16. Sara @ brevlle smart oven says

    August 27, 2011 at 1:48 AM

    Love your pictures. Brought back memories of reading the Hansel and Gratel story book. Really enjoyed this. Thanks.

    Reply
  17. Kathleen Kelly says

    October 3, 2016 at 2:50 PM

    I am Irish but love German food! How awesome would this be? Thanks for sharing your experience, love the pictures!

    Reply
    • Roz | La Bella Vita Cucinagi says

      December 30, 2016 at 10:56 PM

      Thanks so much for stopping by, Kathleen with your nice comment! It’s time again for us to head back up into the Georgia mountains to experience a ‘little bit’ of Germany again. Some of the authentic restaurants have ‘sadly’ closed down due to lack of demand and/or appreciation, so we hope to find some other great German restaurants again during our next visit! Happy 2017 to you!
      Roz

      Reply

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Ciao, I'm Roz!
From my family's kitchens and restaurants in the U.S. and Italy, I share classic, delicious recipes . . . and always served with 'amore'! I'll help you master the art of cooking with easy to follow instructions and cooking tips. Get ready for the compliments! Buon Appetito!

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