[Duran Duran, "Hungry Like the Wolf."]Our office is located in a sort of corporate park in the suburbs of Frankfurt. There are not a lot of good dining options here, which is why I was so excited that a new place opened up today. More on that in a bit. First, though, a brief summary of the other options.
The Sandwich Place. Not it's real name and I'm not certain whether it even has signage. It's kind of like a grungy Subway; "eat fresh" is not their motto. Still, it's not bad and is a nice change from some of the other options, but requires a seven minute walk or so to the other end of the corporate park. There are a few tables so you can eat on the premises.
Mediterraneo. This is an Italian place across the street from the building and which is visible from my office window (unlike Russia, which I hear can be seen from some kitchen windows). It's a sit-down establishment and there's an older Italian waiter who flirts with me when I go in and teases me about my German, which I actually kind of enjoy. They serve a mean gnocchi sorrentino and I rarely vary from that. However, it's a bit time-consuming for most days and the cost would add up.
The Best Wurscht in Town. I have not been to this place because it doesn't appear that they would serve something that doesn't contain pork products. Nevertheless, it fascinates me. It is an old Airstream camper that is permanently set up at the corner here with a window cut into the side. Classy, yet interesting from a kitsch perspective. There are high tables (like you'd have at a cocktail hour) in an area near the table where you can stand and eat your wurscht. I particularly found it interesting to watch people bundled up to the max during the winter, but calmly eating their wurscht outside in the cold.
Beyond. You're probably wondering the same thing as I do each time I go there -- "Beyond what?" I don't have an answer for that, but it may have to do with their dual venue setup. When you walk in, there is a low-budget kind of cafe that has a few specials each day, like chili, quiche, or an Asian item. Nothing particularly exciting and there are only a few tables for eating inside, though outdoor seating is now available with the sunny spring weather. If you wander "beyond" the seating area, though, there is a staircase going upstairs to an unmarked area. That is the restaurant portion of Beyond. Like Mediterraneo, the food is good but would add up if you ate there every day and service is kind of slow. What fascinates me most is that they have a collection of wooden nameplates that they place on tables to reserve them. There is also a generic one with the firm's name, but I want to know what I have to do to get a Preuscher name block.
Sushi Mobile. This is a weird little truck with a cabin on the back where someone apparently serves up some bento boxes of sushi. I've seen it parked in two different places on the walk to the sandwich place. I am not certain whether they move to keep away from dissatisfied customers or what the deal is. There's something about mobile sushi, though, that just strikes me as, dare I say, fishy?
Williams Crepe. This is the little brick-red building featured in the photo above. It is as small as it looks. Like a double-wide garden shed you might have in your back yard. If you go during lunch, it is just packed inside (and with a line out the door) with people waiting for their custom-ordered crepes, both of the sweet and entree varieties. I am a big fan of their Mexican crepe. Lots of chicken, some lettuce, some sort of cheese, and they put a quite spicy sauce on it. Yum!! I can never eat the whole thing. There are two things that fascinate me about this place. First, as you may not be able to see from the small picture, there is seating on top of the place. There is a metal staircase on the left hand side and you just go on up and hope there's an empty place. There usually is not. They also have little blankets up there for when it's cold, which I have seen at other places here and find quite charming. (No blankets spotted outside the Airstream.) Additionally, there is some sort of oven or other cooking facility that is behind the building. One day as I was walking up the staircase, one of the employees (there are only three, which is crowded in their cooking area) was rounding the corner with a pot of apparently just-out-of-the-oven roasted chicken. Hmmm.... I'm not sure how I feel about food in the great out-of-doors before I have the chance to take it there.
Mann Mobilia. Yes, this is the same Mann Mobilia where I have purchased items of furniture and which will be delivering my closet system one of these days. On the fourth floor, they have a cafe/restaurant that reminds me of an upscale IKEA cafe without the lingonberries. You have to drive a short ways to get there, but it's a nice change of pace when you want to get out of the office. (And it provides an excellent view of the nearby KFC -- yes, of the Colonel Sanders KFCs) -- in case you weren't able to smell that grease a mile away.) Based on the experience of one of my colleagues, I would NOT recommend the all-you-can-eat buffet. Some things are suspect no matter where you are in the world.
So today, we got a new place. Thai Time. It is the deluxe (nearly triple-wide) whitish shed also featured in the photo above. It is slightly more spacious than creperie with a full galley kitchen on the back wall and a little bit more space inside where you can stand and eat. It's a rather extensive menu for such a small place. I ordered something that sounded interesting with chicken. I realized later that it also had small sea creatures in it -- shrimps, I think. Dirty sea pig! Otherwise, it was relatively good. They are generous with their fortune cookies, which are in English on one side and German on the other. It is perhaps a good thing I waited to open mine until the end of the meal as it noted, "You should strengthen your immune system." At least it didn't say digestive system....
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