European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 8, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Is Nick d Amario the hotel Erb Prinz in Ettlinger near Karlsruhe has one of West Germany s most highly rated restaurants. German restaurants discovering Michelin stars among the schnitzel by Serge Schmemann new York times the paprika sauce said the luncheon guest in Munich dropping his voice an glancing around is of a thin  his companion nodded. The Rabbit is not very exciting he whispered. Such talk would normally inspire a sarcastic quip especially in a land where culinary thrills More often Are measured in bursts and schnitzel. But this time a reporter eating lunch with the critical pair Felt a tinge of conspiratorial excitement. Suppressing his naive conclusion that the food was great he glanced at the maitre d hotel who was sharing a joke by the door with two waiters. If he Only knew. Perhaps he could have guessed not Many German executives discuss the menu at length or order four courses at lunch. But nothing else in their dress or Demeanour suggested that Jochen Jentsch and Alfred Bercher were anything More than a pair of travelling salesmen stroking a wavering client or maybe milking the expense account. In reality they Are inspectors for Michelin s red guide to West Germany an annual listing of hotels and restaurants by the French tire manufacturer. The guide s stars Are often considered the single most important measure of excellence for european restaurants. Jentsch and Bercher were in the Middle of a two week inspection tour of Munich where French cuisine established its German beachhead in the 1920s in the kitchens of the celebrated Alfred Walterspiel. Munich s legendary passion for steins of Beer and boiled Weissburst has not abated to be sure but its new wealth and old love of High living have kept the City at the forefront of West Germany s growing appetite for Fine food. The Michelin inspection underscored just How Well and quickly that appetite has been sated. It was there in 1979 that the austrian chef Eckard Witzigmann a disciple of Walterspiel and of Paul Bouse of France created the country s first three Star restaurant aubergine where he still presides. Witzigmann s arrival in Munich in 1972, sponsored by a businessman who Felt that the City should have a Fine restaurant for the olympic games that year is regarded by Many As Day 1 of West Germany s postwar culinary reawakening. That restaurant tantric Rose to two stars before Witzigmann left to Start aubergine. Later tantric also won a third Star. Of several meals with the Michelin men the four course feast at aubergine was the Only one during which both closed their eyes and moaned softly with pleasure Jentsch Over Ravioli stuffed with fresh morels served on a bed of hop sprouts Bercher Over Fried Goose liver with truffles served Over marinated string Beans. At the end having found no flaw they introduced themselves to Witzigmann. For a moment his smile froze. Anything wrong he asked. No the inspectors quickly reassured him. It is not unusual for inspectors to disclose their identities they later explained. The Only time they go into deep cover is when stars Are at stake. Then the inspectors hide their purpose even asking a reporter that the restaurants names not be published. But most of their visits whether to hotels or restaurants Are made to insure that the information about amenities and prices cited in the guide Are up to Date. In these cases the inspectors announce themselves they presume that the six or seven years Likely to pass Between visits under the routine rotation of Michelin inspections is sufficient to erase the memory of their faces. Witzigmann however seemed to inspire a special Awe the inspectors admitted that they were sampling his cooking less to judge than to be reminded of the standards by which to judge others. Witzigmann s Success has inspired considerable movement in West Germany s culinary world Over the past 15 years the inspectors said. The 1966 Michelin guide listed 66 one Star restaurants there were no two or three Star establishments. By 1976 there were 169 restaurants with one Star and 7 with two stars. Today 180 West German restaurants boast a Michelin Star nine have two stars and four have three. At the same time italian French greek and other european restaurants of All sizes and Quality have proliferated further broadening West Germany s culinary horizon. The change has not been revolutionary however. For Many West germans dining out still Means lots of pork cabbage and Greasy French Fries with canned Gravy at a local Gasthaus followed by heavy pastry slathered in thick whipped Cream. Here Jentsch explained eating has always been done mainly to Stop being hungry while in France even for simple families food has always been part of the  Witzigmann while complimenting West German chefs on developing local food resources said he still imports most ingredients from France. I can sometimes get Good Pigeon Here he said but if i need 100 pigeons of guaranteed Quality i can Only get that from  not surprisingly West Germany s 193 starred restaurants Are but a dim Cluster compared with the French Constellation of 635, of which 18 Are triples. But outside the gallic world West germans can stand proud Britain and Ireland together have Only 47 stars and Italy though roughly even with the West germans in starred establishments has Only one with three stars. Jentsch and Bercher Are among eight inspectors All germans All with backgrounds in restaurants and hotels who crisscross the country by car checking and rechecking the 10,400 hotels and restaurants listed in the Michelin guide. Generally inspectors Are natives of the country in which they work in part so that they can understand National culinary traditions and customs. What makes their Job the stuff of legend and anecdote is the fact that they feed twice a Day five times a week about seven months out of each year on dishes that Many mortals taste Only on special occasions. Occasionally you need a big pork roast with dumplings Jentsch confessed. As the two inspectors described it Over a final meal at a restaurant that was a Strong candidate for a second Star the birth of a Stellar restaurant is a Long drawn out affair involving visits by separate teams. For one Star if All the results agree and we know the chef then three or four visits May be enough said Bercher a longtime Michelin inspector in his Early 40s whose credentials include experience As a waiter at a Premier London hotel. But if the results differ we wait he said. We never want to be rushed into a  for two or three stars we need a much longer period to be sure that there s a lasting Standard he said. A two Star has to be exceptional with a consistently original and exciting cuisine. Three stars has to be perfect. Everything the China the Crystal the service and of course the  the fourth and latest West German restaurant to win three stars in Schif Chen in Dusseldorf was a candidate for three years after the first Good reports reached Michelin. But inspectors returned and found that the restaurant had moved from Street level to the second floor they waited another year to see How that affected standards. Losing a Star is considerably easier. The departure of the chef is normally enough to place a three Star establishment on probation. And what of the restaurant where the Rabbit was a bit Boring and the sauce too thin an elegant place whose venerable name has been graced with a single Star through Many editions of the Michelin the place must be watched Jentsch whispered. Look at the waiters gossiping in the Corner. In a place like this they be got to be right Here when needed but Only then. Times Are changing of course. Things Are getting More casual but certain standards should be  an ode to italian wines by Frank j. Prial new York times r in of the Mill Burgundy $30 a  1985 Bordeaux $27.50.wherever you look in the United states win that once was something to enhance dinner now costs More than dinner. Even the California growers Are scrambling to match the French. Their top of the line cabernets Are $35, $40 and even $50 a bottle. And it is a Safe bet the australians will not waste too much time catching up with the californians. Did anyone mention Italy no and it s time someone did. Dollar for Dollar no one can match the italians for Good wines at reasonable prices. Of they can get silly at times $50 Barbaressos and $100 Brunel los and even $35 chardonnays but no Law says anyone has to buy them. It is Down in the real world where wines sell for $4 or $5 to $10 and $12, that italian wines really stand out. The californians Are making much ado about the new single grape wines like cabernet Sauvignon and chardonnay that sell for $4 to $9. Not bad wines for the most part particularly those that have been around for a while. For the same Money there Are excellent Light Chianti classics and Dolcetto d albas fresh Young Bardo Linos Barbera delicate frascati a panoply of Northern italian wines like Nebiolo Shanna and Hemme and a wide variety of simple red wines Vino Rosso that will bring new life to anyone s wine drinking. How do the italians do it lower production costs perhaps along with the fact that they have such vast quantities of wine to sell. But there is also a felicitous combination of Sun soil and wine making skill that sets Italy apart. Why do so Many of these Good wines go unnoticed in America mostly because the italian wine scene is so Large and thus so confusing. Italy is often and accurately described As one vast Vineyard. Grapes Are grown and wine is made from the Alps to Sicily. There Are hundreds of different grapes and thousands of wines. There Are almost As Many wineries in the is Gus Schuettler what could be More italian than Chianti wine and a View of the leaning Tower of Pisa. Chianti Region As in All of California. Sicily alone can produce 1.5 billion liners of wine in a Good year. Italian wine names Are not much help. Sangio vese is a grape san Felice a winery san Gimignani a place. Who but a handful of wine writers has time to sort All that out another example Nebiolo is the most important red wine grape of Northern Italy. Barolo perhaps Italy s greatest wine is made entirely of Nebiolo. Around Alba dozens of wineries produce a wine called Nebiolo Nebiolo d Alba to be exact. Not too far away around Novara they Call the same grape Shanna and they use that name on their bottles. Some regions use Nebiolo for the name of the grape but give the wine the name of the place Gattinara for example and Hemme. Actually in Hemme the wine is not All Nebiolo two other grapes ves Polina and Monarda Are blended into it. Some wines Are known for the winery nozzle for example or Badia a co Libuono both Chianti classics and some for their shippers Ruffino Antinori Ricasoli. And when the wines come from regions unfamiliar to americans it can be difficult to Tell anything about them from the labels. The trick is to pick several categories Shanna Chianti and Dolcetto for example and try them. Find a couple of wines you Are comfortable with then try a few others. Soon you will be if not an expert at least a confident buyer of italian wines. Distribution of italian wines can be erratic but so Many Are available that substitutions Are not hard to find. Some reasonably priced in the United states italian reds Worth seeking out include among the Chianti classics Antinori s 1986 Santa Christina about $5 castello i Gabbiano 1983, $5.50 Castellmare 1983, $5.75 de Silani Shanna 1985, $4.50, and Travaglini Shanna 1985, $5.50. A 1986 Dolcetto d Alba from Clerico Sells for about $7, a 1986 from Mascarello is about $6.65 and one from Roche a 1985, is about $7. A 1982 Gattinara from Travaglini was $10 and a 1979 Gattinara from Antonio Vallana was a real find at $8.50. Look too for the wines of a relatively new appellation Rosso i Montacino the Community that makes the famous and invariably overpriced brunello. Tenuta ii Poggione is highly recommended and you Don t have to drive a Chrysler to try Lee Iacocca s Villa Nicola. He owns a Home in the Montacino Region. Keep in mind that these Are Only a few of the familiar wines. In the wild Abruzzi Region Mountain wineries turn out four million or five million Gallons of delightful Rosso d Abruzzi every year and some finds its Way to the United states. Mont Pulciano d Abruzzi is another Lovely red from the Region. The Corvo wines of Sicily Are decent but not surprising the Rega Leali wines Are More interesting particularly the Rosso Del Conte which May be the Island s Best red wine. A slice of life in Paris by Nathalie Dupree Cox news service memories of travels for me Are Les associated with Rose windows an museums than with meals in different places the time away from the pressures of my daily life gives me scope to observe and grow. Conversations and observations As people share food together Are precious moments. A meal in Paris with a dear old Friend comes to mind frequently these Days. We were looking Forward to the special Bustle of the cafe s atmosphere and the Chance to observe those different from ourselves both on the Street and at the tables that rubbed up next to each other forcing a certain intimacy Between strangers. In Paris life is conducted Over the Public table As much As the private theater played out Over food. The cafe has its own unique role. Our table was one of a dozen closely placed together hugging the window and providing a View of the passers by. We were seated next to a couple drinking hot chocolate silently. We decided they were More interesting than the crowd milling outside. We were drawn to the couple even As we removed layers of Coats and scarves and settled at our table. The girl was Beautiful with Long hair the color of the chestnuts roasting just outside on the Street some strands As dark As the burned chestnuts some nearly Gold. Nature had not treated the Man seated with her nearly As Well. He was half again her age. He was agitated taut with anger. We ordered our croquet Monsieur a hot Sandwich of layers of Fried French bread Ham and melted cheese and some steamy bitter hot chocolate full of Rich Cream served with cubes of sugar. The couple ordered the same thing typical cafe fare. My Friend and i both had recently ended relationships and took this moment to indulge in our Bitte Nesses. As the croquet Monsieur arrived a Appling of Brown Glaze on the bubbling oozing cheese my Friend spoke. When my husband and i were at the end i would say i Don t care what you do just let me know what time you will be Home so i can plan but no it was his ultimate humiliation toward me to never let me know when he was going to want dinner want to be Home want to play  we sat quietly musing relishing our lunch watching the Street s activities glad to be somewhere where life was not the same. We overheard the voices of the couple quite clearly. It was As if they had been eavesdropping on us their conversation was a reiteration of ours Only with different accents and distorted by a generation. He spoke in English. His voice was nasal harsh ill suited to the cafe s murmured voices. He was cutting into his croquet Monsieur with a vengeance eating rapidly. And he was complaining about her. He was angry that she kept him waiting hours on end while she worked late never letting him know her schedule so he could plan. Our complaint. From him. The eyes of the Beautiful Young French woman began to fill with sympathetic tears As his voice became the shrill Call of a wounded animal. She tried to explain again without much enthusiasm. After a final shove of his Fork into his Mouth he snarled it s just a matter of time i know before we re finished. It would take too much Effort for you to move or you would be gone already somewhere where there Are no demands. I wish i could break through that lust of yours for your career and Fame to touch you enough to want to be with  he wiped his Mouth roughly with his Napkin As they stood up and angrily threw coins on the table. They strode out to the Street he looking hunted she shrugging him off with the Assurance of a Beautiful Young woman who knows it is easy to find another Lover. Bemused we pulled on our Coats glad to have been reminded of what it Felt like to have that Power of a woman s youth and Beauty but knowing it goes very quickly knowing that one Day she might be sitting with another woman eating a croquet Monsieur thinking of past times and complaining herself about being kept waiting. Croquet Monsieur 4 thick slices White bread preferably French a cup butter softened 2 thin slices smoked ham1 /2-3/4 cup grated Swiss or gruyere cheese 4 Tablespoons heavy Cream trim the crusts from the bread. Melt half the butter in a frying pan. Add the bread and Fry on one Side. Place the Ham on two slices of the Fried bread. Top with half the cheese mixed with enough Cream to make a paste then cover with the other bread to make two sandwiches. Place on a buttered pan. Dot with pieces of butter and coat tops with the rest of the grated cheese mix. Run under broiler until top sides Are bubbly flecked with Rich Brown. Note some people top this with a cheese sauce rather than the grated cheese after frying the Sandwich in an egg Batter. That s Good too Page 14 the stars and stripes Friday july 8,1988 the stars and stripes Page 15