Wir Haben Spargel!

Spatenhaus an der Opera

Chalked on slateboards outside of restaurants all over Germany from mid-April to mid-June, this phrase is your guarantee of an exceptionally good meal. The Germans are absolutely mad for spargel, or asparagus, and most prize the white variety, which differs from the green in that it’s cultivated inside long mounds of soil (sunlight coming into contact with chlorophyll gives green asparagus its color).

Americans generally prefer green asparagus, while most northern and central Europeans are of the opinion that the white variety is more delicate and has a finer taste. Many people, ourselves included, like both. Traveling recently in Germany and Austria, we kept an eye peeled for spargel, but a late spring in Europe meant that the season was only just starting. Before arriving in Munich, we checked the website of one of our favorite local restaurants, Spatenhaus an der Oper, and lo and behold, it featured a tantalizing spargelkarte. We made a beeline for this terrific restaurant right in front of the Bavarian Opera House as soon as we got to town, and had one of the best meals we’ve eaten in a long time: white asparagus with roasted poulard (fattened hen) picatta in a crust of egg and grated cheese with new potatoes and a boat of hollandaise sauce. With a glass of German Silvaner Kugelspiel, a dry white with floral notes, this was a perfect spring feast. But even when asparagus isn’t on the menu, this restaurant is a wonderful place to sample Bavarian comfort food such as potato soup with bacon and parsley root, and pork in dark-beer sauce with red cabbage and potato dumplings. Spatenhaus an der Oper, Residenzstraße 12, München, Tel. 49-89-290-706-0, email: [email protected]. Dinner for two, $90.