Living in GK (and beyond)

January 9, 2008

Muenchhausen Erzaelkaffee in Gangelt

Münchhausen Erzählkaffee
Markt 8
52538 Gangelt
Tel. 02454 – 935799
http://www.erzählkaffee.de/
Öffnungszeiten: Tues-Fri: 1300-2200
Sat and Sun 1000-2200
Monday: Closed

Open just for a few months now, the Erzaelkaffee in Gangelt is already a big hit. Set in a beautiful old building with bells in the top right off the B56, it’s a great place for breakfast or a small snack with friends.

Furnished and decorated beautifully, with nice lighting and small things for sale, you’ll enjoy the ambiance of this place. The upstairs is even prettier than the downstairs and it’s there that you’ll be able to entertain if you want to have a group event. Priced reasonably, the cake slices are so generous, you can easily split them. The coffee is also very good. The breakfast buffet is nice, but doesn’t quite offer as much as the cafe in Beeck, so for a large breakfast, Beeck is still the place to go.

But, if you aren’t looking for a big meal and would enjoy the ambiance perfect for a slice of cake and a cup of coffee with friends, this place is perfect. You’ll enjoy it’s beauty. The people who work there are very nice and do speak a bit of English.

My neighbor had a family birthday there with about 20 people. They all sat upstairs for about 3 hours and had soup, cake, and coffee. She raved about it – absolutely loved the setting, the food, and the service. Having gone there myself now, it really would be a great place for meeting or small event. Call ahead if you’d like to plan something so that they can prepare. They will also come up with a menu and set per/person price if you’d like.

October 1, 2007

ALL YOU CAN EAT BREAKFAST!!!

Beautiful location, delicious food, quiet atmosphere, tempting cakes… and, of course, a fabulous breakfast buffet. This is one of my favorite breakfast cafes and it’s only 10 minutes outside of Geilenkirchen. Go to the website and click on Speisen for meals and prices.

Beecker Bauern und Erzaehlkaffee
Zum Schlackenberg 37
52511 Geilenkirchen-Beeck

Tel: 02453-383875
Web: www.bauernkaffee.de

Open Mon-Fri 0900-1900; Sat and Sun 1000-1900

Breakfast Served: Mon-Fri 0900-1200; Sat and Sun 1000-1300

This place is open 7 days a week (amazing, here) and provides an absolutely delicious all-you-can-eat breakfast for only 7.50E.

Eggs scrambled, soft-boiled, or sliced hard boiled…
Breads and rolls both white and seedy, toasted or not…
A huge assortment of cereals along with milk, quark, and various yogurts…
Jams, jellies, and nutella…
Juices, coffee, hot cocoa…
Fresh fruit including the best honeydew I’ve had this year…
Three trays of cheese including some nice brie and a wonderful gouda…
Several large trays of sliced deli meats and a tray of very good teewurst and liverwurst…
A tray of fresh sliced vegetables: tomatoes, cucumbers, etc…

It’s all delicious… top that off with the fact that this place has a non-smoking section and that it’s beautifully decorated with fun, inexpensive things that are also available for purchase… and you’ve got yourself a cafe to go back to again and again. Yum!

The staff have limited English ability, but are very friendly and helpful and will try to communicate with the English that they do know. There is plenty of room for large groups, but reservations are recommended. Whether you are two people or twenty, it is best to call ahead at this point. They are becoming very well known and the food is so delicious that every day is crowded. Go early and do call ahead if possible so you don’t have to be turned away. If they are completely booked, go to Immendorf to the Landcafe. It’s not as big a breakfast, but it’s a nice alternative that is close to Beeck.

Directions: My GPS wants to take me through Geilenkirchen, but unless you live in Geilenkirchen, that way is very curvy and will take you longer. I take the 221 south towards Aachen, past Ubach-Palenburg, and past the left hand turn-off for Immendorf. Eventually, you’ll come to a left-hand turn for Beeck. Turn left, go about 2 minutes down the road to a round-a-bout and turn right. Follow the road as it curves around. Once you hit the main town, you’ll turn right and follow that road straight as it narrows and goes by a corn field… then you’ll turn left and run into the place. There are small signs for it once you get to Beeck.

July 22, 2007

Haus Immendorf

Haus Immendorf
LandCafe and Backerei
52511 – Immendorf

Tel: 02451-9153435
info@landcafe-immendorf.de
www.landcafe-immendorf.de

Mon- Sat: 0700 – 1900 (closed on Tuesdays)
Sun: 0800 – 1900

Reservations suggested for large groups

Breakfast is served until 1230 all days. Bakery items and beverages are available all day. After 1230, there is a soup of the day and a meat/cheese/bread plate.

The place: Behind the pond is the large cafe with plenty of indoor seating where you can still be a part of the outdoors with their large windows. When weather cooperates, you can also sit outside in clean, well-cared-for patio furniture. All the place is clean. The bathrooms are very nice. Off to one side, outdoors, is a play structure for children with two swing, a sandbox, a slide, and a tall tree-house that is a lot of fun, but could be scary for very little ones. My three-year old does well there.

The food: The menu is small. Don’t go expecting a large American breakfast. But, the German breakfast is excellent. I usually order the bauern-fruestuck which includes 2 breads, meats, cheeses, jellies, a coffee or tea, and orange juice all for around 5 euros. If you order the same meal with others, they’ll bring out a larger basket with assorted breads – usually a broetchen and a sliced bread for each. The meat and cheese tray will also be assorted. Larger breakfasts include more of the above and also an egg. Remember, the breakfast is only available until 1230 and they really stick to that. Anytime of day you can try one of the delicious baked item they serve. The himbeertortchen (raspberry tart) is filled with a very light custard in a light, flaky, sugared crust. All the desserts are delicious and, you can also have delicious home-made ice cream seasonally (May-Sept – usually).

If you want “real” food after the breakfast time, they do offer a daily soup. The 4 Euro “wurst oder kase” plate is good. You can have sliced bread with an assortment of deli meats, cheeses, or a combination. About 5 open faced sandwiches came on a plate with lettuce and cucumbers on the side. It was enough to share when we had dessert also. As opposed to the breakfast which is all served separately for you to assemble, the cheese or meat plates come assembled with a generous heaping of butter spread on each slice of bread. Too much for me. If I were to get that again, I’d ask for it “ohne butter” — without butter.

To go or not to go: Go, definitely as long as you don’t need a super-sized meal. This place is nice for a group of ladies socializing. It is great for breakfast, coffee, or cake. It is nice for families together who don’t need a huge meal and groups with children. The portions are good and I am always filled up, so don’t think by my comments that you can’t get filled up here, but steak and potatoes, it’s not, so do go, but adjust your expectations accordingly.

Kids? YES! They have a playground. They have ice cream and hot chocolate and kids breakfasts served with nutella! This place is VERY kid friendly and if you sit outside where the kids can run off and play within view, you may even enjoy a peaceful adult conversation! Kids will also like peering over the little fence to watch the ducks and turtles in the pond.

Take home: The bakery is excellent, so before you go, grab some breads or dessert items. You won’t be sorry!

June 30, 2007

Cafe am Rodebach – Stahe Cafe

Cafe am Rodebach
Knuppstraße 9
Gangelt-Stahe
Tel. 02454/8623

Cafe Rodebach in Stahe is a new-ish cafe and bakery in our area. It’s small and very casual inside, so if smoke bothers you, it’s best to get your food to go as one smoker could totally cloud the place, but the home-made ice cream and cakes are worth it. Go there for bread, great German cakes and fruit tortes, ice cream, and a nice breakfast.

They are open every day except Monday, so on Sunday, you can either stop by for breakfast, or grab a nice cake to go for your afternoon coffee or post-church social.

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