There’s a new schnitzel maker in town — admit it, you’ve been holding your breath, waiting for that news. If you realized how seriously Germans take their schnitzel, though, you’d understand the weight of this announcement.
I talked about Haus Falkenstein this morning on the radio…about how Silke and Michael Hentschel moved to Alberta seven years ago, bought the old Lougheed Hotel, fixed it up, got rid of the hamburger menu and started serving legit schnitzel in a town so small, “you could throw a rock from end to end” (to borrow a line from Sammy Johns’ 1970s hit, Chevy Van). At first people weren’t too impressed that the menu changed, but after tasting the pan-fried pork schnitzel, they changed their tune. In fact, the Henschel’s schnitzel became so popular that they added more and more combinations to the menu and actually set two records for the for the largest variety of fresh, pan-fried schnitzel: 347 varieties, to be exact.
Word traveled quickly through the prairie grapevine and people from far and wide travelled to the tiny town just for schnitzel. Life for Silke and Michael was good, very good, but after seven years of driving hundreds of miles for supplies, it was also tiring, and in 2015, they decided it was time to move to a bigger centre—that being Edmonton.
Haus Falkenstein opened at 15215 – 111 Avenue in March, 2016. It’s located right between Tumbleweeds Texas & Latin Grill and the Passion Vault adult store. I have a feeling that, just like the Lougheed Hotel, Haus Falkenstein will become a destination restaurant (unless you regularly make trips to the Passion Vault).
You’re probably wondering about the schnitzel.
Front: Pepper Schnitzel $22.75
Wiener Style Schnitzel (Vienna Style) with lemon, and potato croquettes $18.75
In Austria, schnitzel is made with veal. At the very German Haus Falkenstein, only pork is used, even in the Wiener (Viennese) style schnitzel. In both dishes, the fresh (never frozen) pork is pounded thin, covered in a breadcrumb coating and then pan-fried (not deep-fried as I said on the radio). The German schnitzel comes with a countless amount of toppings. The pepper schnitzel, pictured above, is topped with a delicious creamy green peppercorn sauce. It comes with fries and salad whereas the Wiener style schnitzel comes with potato croquettes, homemade nuggets of mashed potatoes and other ingredients that Silke wouldn’t disclose. A secret recipe; I can appreciate that. They were crunchy on the outside, creamy on the inside and, unfortunately, addictive. You’re going to need to do some extra time on the treadmill after a meal at Haus Falkenstein.
There is more than schnitzel on the menu—not much more, but we did try the Bayerische Weisswurst (Bavarian Sausage) that K&K Foodliner makes for them. Two portly links are nestled between a helping of sauerkraut and a dollop of grainy mustard. Ja, ja, so gut!
Bayerische Weisswurste
A nice, cold German beer makes sausage, sauerkraut and schnitzel even better. The list included options from Holsten, Erdinger, Bitburger, Krombacher, Radeberger, Warsteiner, Pinkus and Ayinger breweries. Each beer comes with its specifically logo-ed glass and coaster. Nice touch. Very European. That Ayinger just became my favourite beer.
The restaurant used to be TW Smokehouse and the Hentschels have done a commendable job transforming the space from a dull, country/western barbecue joint to a kitschy Bavarian hangout. The walls are covered in German items ranging from men’s leather lederhosen to the woman’s traditional dress called a dirndl. There is one entire section devoted to Schalke 04, the German soccer team.
So go with some friends, hoist a stein and dig into some schnitzel, but whatever you do, do not ask for spätzle.
My CBC Edmonton AM on-air review with Mark Connolly can be heard here.