A tale of one city

New Ulm is a very German town.  A very German town that is very proud of its German-ness.  The main attractions are Schells Brewery, a statue of Herman the German, and a Glockenspiel.  The main festivals are Bock Fest, Bavarian Blast and Oktoberfest.  The 'welcome' signs along the highway don't actually say 'welcome.'  They say 'willkommen.'

In 1917 the mayor and other city officials held a huge rally opposing the war against Germany, and were temporarily removed from office by the Governor.  New Ulm takes its German heritage very seriously.

I have a fair amount of German ancestry flowing in my veins.  I speak a few German words, thanks to four years of language classes in high school.  I love German food.  Not all of it, but most of it.  And I enjoy a good rousing romp of polka music (who doesn't?).  However, my germanity has its limits.  I draw the line at drinking beer.  The stuff just tastes nasty.  Which is the main reason why I don't attend either Bock Fest or Oktoberfest.

In fact, the first time I heard about Bock Fest, I genuinely thought it was Bach Fest and was looking forward to a celebration of classical music.  I was saddened to learn it was just another excuse for a lot of people to get together and drink.  Not that people need an excuse in this town - they need to support the local brewery, after all.

If you drive past while the bells are chiming, the doplar effect makes it sound super creepy.

You'd think a town named New Ulm would be brimming with good German restaurants.  Unfortunately, this is not the case.  New Ulm boasts the oldest tavern in Minnesota, Turner Hall, established in 1856.  But they only serve a few German items (reubens and chicken schnitzel).

The best place (ok, the only place) to get your German food fix is Veigel's Kaiserhoff.  It's an old restaurant, built in 1938, and is resplendently retro with dark ceilings and wood panel walls.  Signed photos of celebrities who visited during the restaurant's heyday line the entrance hall.  Hand-painted murals of German landscapes decorate the restaurant.  In the back room you can still find small table-top jukeboxes in the booths.  Overall it's a pretty groovy old-world place, which is always a plus for me.

If you go there, I recommend the ribs.  And the landjaeger.  And the sauerkraut.  And the red cabbage.  Whatever you choose, make sure to get a salad to go with it -- specifically, Ray's Salad, named after a former employee who created the dish.  That salad is probably the most famous item on the menu, fabled in local song and story.

There's nothing really German about Ray's salad.  A few years ago I came across a FB post that had a recipe for it, taken from an old cookbook.  Knowledge is power, so I'm sharing it here.  As you can see, it's fairly easy to make.

If you're ever in New Ulm, make sure to try the authentic version at the Kaiserhoff.  After listening to the glockenspiel and visiting Herman the German, of course.  And if you go on the Schell's Brewery tour, be sure to try their 1919 root beer.  It's fantastic.  And far better than any icky alcoholic beer.