On a recent visit back home to Wisconsin, I was craving some good Milwaukee German food which I hadn’t had since I left the Midwest seven years ago. One of my favorite places to find a hearty German meal was always Karl Ratzch’s Restaurant, a landmark in downtown Milwaukee for well over a hundred years. I enjoyed going for there for many business lunches in the past and was always impressed with the décor and overall feel of the place. The interior is decked out with lots of chandeliers and antique beer steins, dark wood and leather giving the place a warm feeling. A waiter at an adjoining table was chatting with customers in German. You can almost imagine you are in the dining room of a classic old German castle or mansion.
Even though we were there on a weekday for an early lunch, it really seemed like a happy place. Our waitress, in a full German costume, was super friendly and helpful with the menu. I heard another server at one point say that he had worked there for 35 years. It gives you a good feeling that an employer treated workers well enough for them to stick around that long.
For lunch we ordered Sauerbraten, the classic German sirloin roast with ginger snap gravy, red cabbage and potato dumplings. The meat was tender and delicious. We also ordered a side of German potato salad. It was almost as good as my Mom’s, tangy and sweet and full of bacon. The other item we tried that really impressed me was the German-style Apple Pancake and Sausage Platter. Our waitress explained that because the pancake is started on top of the stove (most likely in a cast iron pan) and then finished off in the oven, it would take a little extra time, but she assured us it would be worth the wait. She was right. It almost tasted like an apple pie fried and then baked into a pancake and topped with cinnamon sugar. 
Like having dessert for your main course! The bratwurst on the side was served with Dusseldorf mustard. It was a great combination of sweet and savory, washed down with a pilsner beer. It was totally the Wisconsin version of “breakfast of champions!” You wouldn’t think these two things would go together….I would never have come up with that combination, but it really worked.
All in all, a great lunch. It was a true Milwaukee experience. A must for anyone who visits my home city.
