Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2015 - 31

sharon trube

are the passion, devotion and
knowledge of Sharon and her husband, Friedhelm.
Sharon and Friedhelm bought
the restaurant in 1997 from a
German lady who had lived in
Berlin. They kept the name, which
means "little child from Berlin," and
kept the original menu, gradually
adding to it over the years.
Both Sharon and Friedhelm
came to the restaurant from other
careers. He was a master printer in
D a r m s t a d t , G e r m a n y, n e a r
Frankfurt. She worked as a paralegal in District Attorneys' offices in
Western North Carolina. Friedhelm
came to North Carolina to open a
printing facility in the town of
Newton. Since they met, Sharon
and Friedhelm have visited his
homeland eight times. She says she
knew little about German food
before their marriage. Now her
knowledge of the country's cuisine, its beers, and its wines is
extensive.
Berliner Kindl acquires its sausages from famed New York City
charcuterie Schaller & Weber, which
has been in business since 1937. One
of our favorites, Weisswurst, or
"white sausage," made of veal, is
always on the menu. Sharon says the
love of sausage is another commonality between food in Germany and
food in the South. "I grew up on a
farm in Catawba County, North
Carolina, where my grandparents
made sausage."
Of the many schnitzel dishes on
the menu, Sharon says Jägerschnitzel,
or "hunter's cutlet," is the most popular. The pork is covered in a housemade brown sauce with mushrooms.
Zigeuner Schnitzel, sometimes
called "Gypsy Schnitzel," is one of

sharon trube

Berliner Kindl acquires its
sausages from famed New York
City charcuterie Schaller &
Weber, which has been in business
since 1937.

hospitality and hearty German fare are abundant in downtown Black Mountain.

Sharon's favorites, topped with peppers and onions and seasoned with
paprika.
One of Berliner Kindl's more
labor-intensive dishes is Rouladen,
rolls of beef stuffed with pickles,
onion and mustard and covered in
gravy. Come to think of it, isn't the
love of gravy another GermanyNorth Carolina kinship?
Six different desserts are always
available, including two of the restaurant's most popular sweets, apple
strudel and Black Forest Cake.
Berliner Kindl offers an extensive
list of German and Czech beers and
a large selection of German wines.
Although Friedhelm still does
some of the cooking, just as Sharon
still often waits tables, the Trubes
hired an executive chef, Tammy
Boyd from Marion, North Carolina,
in July of 2014. That has allowed the
menu to branch out even further, to
include regional items like trout
from Sunburst Trout in Canton.
"A little taste of Bavaria in Black
Mountain" is how Sharon describes
the family restaurant, even though
Berlin is many miles away from the
mountains of Southern Germany.

When I asked her to describe the restaurant's atmosphere and décor, the
word came to her immediately:
Gemütlichkeit, a German term not
easily translated. Coziness and conviviality get close. It may be a foreign
word, but in the mountains of
Western North Carolina, it fits just
fine.
Berliner Kindl
121 Broadway BlacK Mountain,
north carolina 828-669-5255;
BerlinerKindl.hoMestead.coM

Western North Carolina is one of
the most fascinating food regions in
America. This article barely scratches
the surface. Visit there, and enjoy
Indian street food in Asheville, a
chili-smothered hamburger in
Hendersonville, a plate-sized pork
chop in Sparta, rutabagas in
Crumpler, deep-fried hot dogs in
Spruce Pine, pancakes in Cherokee,
and strawberry-rhubarb pie near
Linville Falls. The choices are
delightfully endless.
Fred Sauceman's latest book is
"Buttermilk and Bible Burgers: More
Stories from the Kitchens of
Appalachia."
May/June 2015 31

http://BerlinerKindl.hoMestead.coM

Blue Ridge Country - May/June 2015

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