Information:
President of the Munich chapter of the American-German Business Club (www.agbc.de):
GRILL 93, MARRIOTT HOTEL
For breakfast, it’s hard to beat Chicago-style Sunday Brunch in Grill 93 at the Marriott Hotel. All you can eat and drink for a flat rate—arrive hungry. Advance booking is essential.
Berlinerstr. 93, Phone: (089) 36 00 20, www.marriott-muenchen.de
GASTHAUS ALTE MESSE
A great way to enjoy the Oktoberfest without having to fight for a seat in an over-crowded tent is to head for the Gasthaus Alte Messe—a stone’s throw from Theresienwiese, on Am Bavariapark. It’s close enough to the Wies’n for the party atmosphere to waft over along with the smell of roasted almonds. Ice-cold Augustiner beer plus a shady beer garden make it worth a visit all summer long, too. This year, Gasthaus Alte Messe is the new home for the Monday evening Blade Night.
Theresienhöhe 15, Phone: (089) 45 21 16 73, www.gasthaus-alte-messe.de
THERME ERDING
Time to detox? There’s nowhere better than Therme Erding. The spa is a perfect place to wind down after work, or for a day trip. However, it can get unpleasantly crowded on weekends, especially when there’s bad weather. Poolside in the sauna area, La Cucina restaurant offers a satisfying range of both healthy and classica Italian dishes that are laps beyond standard swimming pool fare. But, faint-hearted diners take note: The restaurant is located smack-dab in the middle of the FKK area.
Thermenallee 2, Erding, Phone: (08 122) 22 70 200, www.therme-erding.de
GAST
A favorite venue for social networking over reasonably-priced good food, this self-service Italian restaurant offers made-to-order pizza and pasta. It’s always packed—at lunchtime, in the evening and after shows at the adjoining Gasteig. I’ll make the trip across town just for the pasta salsiccia with a side salad.
Rosenheimerstr. 5, Phone: (089) 48 09 82 720, www.gast-muenchen.de
KREUZECKHAUS
For a tasty Kaiserschmarrn, you’ll have to search long and hard to beat the servings at the 1652-meter high Kreuzeckhaus in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It’s not quite the end of the universe, although it might feel that far if you choose to spurn the cable car and hike up! It’s also the perfect spot to power up during a day of hard skiing on the famous Kandahar black run, home to Ski World Cup races.
Am Kreuzeck 1, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Phone: (08821) 22 02, www.alpenverein-ga-pa.de/kreuzeckhaus.html