Schnitzel King lives up to its name
It’s helpful to have a healthy suspicion of self-proclaimed kings, even schnitzel kings, but when I cracked open a menu in this humble Fountain restaurant, it was obvious the chef had a legitimate claim to the crown.
The menu listed no fewer than 15 schnitzels for $9.90 each, from the basic pounded, breaded and fried pork cutlet Wiener schnitzel, on which all other schnitzels are based, to the uber-decadent Robber Schnitzel, sprinkled with crispy bacon and sloshed in a fresh, rich German hollandaise.
There is schnitzel topped with an egg, schnitzel with Swiss, Hawaiian schnitzel with pineapple. “I have more schnitzels than anybody. You can’t get this many schnitzels in Germany,” the owner and chef, Sigfried Herbst, told me.
Like most Germans in Colorado Springs, Herbst traces his path to the United States through the Cold War military buildup in Germany. For decades almost a million troops were stationed in what was then Western Germany. They met locals, fell in love, and married. Many were then stationed in Colorado Springs. Hundreds still live here. That was the story of Herbst’s sister.
Four years ago, after his sister had pestered the future king for years to join her in the States, Herbst made the move and opened his tiny restaurant.
Through the front door, a simple array of tables and booths wait under somewhat dour faux-wood paneled walls. It’s dark and a bit gloomy. In other words, it looks almost exactly like local favorite German restaurant Uwe’s. They must be channeling the same Teutonic décor.
The food is absolutely authentic. Herbst cuts, pounds and breads each cutlet to order. He mixes all the sauces daily and makes the eggy spaetzel noodles by hand. Plates overflowing with huge portions hit the table with the thud of a caloric blitzkrieg. Make a plan ahead of time to take most of it home.
The crisp Jaeger Schnitzel comes submerged in a sea of rich brown portobello mushroom gravy. The only hint of vegetables is a slight mince of parsley over the top. On the side you can order good fried potatoes, but Herbst will almost certainly talk you into the spaetzel instead, since the noodles are perfect with gravy.
The Robber Schnitzel’s layers of fried pork, bacon (the other fried pork), and intense hollandaise are as good for your taste buds as they are bad for your heart. When stumbling out the door after nearly finishing one, a friend said, “That is, like, the best thing I have ever had. . . I’m glad I can’t eat it every day.”
I tried to order light once by asking for the chicken schnitzel with tarragon sauce.”It’s pretty good,” Herbst said with a disdainful shrug. “But I really only have it for those people who don’t like pork.”
Instead, he steered me toward the bratwurst ($9.90) – two huge pork sausages expertly seared and served with fried potatoes and sweet, tangy red cabbage. They were excellent and a terrific value.
The Schnitzel King also does specials. Herbst may have goulash or sauerbraten on any given day. He has a scattering of steaks ($15-$17), which I did not try. For holidays, such as this Easter Sunday, he makes a special rouladen. But in general, he said, he sticks with the schnitzel.
“I am only one man in here,” he told me. “People all the time ask me to make the other German food. They ask me if I can make the soup. I say I am not the Soup King, I am the Schnitzel King. That is what I do, and I do it better than anybody.”
I’m inclined to agree.
*** (Ausgezeichnet!)
Address: 5644 S. U.S. Highway 85/87, SecurityPhone: 719-638-4974Hours: Monday – Wednesday 4-9 p.m., Thursday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.Entrees: $9.90-$16.90Vegetarian: Ha!Alcohol: NoCredit cards: Yes
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