Haus Murphy's (#58) is yet another of Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and the first German restaurant he has visited. It definitely has old-world charm- even on the patio where we sat.
Dining al fresco was nice... until our food arrived and we were constantly bothered by bees.
Sauerbraten and Paprika Schnitzel were the menu items featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and we opted to share them. We rounded out our meal with a mug of German beer.
Sauerbraten (served with spatzle and red cabbage) and Paprika Schnitzel (served with German fried potatoes and wirsing (a cabbage dish))
We both thought the food was so-so; not at all the usual culinary taste treats we have come to expect at DDD places. In reading reviews after we got home, it seems that the DDD distinction perhaps "went to their heads" as several long-time customers commented that both food and service deteriorated. Our server was fine but the food fell flat... not bad, but not as good as we were expecting.
After dinner, we walked across the street to Glendale's 17th annual A Chocolate Affaire (#82) for some wickedly delicious, if not unusual, desserts. Their brochure boasts over 30 chocolatiers and while I didn't count them, I would say that was a close estimate although some had the same or similar items. For example, one place had chocolate drizzled cheesecake on a plate while another (my favorite!) had cheesecake on a stick dipped in chocolate with the option of rolling it in nuts... or as I call it, decadence on a stick!
Chocolate lemonade? I saw the sign as we walked by the lemonade stand and did a double-take. Not quite able to decide if it sounded good or not, I paused and watched the vendor make one. After he said I could return it for a regular lemonade if I didn't like it, I got one... and it was fabulous! Made with real lemonade (not a concentrate) and a shot of German chocolate cake syrup, it was tartly refreshing while at the same time had just a hint of sweet chocolatiness. Who knew?!?!
"Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart."
~ Erma Bombeck
We sampled Chocolate Cherry Merlot jelly (heavenly!), a chocolate-covered strawberry, a raspberry truffle and even chocolate-covered bacon (don't gag, I thought it was actually a good combination of flavors!). By then, though, we were pretty chocolated out so we brought home a chocolate-covered pretzel stick and chocolate-covered cherry clusters to try another day.
Vendors that had chocolate items displayed this sign making it easy to find this important food group! We agreed that we would have liked it if they sold "samples" rather than just large servings- we could have sampled everything rather than just a few of the dozens and dozens of chocolate items. We had to leave the chocolate-covered potato chips for next year!
Interspersed with the chocolatiers were other vendors selling everything from doggy bling and handbags to pottery and candles. We even bought a few Christmas gifts while we were there!
It was a beautiful evening to stroll through the festival. As dusk settled into twilight, the lights in the trees came on- what a beautiful sight! It was a great date night!
Thumb Up or Down: Neither for Haus Murphy's; UP for The Chocolate Affaire
Mileage Round-Trip: 67.4 miles
Mileage To Date: 3050.1 miles
Percent of List Completed: 29%
Date of This Trip: February 3, 2012
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