Our server liked us…she brought us a plate of aebleskivers “on the house.”
AUGUST 5, 2014.
A VERY SPECIAL PLACE. Post Falls is a town just a few miles from Coeur d’Alene. We happened on a restaurant there today that is very special. Without a doubt, this is the most noteworthy eatery we’ve found so far on our Adventure. Second place isn’t even close! All the soups and batters and fruit juices and jams are made from scratch right on the premises. The coffee they serve is shade grown, and served in individual French Press carafes right on the table. This restaurant is so good that it literally would be a mistake to visit this area without having breakfast or lunch there. Honest!
CELEBRATING A HERITAGE OF GOD, FAMILY AND COUNTRY THROUGH CUISINE: The restaurant and its menu symbolize and recognize the hard work and endurance the original owners had when coming to America to live their lives in a new country, several generations ago, from Europe. The idea was to serve the very same recipes which they brought with them from “the old country.” The restaurant serves as a platform to tell their stories and is owned and managed by a great-granddaughter of the folks who came to American with the hopes and the recipes many years ago. The food was and to this day is prepared from scratch in much the same manner as the original owners had done at home. If a theme song could be played, it would be Neil Diamond’s “Coming to America.” He describes in the song the same hopes these brave men and women had when they left all they’d previously known and had to stake out a better life for themselves and their children.
The dining room is simple and understated…spotless and very “homey.”
In today’s fast food world, life has become all about money-making and saving time. Plastic has replaced wood and steel. Fabrication has replaced craftsmanship. Mixes have replaced foods prepared from scratch. But not at the Old European Restaurant. They actually use original recipes which have made it across the Atlantic ocean. All the batters are made with real products like eggs that they crack, 100% butter and milk. They serve real potatoes, real whipped cream, fresh ground coffee and they even squeeze real oranges for the juice served in the restaurant.
Dutch Babies served with lemon and powdered sugar. A house signature dish.
SIGNATURE DISHES: Unique and special signature items which I’m told you won’t want to miss are German Potato Pancakes, Danish Aebelskievers, Dutch Babies, Swedish Crepes and Cream of Tomato Soup with homemade Sunflower Wheat Bread. For lunch try a real German Ruben Sandwich on dark Rye or a Greek Chicken and Vegetable sandwich with an array of homemade soups. For breakfast I had eggs cooked to perfection with a 4 oz piece of Black Forest Ham, potato pancakes with applesauce and sour cream and a couple of complimentary Aebelskievers with homemade Raspberry Jam. Fresh squeezed orange juice and French Press coffee as well. I mean to tell you…and I’m pretty critical and snobbish about food, this breakfast was one to remember! Florence had a traditional Dutch Baby, made puffy with light baked egg batter and served with lemons and powdered sugar. Bacon on the side that looked so tempting I toyed with the idea of sneaking a piece from her plate.
All the orange juice is freshly squeezed in this Zumex juicer.
THE RESTAURANT FAMILY: The cooks, servers…all the employees are considered family and their efforts reflect that consideration. There’s a “storybook” on each table, explaining the restaurant’s traditions, preparation techniques and specialty menu items. The book also introduces all those who work there. Here’s the entry for Samantha,the young lady who served us the day we discovered this spot: “As Samantha was born in Frankfurt, she understands you when you curse in German! Very proud of her 7 year old daughter who is smart and enjoys life, just like her mommy. Loves to meet people and participate in downhill mountain biking. She has only totaled one bike, but has had a lot of wrecks. Roller derby has been her latest adventure of 2 years. You should see her push, block and blast pass the other girls on roller skates. She is fierce!” Who’d of guessed? This girl is petite, wholesome and delicate in appearance. Roller Derby? Wow!
JUST AS GOOD THE SECOND TIME. We took Therese here for breakfast and she liked it as much as we did. Folks, again, if ever your travels bring you to the Coeur d’Alene area, you simply must try this fabulous restaurant. The food is great, the ambiance is special and the staff…all the way from the servers to the manager, chatted with us, gave us “tourist-type suggestions” and made our visits special. Oh, please say “hello” to Samantha for us!
