The German Tea Room
Jennifer Peterson | Staff Writer

Just a short walk from the RU campus is a little restaurant that brings some of the old country to the Radford community. I had the pleasure of eating there recently.

The German Tea Room is owned by Patrizia Brooks with the help of her mother. While Brooks has lived most of her life in America, her mother comes from a town in central Germany about 55 miles north of Frankfurt. This assures that the food is authentic.

The restaurant has a romantic feel to it, much like a Victorian-style Valentine card. There is classical music playing in the background, while plants and antiques highlight the décor. There are antiques for sale in the front window, and salad dressing was even brought in a china dish. If you are looking for a small romantic place to have a candle-light dinner, this is a great choice. It's cozy, and the staff is very friendly.

Now on to the food: I study German and love German food. The menu isn't very large, but I think almost anyone can find something to spark his or her interest. Someone who has never eaten much German food would be satisfied with a chicken salad sandwich.They also serve Jaeger Schnitzel, Knockwurst, and Potato Soup among other things.

The menus have a brief description of what the meals entail for those ignorant of the German fare. The food was made-to-order, and machines are not used in the preparation process of some foods. They believe it takes away from the taste, so they do it by hand.

The Tea Room has an open kitchen also so patrons can see them cooking. When ordered, some meals have the option of either German potato salad or spaetzle complements.

What the hell is spaetzle? Spaetzle is homemade pasta-like noodles. They are often served with a cream sauce. I usually choose spaetzle when given the option just because I really like them. My dining companion, Chris, had a banana-nut pastry for desert that she really liked, and the restaurant has other deserts that include apple strudel, cookies, and chocolate cake.

I've eaten a lot of German food, and I think this place is great. Chris said it was "Damn good!" The only disappointment came from Chris because they don't serve french fries. I think the owners would be satisfied with the phrase "Es schmeckt" which simply means, "it tastes good."

The German Tea Room is located on Norwood across from Hardee's and next to the music store. They are open Monday through Saturday lunch at 11:30 to 3:30, afternoon tea is from 3 to 4 p.m., and dinner is served 5:30 until 9 p.m.. They are closed on Sundays. You can either eat there or have take-out, but the restaurant does not deliver.