Weisswurst, or bockwurst, is a traditional sausage of Oktoberfest. Weisswurst translates as white sausage (veal and pork). Generally, the only place you can get them are at a German Deli. My wife Peggy graduated from high school in Germany and loves weisswurst on brotchen (a crusty German bun). I was going to be driving through Lakewood, so I thought I would check out the very German Hess Bakery & Deli. My friend Dick was with me and he had eaten there before, so we decided to have lunch as well. He bought some pastries for his wife and I bought weisswurst, rolls, rye bread, landjaeger, and some other breads for mine.
Driving through Lakewood, I thought I would check out the Hess Bakery & Deli.A hallway separates the Hess Bakery & Deli from the German Pastry Shop. We entered the pastry shop first. Their pastry case held many cakes and pastries. The menu on the wall offered lunch and dinner items. I ordered a sandwich of landjäger and a cup of cauliflower soup. Dick ordered a similar sandwich with salami and a bowl of chicken noodle soup. We were both somewhat disappointed.
The pickle on my landjäger sandwich was excellent. Everything else was not.The pickle on my landjäger sandwich was excellent. Everything else was not. The thinly sliced meat could have been canned luncheon loaf for all the flavor it had. It was served on dry, dry bread . . . or perhaps, dry, dry, rye bread. My cauliflower soup lacked flavor and spark. It was so hot it burnt the roof of my mouth. Microwave?
While Dick looked over the grocery section I waited in line and to order weisswurst and landjäger.After lunch, Dick and I crossed over the hall to the deli. While Dick looked around the grocery section I waited in line (five people in front of me) to order weisswurst and landjäger. Landjäger is a dry-cured sausage traditionally made in Southern Germany. It is a great snack food for activities such as hiking and hunting. In fact, jäger is German for hunter. Landjäger can be either mild or spicy. I ordered a smoked mackerel, two spicy landjägers for me and one mild for Peggy. I also ordered rye bread, and two rolls (unfortunately the Hess Bakery doesn’t have true brotchen), and two cheese sticks. Within minutes after walking in my front door, the spicy landjägers became history as I began planning dinner.
I used to work evenings with my friend John Eisenhauer. Every once in a while John would bring a dinner of brats, sauerkraut with caraway seeds, and browned potatoes for the two of us to share. That made an excellent meal . . . and that’s what I ended up cooking for Peg substituting the weisswurst for the bratwurst and the addition of Grey Poupon. With a glass or two of Rhine wine, we finished off a wonderful dinner of Hess deli meat and bread. My wife was thrilled. It brought back memories of her years in Germany.
With a glass or two of Rhine wine, we finished off a wonderful dinner of Hess deli meat.
The picture of your sandwich above with the meat you called “landjager” is not landjager but some sort of ham bologna (which they have a variety of at the deli). As far as flavor goes, I think German lunchmeat has a much better flavor than American lunchmeat, but that’s my opinion. The last time I had a sandwich there they put butter and mustard on my bread. Also, the brotchen have changed quite a bit since Mr. Hess (the original owner and baker of the bread and rolls) passed away. The brotchen used to be fluffier inside. I bought one yesterday and had it this morning and once you cut into it, it’s flat (not much breading inside). The bread is still very good.
Sylvia,
Thanks for reading AND for writing.
I ordered off their menu. And semi-ate what they delivered. They did add butter and mustard on the bread and it was still extremely dry. I’m guessing old . . . My wife did enjoy the brotchen, but it wasn’t as crusty as what she remembers from Germany. Have you been to the Eastern European grocery on Center Street in Tacoma? My buddy Dick and I stopped by there and did a little shopping. They had a few loaves of bread that carried the name of the country from where the recipe originated. The Ukraine was calling to me. My wife and I will return there for a little closer inspection and purchase. I did see that they have numerous jars of eggplant and roasted pepper sauces, which we used to buy at Sars on North Pearl. Great as dips and on pasta. The grocery store has another location on Pacific Avenue and in Auburn. Watch for a review next week sometime.
Thanks again for reading and for commenting.
Don
Thanks, again for
I have been buying and eating everything that’s served in both places since the 60’s and have never been disappointed in any of their products or meals. The bread is real bread and not that rubbery ,stick to the roof of your mouth stuff you buy elsewhere.
Maureen,
Nothing in the deli I purchased disappointed me. My wife Peggy enjoyed the rye bread I brought her, but the lunch at the deli, just seemed like they are trying to do everything on the cheap. I will try them again, but both my friend who had eaten there before and I were not happy with what we were served.
Thanks for reading and for comments.
Don
I remember salt sticks from family outings to Czech restaurants in the Yorkville area of New York City, and bought one when I saw them at Hess Deli. The salt crystals had a terribly chemical taste, and I was so disappointed.
Always enjoy reading about your culinary adventures, Don. Thanks for sharing.
Jean,
Thanks for continuing to read and commenting. Salt sticks . . . so many cultures use salt to cure and flavor. One of the very worst things I’ve tasted was salted prunes. I was riding in a car and couldn’t get the window quick enough to spit it out . . . But, salt sticks? I’ll have to give them a try just so I can say I had one.
I’m glad you’ve enjoyed my articles. One coming up will be about the Eastern European market and cafe on Center Street in Tacoma next week.
Thanks, again.
Don
As a German, I have read your article with great curiosity. By the way, the deli and the pastry shop have different owners, so the headline is a bit misleading. The picture of your sandwich shows some Bierwurst; a Landjaeger is an air-dried salami-kind of sausage, and the word itself refers to mounted police in rural areas (for whatever reason). As each and every German artisan baker has their own recipes for Broetchen and bread, of course, Peg would have remembered a different texture of what she ate, depending on where she ate it. I grew up in an area, where pretzels and Broetchen were pretty much exactly like what Hess produces.
As to the soup – beware eating any at German places! We don’t necessarily use microwaves (I for one have never owned one), but we want our soups and stews piping hot – lukewarm is simply a no-go. I manage that quite well by simply boiling them the old-fashioned way. As to restaurants and cafes – they might use that device to simply heat one portion at a time, of course. Hope your poor mouth has healed up again…
Susanne,
Thanks for reading and commenting.
My wife graduated from high school in Kaiserslautern. Her father was in the air force. He was assigned to France and Germany, but they always came back to this area because of the health of one sister and then need to visit Madigan. I looked all around the internet and the website trying to figure out if the two entities were related or what, so in the end relied on the feeling I got from there and the write up on the Hess website. I ordered off the menu and what was served didn’t seem right, but ate what I was served. I purchased both a spicy landjaeger and mild landjaeger, but the sandwich is nowhere near what I was expecting. I doubt I will return for lunch at the cafe, but might try the pastry. The cheesy soup stayed hot like microwaved foods tend to do. My wife and I differ on heat, anyways.
Thanks, again for reading and commenting. I love to hear from readers.
Don
The Auburn and Parkland located stores refered to are Russian/Ukrainian and are Marvel Foods. They have nothing to do with the store on Center St. in Tacoma. Their selection of food is wonderful and very similar to German food. They have a deli, bakery, and meat/cheese counter as well as groceries and produce. Prices and quality are superb.
Tre,
Thanks for reading and for your clarifying comments. I found communication a minor problem, but not a game changer. I took two loaves of the rye bread (one sliced and one whole) to a St. Patrick’s celebration last Saturday evening. I ladled corned beef and cabbage broth over the bread and other vegetables for a wonderful plate of food. I plan to return for lunch (pork stew) at the place on Center. The cakes are tasty, also.
Thanks again for writing and for reading my articles.
Don