DINING OUT -- Mary Furr

You can slip across the border from Huntington Beach to old World Village

on Center Street without a passport, and follow the cobblestone street to

a tiny English pub, Elfstone Hollow, or Einbecker Inn, a German

restaurant with low beams, painted walls and a chandelier of deer antlers

with tiny shaded lamps.

It’s here that Oktoberfest is in full swing, the 22nd celebration that

originated in Bavaria in 1810 to honor the marriage of Queen Theresa to

King Ludwig.

Einbecker Inn, owned by Magda Stenzel and her son, Peter, the chef, at

the west end of Old World, serves the most authentic home-style food

around. You feel as if you’ve stumbled into a German home and been

invited to dinner.

Though crisp salads have a great homemade oil and vinegar dressing, soups

are perfect for the touch of fall weather that comes through the open

window. Today it is a large bowl of thick navy bean with bits of ham,

carrot and onion. Servings are all generous. Magda’s like a mother who

wants you to clean your plane. Her huge platters are hard to resist.

Kassler Rippchen ($8.75), a 7-ounce smoked pork chop about a half inch

thick, with grill marks and great flavor, is served beside a mound of

warm potato salad. Chef Peter combines seasoned mashed potatoes with thin

potato slices, no onions or celery like the American version. It has a

unique tart flavor that lingers.

Sauerkraut is different, too. Peter ferments the thin strands of cabbage

with various spices, even bay leaves, for the smooth, gently sharp

flavor. The taste again is mild, unlike many commercial varieties.

Wiener schnitzel (Vienna cutlet) covers the plate, a veal scallop dipped

in flour and egg and dredged in fine crumbs, which, when sauteed, form a

crisp coat over the veal that could be thicker and a bit more tender.

When asked about any specials, Magda says, “Everything is special.” How

right she is. Bratwurst (veal and pork) are choices on the Einbecker

plate ($5.75). A fat, tight-skinned knackwurst cuts with a sound like

tearing silk to reveal juicy but firm and mildly spicy meat.

Six sandwiches have a variety of wursts from bratwurst made of pork and

veal to knackwurst with garlic-flavored beef or pork that gets its name

-- knack means crack -- from the sound it makes when you bite into it.

They are fat, juicy and great.

Like everything, Magda’s salad ($5.50), is a generous serving of crisp

iceberg lettuce and thin cucumber slices with strips of ham, quartered

hard boiled egg and tomato, with a tart oil and vinegar dressing and

plenty to share.

The plum cake ($2.50) is seasonal, only served in August and September

when plums are ripe, but it’s something to keep in mind, Italian prune

plums topping a rich buttery cake with real whipped cream. The wonderful

chocolate cake ($2.50) is devil’s food, completely covered with dark

chocolate icing and nuts over a layer of marzipan (almond paste). Truly

scrumptious.

Modeled after an inn in Germany, Einbecker’s has hosted many people from

Einbeck, who stop for a taste of home cooking served in a room filled

with memorabilia and in one corner, a big carousel horse carved by Werner

Stenzil when he worked at Knott’s Berry Farm.

So “get essen gehen,” dine out well, at Einbecker Inn and celebrate

Oktoberfest.

Einbecker Inn

Where: 7661 Center Ave., Old World Village.

Hours: Wednesday and Thursday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11

a.m. to 10p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Payment: Cash only

Phone: 892-9997