Restaurant Review:

Never one to bend to convention, I figured the perfect way to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend was to have lunch at a German-themed restaurant.

Since it had been years since I had visited Old World Village, I came in at the far end next to Gothard Street and parked there.

The shops were mostly closed, and I feared the restaurant would be as well. Fortunately, it was open, even though only the long table in the middle of the small dining room was available. One small table opened up eventually, and I sat down.

Only one side of the two-roomed dining area was open, and I think management was probably surprised there were so many people eating out Sunday after the holiday.

There was only one waiter for 10 tables, and it was challenging for him to attend to everyone.

Someone else was pitching in, taking drink orders and delivering Farmer’s bread, which is like a tamer rye bread.

When I got the waiter over to me, I had to lend him my pen, since his was apparently missing in action. I can certainly forgive his absence of professionalism given his predicament, but what I can’t look past is the 20 minutes it took to get my food once it was ordered.

Even though my ethnicity is German, my familiarity with the food is limited. I figured sausage would be the main course of my meal, but then I saw rouladen on the menu, along with other beef dishes.

Rouladen is tender beef thinly sliced, served in a fist-sized lump. Underneath is bacon, gourmet pickles and sautéed onions. On top is a meat gravy that further hides what is underneath.

The dish came with red cabbage and spaetzle, a traditional German dumpling dish that looks like noodles. The two-item sausage plate was too tempting, however, and my picks among the six were knackwurst and weisswurst, both of which were boiled.

The knackwurst, or knockwurst as it is more commonly known in this country, is a heavily seasoned sausage, usually with pork and beef. There was also a pretty liberal dose of garlic in the casing as well.

The weisswurst, which translated means white sausage, was a Bavarian delicacy.

The white sausage was a mix of veal and pork and wasn’t as heavily seasoned as the knockwurst. I enjoyed the taste of the sausage, though it was a little bland.

What solved that was the Dijon mustard and sauerkraut. The sauerkraut was incredibly flavorful. A dollop of sauerkraut with a dab of mustard was the perfect way to eat bite-size pieces of sausage.

Two pieces of sausage doesn’t sound like a lot, but they were both about 12 inches and finishing them actually became a chore — albeit an enjoyable one — at the end. Also served with the dish was potato salad, which was some of the best I have had.

Rather than being awash in mayonnaise, this had a mellow and light flavor.

The potatoes were also not cut into chunks, but thinner cuts, and were mixed with cured bacon, bell peppers and onions.

I felt beholden to try potato pancakes, because it was one of the three things my father knew how to cook.

These were very well done. They were thin, but didn’t fall apart. The potato pancake was properly peppered and was a joy to eat with the accompanying apple sauce.

I was going to finish the meal off with some apple strudel, but wasn’t sure if I could get the waiter to deliver it in a timely fashion and decided to buy some at the market next door, which offers many of the items served in the restaurant.

My recommendation would be to go to lunch rather than dinner. Most of the same items are on the menu, but at lunch you are going to pay about $5 less.

I can’t imagine the portions are any more, and the only thing you are getting at dinner that you don’t receive at lunch is soup or salad.

Old World Restaurant

Address: 7561 Center Ave., Huntington Beach

Phone: (714) 895-8020

Website: www.oldworld.ws

Cuisine: German

Specialty dish: Rouladen

Alcohol served: full bar

Entrée price range: $5.95 to $18.95

Family friendly: yes, separate children’s menu

Credit cards accepted: American Express, MasterCard and Visa

Rating: ***

JOHN REGER reviews local restaurants and may be contacted at Nolimepublishing@aol.com or P.O. Box 2984, Seal Beach, CA 90740.