July 8th
2007
Having lived in and around Atlanta for more than four years must have spoiled me in terms of enjoying the art of BBQs, house boat happenings (mostly at lake Lanier) and laid back pool and backyard parties that would start around noon and last until late hours. Not to say that Germans can't have a decent BBQ or BYOB happening, for sure they can, but it's different and usually doesn't include good burgers.
Fine, Munich with its gazillion beergardens isn't exactly known as burger paradise, but looking for pulled pork sandwiches with a tasty BBQ sauce or a rack of perfectly prepared baby spare ribs with meat that falls apart when merely looked at - don't even think about it, you won't find it here. I haven't.
Tracking down places that can make plain vanilla burgers well is a challenge already. Volksgarten has been our no.1 choice for a long time, their burgers are definitely among the best in town, although the quality can differ from night to night and during Soccer Worldcup, they were unacceptable. A different chef tends to cover larger events, so my advice would be to skip the food altogether during those times. The food is otherwise fine and as part of our regular Friday movie night we'll of course continue to have the occasional burger.
It has been a while ago since our friends Anja and Carlos casually mentioned Cosmogrill between two burger bites as their new Go-To place for out-of-this-world burgers. They said that even the veggie version would outburger Volksgarten's large but perhaps a bit uninspired one. In hindsight, I totally regret not having directly followed their advice sooner, even more so because Cosmogrill is really just a stone throw away from where we live. Hop on tram 19, four stops later it's happy buns time. Wow, that just sounded like that M... joint. No, it has as little to do with M as El Bulli with frozen peas, on second thought...
Don't let the first impression delude you into thinking it's all looks, no taste. Cosmogrill has a stylish yet unostentatious look, absolutely noteworthy: smoking is not permitted! Hooray! The 60 sqm include a seating area as well as a few free standing tables.
Whether you go with the classic one, the double cheese or the BBQ style burger, you will not be disappointed. If your up for a more fancy one, try the tuna/wasabi or Wagyu Kobe beef burger - both excellent choices. How about a tandoori lamb burger with a peppermint chutney or a veggie burger ("Spa") for the more vegetable inclined. And if you'd like to take it a notch up, have it with one of their red wines (Primitivo) from Puglia. These burgers play in a different league!
Just in case you're craving something different I can recommend their Curry Wurst, which may not fully adhere to the world wide Curry Wurst design standards, but is a treat anyway (ask for the hot diavolo version). The mustards are self made, well seasoned to nicely complement meat, fish and vegetable dishes.
The ingredients are super fresh and well balanced (amount wise), the meat juicy and the buns soft yet not mushy at all. Sounds like the ueberburger? You bet. Christoph Kiening, the managing director, told us that he had been testing uncountable bakeries in the city to find the one who could consistently deliver the type and quality of the buns he was looking for, in time - the buns are being delivered every morning afresh. Same goes for the beef, it's 100% BIO, in capital letters. Before the patties hit the teppan yaki grill the beef and chicken meat gets freshly ground several times per day. The meat is carefully prepared at 150°C (300°F) and you can have it any way you want it! The lower temperature guarantees the meat to stay as juicy as it can be.
What's next? I heard - through the grape vines - that a Bison Burger is in the making...
Bottom line, if you are in Munich and crave a burger, check out Cosmogrill. Seriously.
Oliver
Cosmogrill
Mon-Wed 11am-3am, Thu 11am-6am, Sun closed.
Maximilianstr. 10 (entrance located at the back of the building)
Munich (City Center)
Tel. +49 89 8905 9696
www.cosmogrill.de
I have to make sure to pay Cosmogrill a visit the next time i'm in munich. This looks much like Britains Gourmet Burger Kitchen and I absolutely adored their burgers.
Hi Nicky (& Oliver),
Visiting your blog always makes me feel homesick for Munich... and lament the fact that I had not discovered it (the blog, that is) before my last trip to Europe. Judging by the photo of Cosmogrill, things have changed a lot since last I visited three years ago. Wagyu beef - who would have thought? I'm a food obsessed German teacher (a profession I owe to my first stay in Munich at 15) living in Melbourne, and have always adored my visits to München. The one thing I've always missed while away from Melbourne though, is the outstanding quality and variety of restaurants and produce we have here. From the the look of things, I needn't be concerned next time... as long as I remember to bring along my jar of vegemite. :-)
Thanks for the Gewürzwerk adress and the comment about Cosmogrill. I'm always looking for new meat (and others) restaurants in Munich.
The Curry Wurst sounds fantastic...will remember this place when in Munich!
Too faraway from Munich unfortunately. That burger sure is yummy. Reminds me of the yummy burgers we had in LA.
nothing beats a good burger - but regretfully, few live up to the challenge! especially in this country, where little distinction is made between bone and flesh at the point of grinding the meat. enough said.
we do have a great chain, gourmet burger kitchen, and their burgers are fantastic. massive, too! it's happened more than just once that i went in to share (!) a burger with a friend and couldn't finish my half. and you know i've got a healthy appetite!
can't wait to be in munich now... leaving in a few days and looking forward to seeing you both!
burgers.... i'm posting from augusta, georgia, just a couple hours away from atlanta. remember this restaurant - the sports center on broad street. if any of you find yourselves in my neck of the woods, that's the place to find the best burger in my town. i'll be in germany in mid-october. i'm looking forward to my tante ingrid's frikkadellen (that's my idea of a german hamburger!!).
Ah man, curry wurst is my favorite. I wish we had them her in NYC!
I still prefer the US bbq to some grilled and braised German style meat dishes. Pulled pork for me is the king- my husband is addicted! Wish we could combine German meat with American bbq flavors...
BIO - that's what I like to hear. I haven't eaten a Burger in years because I'm so "over" the badly treated, hormone and antibiotic-pumped, prematurely and inhumanely-slaughtered animals that end up on people's plates 7 days a week.
Nothing beats a proper burger! Hopefully the philosophy behind this burger restaurant will inspire others to concentrate on high quality ingredients, even if it is still considered "fast food".
To Anna,No offence love, but its pretty unfair to hit Munich with a charge of lacking the variety and quality of restaurants The one thing I’ve always missed while away from Melbourne though, is the outstanding quality and variety of restaurants and produce we have here when the only places you visit are the Hofbraeuhaus and Aussie bars (i read your blogs). You're asking for trouble really...Phil
I have to make you a big compliment on your website. Everyday since two years I go on to your site. It expresses my style of living, cooking and enjoying life. I have over 100 cookbooks. I buy them like you because of graphic appearance and/or convincing (simple) art of cooking. That´s my bedtime literature, although I hardly ever cook after recipes, I love them as an inspiration.I live in an old convent (now private ;-) ) outside Munich, and you make my day first thing in the morning with a nice cup of "Milchkaffee" before starting work at the pc (graphics also). Keep on going!!!
i hear you!
the biggest problem with decent back ribs in Munich - they don't realize that you're supposed to cook them first for a short time to tenderize the meat and get it off the bone later. it's a shame and i'll take some of the blame as someone born in Munich who hadn't learned about these things until i was in my late twenties...
When I was a kid I lived in Woodstock, GA and my family had a boat down on Lake Laneir. We were always grilling burgers on the beach. Thanks for reminding me!
I second Johanna re. the Gourmet Burger Kitchen - they are fantastic, and with innovative recipes. This place sounds glorious - and I will be able to try it out when I am in town at the end of September for... you know what ;-)
I must say, good pulled pork sandwiches are truly hard to come by outside the USA, as are good hot corned beef sandwiches :-(
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To Phil, a belated response as I've only just noticed your comment... if only I'd discovered Delicious Days sooner I might have known better!! But seriously, so I wrote a few (humorous) e-mails in 2004 mentioning visits to dodgy venues in Munich... not really a criminal offence... also, it doesn't mean that they were the only places I visited - they simply provided the most amusing anecdotes for my letters home. :-)
OK. It's 0:30am, I am far far away from Munich right now and VERY HUNGRY now :) How long would it take to send any of their burgers to Bremen?
:) You are the best!!
Jeanny (magengrummelgrummel)