In most touristic locations I visit, I find two types of restaurants: posh ones and convenient ones. The posh ones actually vary a lot in their level of poshness, but they are usually located on some back street off the central square, are only open in the evenings and hard to find a table in without prior reservation, have a short menu and daily specials, and are, of course, expensive. Convenient restaurants, on the other hand, are normally situated right in the middle of the town or village, are open throughout the day, always have a spare table, and feature a huge menu with still above-average prices. (Of course, there are also other types of restaurants, like cheap and crap ones, but why bother with them?) In Ehrwald, the posh one is Holzerstubn and the convenient one is Cafe Leitner. Of the six evenings I spent in Ehrwald, I visited Holzerstubn once and Leiter thrice. I guess I simply don’t like to make reservations.
With Germany just a few kilometers away and Germans known for their appetites, Cafe Leitner has quite a few XXL dishes on the menu, including the all-important Currywurst. Somewhat unexpectedly, it also serves a Brettljause, calling it “Brotzeitbrettl” in a Bavarian manner. Actually, I don’t mind this name; it bothers me more when menus simply list the dish as “Brotzeit.” It’s like calling an afternoon snack “teatime.” It makes no sense.
My expectations were, frankly, very low, so when a long plank arrived with thick slices of mountain cheese, a couple of thick slices of salami (the menu mentioned Kaminwuzn, but it was definitely salami) and two types of good Tyrolean Speck, I was positively surprised. A small schnapps was certainly a nice touch, too. The second type of cheese was boring and the industrial toast ham was almost scandalous, but by mixing different ingredients, horseradish and “green stuff,” I managed to build a few sandwiches that tasted great despite the lack of variety.
At 17.5 euros, the Brettljause was obviously overpriced, but I had expected nothing less with rich Bavarians living so close. It was, however, a real Brettljause, which would not look out of place in a mountain hut with cows and sheep grazing around. For a “convenient” restaurant, it was a notable achievement.
Taking my last after-dinner walk in Ehrwald, I kept on seeing the name Leitner everywhere: sporting goods Leitner, apartments Leitner, Leitner ski school, and even a fashion and watch shop Leitner. The family owns half of the village, it seems. No wonder that the restaurant was better than expected.
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