Hungry in Germany? Look for a Broomstick!

It was dark outside and I shivered in my coat walking in an unfamiliar neighborhood alone on the look out....for a broom.  Brooms are not so easy to spot when it's dark outside, but I persisted in my search - my curiosity piqued by the promise of traditional Swabian food and of course home brewed wine.  The broom is not code for some secret club, but is code for a Swabian Besen (Swabian - name for locals in the south western state of Baden-Wuerttemberg in Germany and besen is broom in German), these are temporary restaurants and pubs set up in people's houses - usually the living or dining room - no restaurant or bar licence required!

Eventually, I found the Swabian Besen marked by the trusty broom.  I had no problem finding my noisy English speaking group of 14 other expats.  We were in the dining room cozily sitting around a table that would comfortably seat 8, but part of the fun of a Swabian Besen are the cozy (read cramped) quarters.  Just imagine how short on space you would be trying to run a restaurant/bar in your living room and dining room.  The menu was small and served tradiotional Swabish food.  I settled on a nice traditional Swabish meal of sausages and potato salad - homemade of course!

Since the Besen is run out of someone's house, all the cooking is done in a regular sized kitchen, so as one might expect, Besen's aren't known for their fast service, but this is also part of the fun.  You want to linger at a Swabian Besen, enjoy the cozy atmosphere and the unique experience of dining in a stranger's house with  other strangers who are sitting unusually close.  Besides, Swabian Besen's are famous for their wine, which flows freely creating a festive friendly atmosphere!  Swabian Besen's are usually run by vineyard owners, who then sell their wine at their Besen.  If you do find a good Besen though, and want to come again, you've got to be quick about it.  Swabian Besen's are generally only open for 2-3 weeks at a time, but fortunately they may be open several times a year - hence the broomstick to tell you when the Besen is open, since the opening hours are sporadic at best. 

When I got home, I was in a great mood, having experienced a German custom unbeknown to me just a few days before, and having a nice chat with some other expats (I'm sure the wine didn't hurt either).  J.P. proceed to ask me a lot of questions about the Swabian Besen.  At first I thought he just wanted to ensure that I had a good time, but it soon became clear that he'd never actually been to a Swabian Besen despite living in Stuttgart for 12 years.  I enjoyed the cozy unique experience of the Swabian Besen so much last night that I intend to go again - and this time I will bring J.P.

Find a Swabian Besen in Stuttgart
More Historical/Cultural Activities in Stuttgart
http://attractions.uptake.com/germany/baden-wuerttemberg/stuttgart/cultural.html
Broom Photo courtesy of Stuttgart Information