Voices United members exploring the depths of flavors in German cuisine at Rohmer’s Restaurant
Vicki Baker
Willkommen to the month of October with its changing fall colors and crisp sweater weather. And don’t forget Oktoberfest, the world’s largest folk festival, held annually in Germany. No, Voices United members didn’t attend any folk festivals or travel to Germany, but we did enjoy the robust flavors of this western European country. The Voices United Diversity in Action Committee continued its initiative “Bridging Cultures through Food” as we lunched at Rohmer’s Restaurant for hardy and rich traditional German foods.
The restaurant has a long history as a family-owned, German-American establishment, serving the community for over 60 years. Located in Muenster, Texas, the Rohmers, along with other German Catholic immigrants, were one of the first families to settle the area. This tiny town of about 1,600, which sits 5,000 miles west of its namesake in Germany, remains a bastion of German heritage, food, and cultural traditions since its founding in the late 19th century.
Greeted by Dina Sicking (nee Rohmer), we were introduced to her family’s earliest years in establishing a homestead in Texas, then, many years later, the opening of the restaurant by her father Emil Rohmer. The authentic dishes on today’s menu were handed down through the generations, serving up a deeply satisfying range of flavors.
But first a toast, “Probst” (Cheers), followed by our joy of discovering a new cuisine. The typical German fare heavily emphasized meats, including schweineschnitzel, a breaded pork cutlet accompanied by a jager (mushroom) sauce; mild and savory bratwurst; and richly seasoned pork sausage. Accompanied side dishes were tangy red cabbage, sweet and sour-tasting sauerkraut, and bacon-infused potato salad. We finished with apple strudel, a traditional dessert featuring a spiced apple filling rolled in a thin, flaky pastry.
Rohmer’s Restaurant served its traditions proudly. Each bite of this delightful journey into authentic German food left us feeling full and happy. Then to further tap into our cultural experience, we shopped at family-owned Fischer’s Meat Market. Opened in 1927, it offered row after row of made-on-site spice mixes, relishes, and jams; a whole bunch of cheeses; and cured meats ranging from knockwurst to smoked ham. And we couldn’t leave Muenster without stopping by its museum housing artifacts that tell the story of the immigrants who dared to make a life so far from home.
Voices United’s “Bridging Cultures through Food” culinary visit to Rohmer’s Restaurant fostered a greater sense of connection and understanding of people with a differing heritage, a heritage brought to this country by immigrants seeking a better and more secure life.
Interested in seeing the world through the eyes of others and expanding your own awareness of diversity, come join Voices United, a 501(c)(3) organization of progressive women, on the first Saturday of the month at 11 a.m. in the clubhouse. For more information, visit www.voicesunitedrr.org.