If getting dressed up in your best lederhosen and dirndls while eating and drinking traditional German offerings is your idea of an amazing time, then Himmel Haus has you covered over a three-weekend celebration beginning Saturday, September 21.
Traditionally, the Germany Oktoberfest celebration starts in late September and runs through the beginning of October, which is a similar approach being taken by the German restaurant and bar for this year’s festivities. No matter the event, patrons are encouraged to dress in traditional attire.
Kinderfest Family Day (Sept. 21 – 12:30 p.m.)
“We did it last year as our first year doing a family-friendly day,” said co-owner David Armstrong. “It was a huge success. It was very busy.”
Building upon that success, this year will include snow cone and cotton candy machines, face painting, and a bouncy house for the kiddos, as well as food and beer specials for the parents. In addition, you can be sure to expect to hear plenty of Oktoberfest polka music.
Ales and Alpine Vibes (Sept. 28 – 5 p.m.)
The biggest change for the dinner-time celebration this year will include the ceremonial keg tapping, which occurred on the party and pageant day last year.
“We have a ceremonial keg where you have the handle that comes out of it and you have to tap that into there with a wooden mallet,” added Armstrong. “It kind of sprays everywhere, but it’s fun.”
Reservations are being taken for the dinner celebration and according to Armstrong the lively celebration with more music and food specials will fill up.
Prost to the Party (Oct. 5 – 8 p.m.)
The pageant and party that’s been going on every year since opening offers up a $1,000 cash prize to the top three contestants.
“Its $500 for first place, $300 for second place, and $200 for third place, said Armstrong. “People have to come dressed in whatever kind of traditional attire and I’ve even had people make outfits before.”
“We have a panel of local judges, so we try to get the community involved. People are judged on their outfit and we create a little runway. We do introductions and get
into fun facts about the people and also have the audience write up some questions – most of them are German related which is fun and it gets kind of kooky.”
Oktoberfest at Himmel Haus.Provided
In addition to the outfit judging, the contestants will also have the ability to show off their skills during the talent show portion of the night.
“I’ve had people play music, I’ve had people chug a beer. I’ve had a lot of interesting stuff and some really talented people, too,” added Armstrong. “It’s fun for people to come and just be involved.”
While contestants can register ahead of time by emailing the restaurant, Armstrong says they always end up with a handful the day of – although he added that it’ always better to know sooner, and the more contestants, the better.
With the celebration happening later in the evening and more of a party-type atmosphere, this event is for 21 and over only.
Himmel Haus is located at 290 Kingsbury Grade Rd #22 in South Lake Tahoe, CA. Interested contestants for the pageant can email himmelbookings@gmail.com. For more information you can reach them by phone at (530) 314-7665 or visit them online at himmelhausslt.com.
To try and decide each week where and what to eat around the basin can be a challenge – there are so many amazing choices. In this feature we’ll dive into dishes that will surely satisfy those hunger pangs and leave you wondering where to go next.
If you’re on the hunt for something a little different for breakfast, I’ve got you covered with this week’s feature. Not only does it give you all the feels of a perfect breakfast meal, but it also does your body a solid by eating something healthy. Oh, it’s also vegan and gluten free if that needs to be a consideration.
The components are straightforward, but when they are fresh and paid attention to, are magic when combined and executed perfectly. The main ingredients of the omelette (besides the eggs) are mushrooms, asparagus and Sonoma goat cheese. The mushrooms are cooked into the egg before it wraps around the crisp-tender asparagus and cheese like a big bear hug from your favorite person.
As expected, the shrooms and asparagus give this dish an earthy flavor, but that tanginess from the goat cheese really kicks that earthiness into a different stratosphere. The airiness of the egg balances well against the snap from the asparagus, which leads the way in how light and bright this dish eats.
It’s served alongside country potatoes, which are the perfect partner, and don’t weigh the dish down a single bit. Crispy, fluffy, salty, and cooked to perfection, it’s like getting Daniel Day Lewis as a supporting actor in your movie.
Partner this dish up with either their horseradish infused Bloody Mary or Mimosa offerings and you have all the makings of a breakfast of champions. Yes, this is way better than a bowl of Wheaties.
Toulouse restaurant is located at 901 Park Ave. in South Lake Tahoe. For menu and more information visit them online at toulouse.wtf or reach them by phone at 530-600-0060.
The Sip Scene showcases unique libations from around the basin. Whether it’s a type of beer, wine, cocktail — you name it — we’ll uncover those tasty beverages for you to try at one of the countless local breweries, bars and restaurants.
Gin martini or vodka martini? Does it really matter so long as it’s tasty? I’m sure for some of you it does matter, but me, I’m on team tastes good all day long – and this cocktail is a perfect example of why.
The main spirit is 72 Mile vodka – which is produced locally – and it gets paired up with Chambord, raspberry, and lemon before it’s shaken up and poured into the glass then garnished with a touch of fresh basil.
With all the clean flavors bouncing around your palette, each sip is light and fresh and you can feel each of the ingredients layer upon layer. The initial hit of raspberry gives way to the velvety tones of the Chambord (black raspberry liqueur), then you’re hit with a spike of tartness from the lemon, and ultimately giving way to the smoothness of the vodka.
While the fruit flavors scream the loudest, it definitely is not overly fruity. Everything just seems to find a groove and stick with it for the duration of the drinking. Which is kind of what you want in a cocktail, right?
Sage Leaf is located at 893 Tahoe Blvd. Ste. 600 in Incline Village. For menu, hours of operation and more information visit them on the web at sageleaftahoe.com or reach them by phone at 775-413-5005.
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