Steinberg's Wildewiese
It tastes best on the roof of the Sauerland, where the road simply ends.
Green. Arrived.
These are the first thoughts that go through our heads as we reach the NaturHotel Steinbergs in Wildewiese. Wildewiese is not a fantasy term, the place really is called that. As soon as we're inside, it's over again and we're standing in front of the NaturHotel Steinbergs. An exciting mix: a cozy inn from the 1950s, directly opposite the new hotel that only opened in October 2016 with modern, clear architecture and lots of wood, behind it a stable and a rustic hut, the "Steinberg-Alm". And lots of green - not just the surrounding Weide with grazing cows and the forests, but also the hotel itself with its small and large accents of wood and green.
Nina from service welcomes us to the restaurant and brings us and other guests the lunch menu - with a wooden cover, of course! She gives us a brief introduction to the kitchen: small and large dishes, lots of organic and regional....we have probably just looked deep into the eyes of tomorrow's rump steak on the Weide! Vegetarian and vegan dishes are marked separately.
We opt for a regional snack that has already aroused our curiosity because of its name - "Muhhh im Grünen". Sauerland cream cheese from Abtei Königsmünster wrapped in bacon and fried on garden salads with a sour cherry and balsamic vinaigrette.
Lots of organic and regional...
Head chef Franz-Josef Steinberg invites us to take a look in the kitchen and confirms our suspicion that we might encounter a piece of meat on the plate beforehand:
The Steinbergs source beef and pork from the butcher in the neighboring village, vegetables and mushrooms from Niederberndorf near Schmallenberg, and the game and fish also come from the local forests and lakes around Wildewiese. That's why the menu changes frequently - depending on what the market and nature have to offer. "Wild times" are ahead in Wildewiese, as Franz-Josef Steinberg reports: From mid-October until Christmas, game weeks are the order of the day, which will be opened in proper style on October 19 with a hunting horn corps at the Steinberg-Alm.
I am personally interested in how the kitchen deals with special allergies and food intolerances. Can such guests also eat at Steinbergs without hesitation? No problem - Franz-Josef Steinberg reassures me that the service has a separate menu where all ingredients are labeled. He and his three chefs are also available for personal discussions about such special requirements.
And it's not just the ingredients that come from the region. The oak wood, from which so much furniture and accessories are made individually and adapted to the shape of the tree, was also discovered by wood craftsman Markus Schmidt in the surrounding forests and processed into real eye-catchers.
Grandpa Franz and other guests
We enjoy our "Muhhh im Grünen" and take a look around. What kind of people come here for Essen or go on vacation to the "Wildenwiese"? From high heels to hiking boots and bathing slippers, it's all here: a group of creative people who have swapped one of the three meeting rooms for the shade under the large parasol are discussing new ideas. Hikers, families with children from babies to teenagers, a yoga group, a young couple. Gradually, a few mountain bikers arrive who are easily recognizable as Sauerlanders and spontaneously join Grandpa Franz.
For a normal day in the middle of the week, a surprisingly large number of guests come in for lunch from out of town. Nina and her colleagues Doro and Vane keep their cool, always have a humorous saying on their lips and find a place for everyone, even with special requests. The pithy parlor and the inviting Biergarten next to the NaturHotel are a visual journey of discovery: Many old things, such as the chairs and tables from the fifties or the pictures that bear witness to many a long evening in the pub, are combined with modern and surprising things - always with lots of wood, of course, like the seating area behind the tiled stove.
As different as the guests here seem to be, they are all united by the desire for a cozy atmosphere with good food - whether to relax or work, for a few hours or several days.
After a delicious meal, we want to explore the Wildewiese. As a certified hiking inn, the Steinbergs have twenty hiking routes to suit all abilities. With a wink in the direction of my young, highly motivated children, junior manager Robin Steinberg, who of course knows his way around, advises us to take a different route with fewer inclines. We are given a description, a hiking map and tips on what to see along the way. Our little tour takes us to the observation tower on the nearby Schomberg - the panoramic view from there is pure Sauerland.
We are real Sauerlanders - authentic, down-to-earth in the best sense of the word and close to nature.
We haven't found a common thread, but a green one," says hotel manager Marion Steinberg. Together with her husband Franz-Josef Steinberg, she has been running the family hotel since 1992. Her parents Franz and Ursel Steinberg opened the inn back in the mid-1950s. In the meantime, their son Robin has also joined them as a chef and business administration graduate. "In the beginning, we had no plan at all. We thought we would open the door, offer good food with good service and please every guest," says Marion Steinberg, looking back. And it worked. Somehow, anyway. Marketing and target groups were still foreign words - until they began to recognize, define and develop their unique selling points more than 10 years ago through impressions from various seminars.
"Now we know exactly what 'Steinberg's Wildewiese' looks like and how we can continue to work on it. We are true Sauerlanders - authentic, down-to-earth in the best sense of the word and close to nature. We want our guests to feel this in the hotel, in the kitchen and, above all, in the service by enjoying their work and showing appreciation." This was the goal that was gradually implemented and is now the key to the success of Steinbergs Restaurant und NaturHotel.
Text: Rita Maurer
Photography: Ralf Litera
Video: Jannik Fischbach Jannik Fischbach
