DAS LOKAL

Das Lokal is a little off the beaten path: what was once a KFC and then a Portuguese grill is now a destination on Dalhousie. With alpine ski chalet decor and live music on weekends, it’s a cozy, lively spot offering food that’s both modern and old-world.

Austrian-born chef Christian Wallner puts forth such German classics as buttery spaetzle, bratwurst grilled to just bursting, and Black Forest cake. Add to these pork cheeks, root vegetables, cabbage, kale, and flavours that rely on pickles and mustard.

Schnitzel is, expectedly, a popular choice — the thin piece of pork enveloped in a crunchy coating provides a satisfying taste of meat, fat, and salt. Vegetables get star treatment: salad is kale with grilled radicchio while corn-andasparagus blinis are a feast for the eyes and palate. Given portion sizes and the typical heaviness of the dishes, you are unlikely to be hungry after a meal.

The drinks menu includes original concoctions, mixing tea syrups with citrus and muddled fruit; peach schnapps, of course, is mixed in creative ways.

Fairy lights outside, a fire in winter, and a sizable terrace in summer make Das Lokal a year-round destination where people are beating a path to a now beloved place.