I was pleasantly surprised to have been able to score a
table for two on a Friday night when I called a few weeks back. While parking is a bit difficult (since the restaurant is located
directly on Main St. in Hamilton) I was definitely far too excited to let that
deter me; I hadn’t been to Zum Linzer in several months and wore my stretchiest
finest jeans for the meal.
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| Deep Fried Camembert |
From the moment you walk into their small but cozy digs, you
pretty much know right away that you are in a German restaurant. They have
about 10 tables and a small but very nice bar. They have a row of beer steins
along a shelf hung across a brick wall in addition to a collection of
decorative plates. They use proper linens on their tables (i.e.: not paper) and
their servers are always knowledgeable, friendly and prompt.
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| House Salad |
When we sat down, there were about 3 other full tables and I
could hear people quietly speaking to each other in German (which I take to be
a very good sign). Soft music with inaudible lyrics could be heard in the
background and mostly everyone there seemed pretty serious about the food and
beer. While they don’t have a huge beer selection, what they do offer includes
select imports such as Warsteiner Dark, Munich, Stiegl and Gosser with a few on
tap and a few in bottles. I know the beer only contributes to how full I
inevitably feel whenever I eat here but I think it is necessary – somehow wine
just doesn’t feel right. Kind of like how not eating the complementary rye
bread that comes to the table doesn’t feel right, even though it means that I’m
already half full before the apps arrive.
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| Gypsy Schnitzel |
We start off with the deep fried camembert cheese and
receive a huge breaded and deep fried round of the stuff. It comes out golden
and crispy on the outside and warm and creamy on the inside. They serve it on a toasted piece of bread with
a thick dark currant jam on the side, of which the sweet and tart flavors perfectly
complement the rich cheese.
We then receive two plates of the house salad, which is
quite unique in comparison to many other places. The salad is basically a
handful or so of fresh greens topped with a medley of finely diced pickled
veggies in an oil and vinegar dressing. Little pieces of carrots, red cabbage
and onion can be picked out, creating a colourful, flavourful and interesting
start to our meal.
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| Liver and Onions |
Our mains arrive at the table – two heaping plates of meat,
sauce and spaetzle. My boyfriend ordered the liver and onions because a) he
loves liver and onions and b) he says it’s the best he’s ever had (I can’t
really comment on this because unfortunately I really, really don’t like liver
and onions). I ordered the gypsy schnitzel, a classic thin piece of breaded pork
covered in a rich paprika sauce. It comes with a huge portion of spaetzle and grilled veggies. The sauce is savoury but not spicy, with sliced red peppers and onions
to give it a bit of texture and depth of flavour.
We didn’t have room for dessert (or for all of the spaetzle)
and we both left feeling very satisfied and exceptionally full. I certainly recommend this place to
anyone looking for a delicious schnitzel (Michael recommends it for anyone
looking for amazing liver and onions) and an overall very good dining
experience in Hamilton.
