I tend to get very suspicious of "theme" restaurants; establishments that put too much effort into their esthetics often pay too little attention to their fare.  Gunther's Edelweiss certainly showed signs of being overdone in the decorations department; painted figures inside and outside, sometimes garish decorations, it was a grand attempt to bring the Bavarian feeling into a US restaurant, and I can't say they failed.

A very friendly waitress brought a basket of bread, a hearty rye I would've been pleased with had it surrounded a sandwich; but which was a bit tough for starting off a meal with.  She also brought the menu, which immediately confronted me with the names of dishes I didn't recognize.  Prices seemed a bit high as well, but without knowing what I was paying for...  I debated ordering the house specialty, "Veal Schnitzel Ludwig", but decided instead to get the "Furstenteller", a sampler platter.

The waitress first delivered the soup of the day, a thick potato and string bean soup with other vegetables; it was tasty and the dense concoction held the heat as I swallowed.  Next up was the salad platter, which was more than a mere lettuce salad; also on the platter were small portions of green bean salad, spicy potato salad and cole slaw.  The bold flavors went well together, and I finished the salads quickly, hoping the remainder of the dinner would be as good.

The Furstenteller platter arrived, visually stunning and with an odor that brought back my hunger pangs.  I can list what was on it easily enough; "Jagerschnitzel, Roulade, Sauerbraten, Edelweiss Schnitzel, Spatzle"...  Ask me which I liked best, and I'm afraid I couldn't tell you, because I have only the dimmest idea which was which.  The combination was overwhelming sensation-wise.  Beef, veal, and sausage slices under various sauces...  Wow.

Anyhow, after all that, I took a sip of my Dr. Pepper (no, I can't even drink real German bier), and decided to add insult to injury; I ordered the strudel.  It didn't take long for the waitress to bring a piece of apple strudel, hot and fresh -- fresh from the freezer, that is.  Oh well; can't expect EVERYTHING to be superb.  It was pretty good, and the two big gobs of whipped cream didn't hurt.

Gunther's Edelweiss is one of the more expensive restaurants in town, but their dinners are wonderful.  If you're hungry for dinner but can't decide what you want, Gunther's is a great place to introduce your taste buds to something unique.