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The top chefs from East Germany
| 2009-10-19 By Barbara Goerlich East Germany adds its grain of salt to the art of cooking: the five “new” federal states* are now producing more and more starred-chefs. Although the majority admittedly hail from the West and are, therefore, viewed as “foreigners”, a number of chefs who learned their trade in the former East Germany are now seen as being among the best and most renowned exponents of their craft.  © Romantik Hotel Pattis Dresden Mario Pattis, the first Michelin starred chef from East GermanyMario Pattis ist the first Michelin-starred chef hailing from the federal state of Saxony, having received the prestigious award in 1994 whilst working as a chef at the Zur Erholung restaurant in Dresdner. Pattis is renowned for his creative and modern interpretations of the Saxon-baroque royal kitchen. Pattis’ main focus has always been his family-run business, the Romantik Hotel and Restaurant Pattis in Dresden, but the chef is now working on the blueprint for a new restaurant in the city’s historical centre. Right now, details are sketchy but, rest-assured, he’ll be striving to attain Michelin "star levels“. Watch this space!  © Ristorante Stadtpfeiffer im Gewandhaus Detlef Schlegel: Star chef and entrepreneurIt all started for Detlef Schlegel with a cooking lesson in a "working mens club" in Döbeln (saxony) with a restaurant, bar, ballroom and wedding room. Schlegel slaved at the stove whilst future wife, Petra, trained up on service. During several years of travel and training, the couple ventured throughout the GDR through places such as Usedom, Rennsteig and Oberwiesenthal. Then the Wall came down and the world became bigger, as did their ambitions. Next for the Schlegals came stints in Traube-Tonbach at the Brenner's Park Hotel, Nösse auf Sylt, Victoria Jungfrau in Interlaken and the Gstaad Chesery. Then, wooed by Leipzig and a chance for independence, the Schlegels became proprietors of Stadtpfeiffer. Schlegel’s cuisine raised the bar fort he famous Gewandhaus (concert hall) restaurant and the establishement was awarded a Michelin star in 2002. Schlegel’s preference is to work with all kinds of seafood, devising creations such as scallops with black truffle, bacon and glazed beetroot. However, you’ll also find options such as first-class, milk-fed lamb in his repertoire.  © Bäkemühle Ronny Pietzner: a passionate chefRonny Pietzner is living proof that you don’t necessarily need a Michelin star to achieve fame in Germany’s culinary scene. Aged just 31, the chef has created something of a culinary revolution in his kitchen. A native of Brandenburg, Pietzner seems to have almost exploded onto the German restaurant scene, having trained as a chef at the Hotel Hakeburg in the Potsdam region, followed by stints at the Krongut Bornstedt close to the Sanssouci Castle in Potsdam, the Turmhotel Lübbenau in Spreewald and the Hotel Bayrisches Haus in Potsdam. In 2002 Pietzner founded Gastronomy Management GmbH focusing on product and concept development and two years later he opened his own restaurant Bäkemühle in Kleinmachnow near Berlin. Today, Pietzner heads up his own group of companies, as well as several restaurants (Blockhaus in Wolzensee, Bismarckhöhe at Werder) and oversees a thriving catering service responsible for managing recipes, menus and the sourcing of produce for large companies. And if that wasn’t enough, Pietzner has added to his reputation by becoming one of east Germany’s most famous TV chefs, working with national broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg since 2005 as the star of TV show Zibb. As well as making a name for himself as the author of numerous cookbooks. All this and the young father still finds time for a voluntary role as manager of the German association of chefs, the Köche-Nationalmannschaft, leading the team to a World Championship title in Singapore in 2006. Despite his meteoric rise, Pietzner’s feet remain firmly on the ground and his favourite place is still in the heat of the kitchen. A truly passionate chef!  © Rutz Weinbar Marco Müller: Cooking with HeartHis favourite dish is fresh tartare with and he likes to spice his creations with toasted coriander seeds. Born in Potsdam-Babelsberg, Marco Müller’s career began in 1986 with a training apprrenticeship at the Potsdam HO of the East German state-run trade organization. After the Wall came down, Müller worked in several Berlin restaurants such as Schlosshotel in Grunewald, the Kempinski Grill and Grand Slam in Grunewald. From the Bühler Höhe Schlosshotel in the Black Forest Müller continued his progression with a role as the head chef in the Harlekin Restaurant situated within the Berlin Grand Hotel Esplanade, before taking on a role in the kitchen of the Rutz Weinbar in Berlin’s Mitte district in 2004. It’s motto: "To cook with the heart ". In 2007 the Michelin Guide gave Müller his first star. "It was like a knighthood," he recalls. "I had goose bumps for about an hour and finally fell asleep with a big smile on my face," he says. The Rutz Weinbar is a chic, modern restaurant spread across two levels. The Bel Etage restaurant situated above the ground floor cocktail lounge almost seems to float and its location at the Szenekiez Oranienburg Gate is perfect. Diners wanting to view the master and his team in full flow can reserve the Theatertisch that faces the glass wall that divides the dining room from the kitchen. *The five states that formerly comprised the GDR are Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Useful InfoRestaurant Stadtpfeiffer im Gewandhaus Augustusplatz 8 04109 Leipzig Tel. 0341/217 89 20 Bäkemühle Wilhelm-Pieck-Strasse 7a 14532 Stahnsdorf-Sputendorf Tel. 033203/780 08 Rutz Weinbar Chausseestraße 8 10115 Berlin-Mitte Tel. 030/24 62 87 60 |
