Eric B.
Yelp
If stoking up on sturdy Teutonic fare and hoisting frothy steins of beer to German drinking songs and Polish polkas is your thing, you will love Edelweiss' traditional Oktoberfest celebration. The Missus and I have been celebrating this 200+-year-old Bavarian tradition with friends here annually. A few years ago, unhappy about changes to the special Oktoberfest menu, we expressed our disappointment to management. I guess others did, too, because the menu was subsequently revamped and is better than ever. Entrée prices include two sides and there is a small upcharge for substituting the (included) soup-of-the-day with another soup or salad.
Our meal began with dense, dark German bread and bowls of hearty goulash soup (+$3). A light eater in our party was very pleased with the grilled salmon. The rest of us enjoyed Wienerschnitzel, pounded thin and pan-fried to perfection. Traditional sides of German fried potatoes, boiled potatoes, red cabbage, and cucumber salad were fresh and robust. We boxed up half of our meals to save room for house-made apple bread pudding topped with vanilla ice cream.
Hats off to wunderbar service and $2 valet parking. And, hey, it wouldn't be Oktoberfest without live entertainment on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings! We much enjoyed "Alpine Thunder," a fun group of musicians who got the party going with brass, woodwind, percussion, accordion, and vocals. In case you're wondering, yah, they played the "Chicken Dance." A duet of genuine wooden Alphorns brought the Bavarian Alps to Norridge.