Outside of actually being in Germany, there's no place I've been that's more proud of their German heritage than Cincinnati. Greater Cincinnati boasts at least seven Oktoberfest celebrations -- all on different weekends for maximum German food/beer/music/culture enjoyment. The biggest (but not the best in my opinion) is Oktoberfest Zinzinnati -- the largest Oktoberfest outside München.Every year, downtown Cincinnati is crammed with revelers. The party usually spills over the Ohio River into Newport, Kentucky, where you will find the Hofbräuhaus. You know... in case you haven't had enough German food, drink, and music.
Anyway, so far this weekend, we have made the first of two visits to Germania's Oktoberfest, the oldest and most authentic in the area. We listened to German music, were surrounded by lederhosen and alpine hats, and oh-my-God the food. Friends joined us for dunkel, kartoffelpuffers, apfelmus, goetta, and bratwursts with sauerkraut. Yummmm!
Unlike Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, often overrun with the college crowd interested only in taps overflowing with beer, Germania's crowd was more interested in reveling with fellow German-thusiasts. Just the way we like it. Prost!
