KNOT WHAT YOU MAY EXPECT...

             Soft? Salty? What are we talking about...something that bier drinking would not be the same without... the soft pretzel.   

            Although the pretzel carries strong associations to Bavaria, the origin of the pretzel possibly goes back to Northern France or Italy. (Say what? Yes, it's true.)

            Around 600AD a monk on baking duty during Lent thought it would be a good idea to use a piece of leftover dough and create a piece of bread that emulated the crossed-arm praying position, popular at the time. (Guess you need to know your Catholic history.) Anyway, the inventive monk named the new creation pretiola, which means “little reward” in Latin. He used the  pretiola  as rewards for children who correctly recited their prayers.

Over time pretiola became a cheap and filling food that  monks handed out to those in need.

            Moving from monastery to monastery across the Alps, the pretiola found its way into Austria and Germany where it was linguistically corrupted to bretzel or pretzel as we know it today.

The pretzel remains a staple at any German restaurant, and certainly during Oktoberfest celebrations.  (A long way from the mouths of well-behaved babes to accomplished boot drinkers.)  In Munich Brotfrauen (bread women) sell pretzels to the bier full partiers. The bread women sell upwards of 400,000 Bretzeln (pretzels auf Deutsch) each year.   And of course, Essen Haus will have many of the bready treats on hand during Oktoberfest for your bier laden bellies.

DANCE OF YOUR DIRNDLS!

For the 29^th year, the Essen Haus hosts Madison’s Oktoberfest on Sat. Sept. 15.  Let the gemutlichkeit roll with bier, brats, polka and more.

If you were not aware Oktoberfest in Munich holds title for the biggest party in the world.   Essen Haus owner Bob Worm said that he began having Oktoberfest, and other traditional German celebrations because he wanted to bring that festive German party culture to Madison.  Worm held the Essen Haus’ first Oktoberfest just three weeks after the restaurant opened in September of 1983.

This year, the party starts with an Essen Haus favorite, The Rowe Brother’s Band.  Be ready to polka at 12pm.  

Also set up at 12 pm, artists from the successful July event, Art on the Side Show, will set up their booths and offer artistic activities for the whole family.  Many artists are adding a special German flair to their sideshow-like booths and games.

Neale Hansen, the General Manager, thought the carnival inspired art booths would be an excellent addition to this year’s Oktobefest.  “They have many more activities other than drinking at the Oktobefest in Munich, a carnival being one of them.  People had a lot of fun at the art show and I think it will add something sort of unique to our Oktoberfest,” explained Hansen.

Another popular event at the Art on the Side Show, will make a varied appearance at Oktoberfest.  Instead of a pie eating contest, we will hold a brat eating contest.  The first person to finish three brats wins.

Next on the agenda, the traditional band Dorf Kapelle, meaning village band, takes the Essen Haus stage at 4pm.  Recently seen at German Fest in Milwaukee, Dorf Kapelle, a veteran band existing for 24 years, is dedicated reproducing European wind music which includes polkas, waltzes and marches.  Their 18 piece band includes flutes, trombones, tubas and more!

The party moves inside the Essen Haus (we don’t want to disturb the neighbors after 8pm with our ruckus gemutlichkeit) with the Brewhaus Polka Kings.  Notorious for their Lawerence Welk bubble machine the band will certainly bring that German fun to the stage.  Be sure you wear your leather party pants and get on board with the biggest party in the world.