German Food Festival Oktoberfest 2010 - Trinidad Hilton

Men in shorts with suspenders yodeling and dancing amidst diners at the Hilton Hotel Port of Spain - strange? No, it is after all, October.

Hilton's Dining Room Dressed
for the October 7th-13th Festival

Oktoberfest was celebrated in splendid style for the second time in as many years here in Trinidad and I loved it. This was not an ordinary themed buffet inspired by a distant affair in a land far away. This was a slice of the real deal, a true taste of the Munich Festival that has become the world's largest fair.

Grilled Meat and Sausage with of course, Sauerkraut

Dessert Station Adorned with the German Flag

Time honored recipes, traditional treatments, authentic ingredients and live entertainment from a five piece German Band made my October 12th, a remarkable dining experience.

Spatzle with Cheese

A Wide Array of Salads

It was hard to keep a straight face all night; the costumes, the music and the beer, which we were urged to drink by the band every ten or so minutes with customary raised glass and cheer "Prost!" It was such good fun.

German Band Werdenfels-Quintet

Pork Tenderloin with Caraway Jus and Beer Cabbage

Chef Fridiof Mortiz

Bavarian cuisine was the main attraction; Sous Chef Fridiof Mortiz from Hilton Munich was especially invited to work with Executive Sous Chef Alexis Ottley for the occasion. What they prepared was an opportunity to immerse oneself in a sampling and celebration of Germany.

Crisp Savory Vegetables

Roasted Pork Served with Caraway Sauce

Duck breast perfectly rendered, pork flawlessly roasted - it's meat white and tender, its skin golden brown and crisp. Spicy salami and thick juicy sausages, entrees with pairings of apple and oranges, imported crisp radishes and German cheeses.

Barbaric Duck Breast with Apples and Oranges

German Salami and Cheese Platters

Attentive staff in full costume surrounded by the music of the Werdenfels Quintett. The band of jovial young men posed willingly for patrons with cell phones and cameras alike and whose songs I still hear in my head as I write this.

Sweet Berry Mousse

Dirndi Clad Hilton Staffers

For a few hours that night, Germany was but a short drive into our capital where I savored Bavarian delights and clapped to folk music so unlike my own. 

Oktober Contentment