Franz Brendle

If you've ever been to a proper German Biergarten, Oktoberfest, or a classic Gasthaus, you may have seen it: a group of friends circled around a massive wooden stump, hammers swinging, nails flying, and plenty of laughter (and maybe a round or two of drinks on the line). That game is Nagelstock — also known as Nagelbalken, Nagelspiel, Hammerschlagen, or simply “Stump” in the States. It's one of those gloriously simple, slightly dangerous-feeling bar games that Germans perfected and that has...

Hey friends, Franzel here — your neighborhood spot for hearty German comfort food right in Goshen, New York. Some weekends I decide it’s time to go full old-school. No shortcuts, no pre-made shortcuts. Just pure, from-scratch cooking the way our grandparents did it back in the old country. This past weekend that craving hit me hard with Maultaschen — those generous, pillow-like Swabian “mouth pockets” that are Germany’s heartier, more soulful take on stuffed pasta. I grew up with them,...

Dear friends, This week at Fränzel, we’re serving up a true slice of German nostalgia with a Fränzel twist: Kalter Hund (literally “Cold Dog”), a chocolate biscuit cake and this week’s dessert special. Kalter Hund has been a German household favorite since the 1920s, when a biscuit maker first published the recipe as a clever way to use their Butterkekse. Some folks still call it “Kalte Schnauze” (cold snout) because of the way little beads of condensation form on the chilled loaf—like a...