Eat & drink
Regional delicacies at their finest
Author: Corinna David
March 25, 2021
Out into the wide world and back home
Claus Weitbrecht actually had the world of Michelin-starred restaurants open to him. Instead, the top chef returned to his hometown. Wildberg He returned to the Northern Black Forest and now cooks at the Talblick restaurant for both locals and gourmets.
For Claus Weitbrecht, the innkeeper's son from the NagoldOne realization came to him: "There are many chefs in the world, but only a few really good ones. And I wanted to become a really good one."
Therefore, the young man is leaving his parents' business in Wildberg and goes on a journey. He wants to learn something, to experience the art of cooking from those who have mastered it one hundred percent.
He succeeds brilliantly. He systematically works his way up, winning one award after another, and shares the kitchen with the crème de la crème of the industry : Harald Wohlfahrt from the Traube in Baiersbronn, Dieter Müller from the Schlosshotel Lerbach in Bergisch Gladbach, Helmut Thiltges from the Waldhotel Sonnora in Dreis, and the Haeberlin family from the Auberge de L'Ill in Illhäusern in Alsace. These are all three-star chefs, the highest category awarded by the Michelin Guide .
Claus Weitbrecht's path and career in top international gastronomy seemed predetermined . And yet, he chose a different path.
At the end of his wanderings, he returns to Wildberg, with a clear idea of what he wants to get out of the local inn want to do.
The "Valley View" in Wildberg
The "Talblick" should remain down-to-earth, but also reflect what its new head chef has brought with him. Claus Weitbrecht is therefore opening a gourmet dining room alongside the regular restaurant . He will cook by reservation for guests who want something truly exquisite, and à la carte for everyone else looking for a good restaurant with regional cuisine.
He is supported by a team of 20 employees, the core of which is his family: his brother Rainer is a master baker, his father Werner a master butcher, and his mother Else specializes in restaurant service . A strong team and a wealth of expertise help maintain the high quality.
“The product is the star ,” says Claus Weitbrecht, and by that he simply means that what counts is the finished dish on the plate: It's wonderful when local ingredients are used, but he likes to refine them with ingredients of international origin. The cosmopolitan Weitbrecht and the man deeply rooted in the Northern Black Forest come together at Talblick.
It's a place frequented by everyone who appreciates good food: locals and tourists, Germans and Swiss, tradespeople and business owners. You can order Maultaschen (Swabian ravioli) and Rostbraten (roast beef), Schnitzel and Black Forest platters, but also duck breast with lemon and peanuts or lamb shank with Barolo jus, the latter made with local ingredients. Wildbergthe shepherd (see also recipe).
With five apprentices The top chef is working on the dishes.“I’ve never regretted returning,” he says, “it was somehow meant to be from the start.” Fitting, indeed, for someone who bears the initials of the county. Calw as its name suggests: CW, like Claus Weitbrecht, a man who has found his place in life and in the kitchen.
