The inside of Osteria La Toscana restaurant in Weiden, Germany is warm and cozy. (Michael Slavin/Stars and Stripes )
While the Grafenwoehr/Vilseck area has an abundance of pizzerias, Italian eateries that serve anything else seem to be lacking.
The cozy Osteria La Toscana, on the edge of nearby Weiden’s city center, has plenty of pizza. But it also has plenty of everything Italian on its seven-page, double-sided menu.
The outdoor seating at Osteria La Toscana is an enjoyable option for those who would rather not be sitting elbow-to-elbow with other diners. (Michael Slavin/Stars and Stripes )
The entrance to Osteria La Toscana in Weiden, Germany, can be a little hard to find because it is on a side street and shares a doorway with a doctor's office, but it's worth the search. (Michael Slavin/Stars and Stripes )
I took advantage of its outside seating on a warm day recently, rather than go for the tighter availability inside.
The Friday evening began well, with a friendly, English-speaking waitstaff seating me right away. I started with a classic Italian aperitif, an Aperol spritz, to sip on while looking over the menu. If you’re new to living in Europe, expect to see these bittersweet orange concoctions all over the place as the summer heat climbs.
A classic Italian aperitif, the Aperol spritz, was designed to be a light drink to sip in the sun before dinner. (Michael Slavin/Stars and Stripes )
Next up was the bruschetta della casa. While I wasn’t in a pizza mood, the osteria makes a point of telling diners that it imports its flour from Naples, and the bruschetta was a good way to test the baking. It came topped with diced tomatoes, pepperoni, herbs, olive oil and parmesan, and tasted a bit like a mini-pizza.
Osteria La Toscana has about 26 different pasta dishes, excluding specials, and they aren’t limited to the restaurant’s namesake Tuscany region. The specialties include orecchiette, an ear-shaped pasta from Bari in the south, which is worth a try if you’ve never had it before.
The pasta carbonara at Osteria La Toscana restaurant in Weiden, Germany, June 16, 2023. The menu has many classic Italian dishes, pastas and pizza. (Michael Slavin/Stars and Stripes )
Bruschetta della casa at Osteria La Toscana restaurant in Weiden, Germany, June 16, 2023. Diners can find a wide range of starters on the restaurant's menu, which is offered in English. (Michael Slavin/Stars and Stripes )
On this night I went with a Roman classic, the carbonara. It’s simple to make, but very easy to mess up.
While this isn’t the creamless, pork-cheek-enhanced, by-the-book version you’ll find along the banks of the Tiber river, I was still rather pleased with my choice.
The sauce was creamy but not runny. The portion was large, though not overly so. However, the bacon used in the dish was floppy and not overly flavorful.
I enjoyed watching the sun set and debated a dessert while sipping my Aperol. But my stomach was already satisfied, so I ended up outsourcing my tiramisu review to the table next to me.
“Soooo delicious,” the American couple said in agreement about the dessert of ladyfingers dipped in coffee and coated with mascarpone and cocoa.
Overall, I’d call La Vita, a little ways down the road in Weiden, my favorite Italian restaurant in the area. But I would put Osteria La Toscana in my top three for Italian food, and I’d like to explore more of their menu.
The front indoor seating at Osteria La Toscana restaurant in Weiden, Germany. There is also additional seating in the back of the restaurant. (Michael Slavin/Stars and Stripes )
Osteria La Toscana
Address: Stadtmuehlweg 15, 92637 Weiden
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5:30-10:30 p.m. Closed on Wednesday.
Prices: Between four and 28 euros for appetizers and entrees.
Menu: English and German, online at osteria-la-toscana.de/menu.pdf
Phone: +49 961 4701537
