Al Williams and Ernst Kloeble opened Rheinlander Haus in La Jolla Shores, California, in 1955. Williams had met Kloeble, a German chef, while stationed with the Army in Germany in 1952, and in short order the two men decided to open a restaurant in America.
Rheinlander Haus, which quickly became known for home-style German cooking at reasonable prices, was a success from the get-go, and in 1958 Kloebel and Williams moved it to the address on Avenida de la Playa that it would occupy for the next quarter-century. A sign on the German-made wooden front door read: “Ohne Fleiss, Kein Preis”—roughly translated, “No Ambition, No Reward.”
Their restaurant, furnished in the style of a Bavarian farmhouse, featured a cozy interior with lots of stone, brick, and wood (including beamed ceilings) and an outdoor patio that featured café-style tables clustered around the San Diego area’s only redwood tree. (The tree later died from exposure to salt water when its roots reached sea level.)
By 1984, with their restaurant having achieved landmark status in La Jolla, Williams and Kloeble were ready to retire from the business, and things got serious when an agent for the owners of Gustaf Anders, a Scandinavian restaurant in Pacific Beach, approached them about selling Rheinlander Haus. Asked by a reporter to comment on the rumor, Kloeble said, “Everything is for sale for a price—even the Eiffel Tower.”
Rheinlander Haus closed on March 19, 1984. Inside the front door, on a chalkboard, was this message: “Danke schön to all our loyal customers and friends. Al and Ernie.”
The restaurant was gutted to make way for the new Gustaf Anders, which opened exactly four months later, with Williams and Kloeble in attendance. In 1988 Gustaf Anders would move again, and in 2004 it closed permanently. Today the space on Avenida de la Playa is occupied by Piatti Ristorante & Bar.
Williams and Kloeble later moved to the resort city of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they owned and operated Casa Fantasia, a bed-and-breakfast guest house a block from Los Muertos Beach.
Hungarian Goulash Soup
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Loading...Al Williams and Ernst Kloeble opened Rheinlander Haus in La Jolla, California, in 1955, and it quickly became known for its home-style European dishes. Here’s the recipe for the Hungarian Goulash Soup that was served at the Rheinlander Haus.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 pound chopped onions (2 to 3 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
- 3/4 cup Hungarian rose paprika, or, if desired, use a combination of sweet and hot paprika
- 1 large potato or turnip, cubed
- 1 medium green pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 medium red pepper, seeded and chopped
- 8 cups water
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
In a large, heavy casserole pot (preferably cast iron) saute the onions until glossy and golden. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned.
Add the beef and saute until browned.
Sprinkle the paprika over the beef, stir, and cook for several minutes.
Add the potato or turnip, green and red peppers, water, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat down and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender.
Notes
Hungarian rose paprika, generally considered the world's finest, is made from choice dark-red pods that have a sweet flavor and fragrance.
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