It is easy to cheat on a diet, especially when there is an excuse and Oktoberfest is one. Birthdays, Easter, Labor Day, Halloween, and you name it are too and this is when it makes sense to have semi-planned indulgences.
I am eating gluten-free which allows me to feel better than I would on a conventional diet and Oktoberfest is full of beer, which is generally full of gluten. But that doesn’t tempt me like the big, salty pretzels, brats on whole-grain buns, schnitzels and cakes that fill the grounds along with the feeling of Gemütlichkeit. Often, being honest and sharing what special needs I have fosters goodwill without it feeling like a burden to others. There is so much to eat and drink at Oktoberfest that I resolved to indulge correctly this year so I can ultimately feel better all around.
I started a cloudy and unpredictable Oktoberfest weekend in Chippewa Falls with Eggs and Kegs, a free breakfast event that also offered free souvenirs and a beer ticket I didn’t ultimately use. I filled my plate with protein: eggs; sausage; cheese; a brat with no bun (or sauerkraut, which wasn’t available) I can’t complain about free breakfast though and I left the big pretzels behind.
After breakfast, there was a lull as vendors set up their booths and opening ceremonies took place down the hill at Leinenkugel’s. I headed home for a second breakfast of ham and cold coffee (and did a pile of neglected dishes.) Coincidentally, that is when the rain started in earnest.
A little rain doesn’t stop people from enjoying an event like Oktoberfest and I am sure that they were huddling inside tents, enjoying food, music and drink. I had to pick up my son from school and then work until 9PM when the rain had luckily stopped. But this is when the wheels came off of my Wisconsin Fest trip.
I wanted a traditional German potato salad and bought one from a local club. Two bites in, I knew something was wrong. The blend of vinegar and cloying sweetness was hard to take and Iit had a dense, gray consistency. In fact, I wouldn’t even complain about it here if I hadn’t missed all of the next day of the Fest, sick in bed. That salad packed quite a punch. It rained all Saturday, but I have no doubt there was fun to be had. I felt like Margot in Ray Bradbury’s All Summer In A Day in reverse. In that story, she is trapped in a closet on the one day that it didn’t rain. I missed the sunshine of the brass bands and the cheers of “Prost!”
After promoting local food and events for years, I have to admit, that there is a downside to trusting in the food safety of a small food stand, staffed by volunteers. I had hoped to indulge in gluten-free cheese curds from Live Great Food, macarons from Beez Neez or whatever was on offer that Saturday. That said, I look forward to the next big event in Chippewa Falls. The story cannot be written until after the fact and it is important to abide the good and the bad of living in a place. And then there is Oktoberfest next year…
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