Schulte & Herr in Portland, Maine

Schulte & Herr is a compact, low-key spot in Portland where a German couple cooks the food they grew up eating. The menu centers on homey classics: potato pancakes, schnitzel, sauerbraten, pea soup. Regulars and first-timers alike pack the six or seven tables, and the owners work the room with genuine warmth. Reservations are essential.

• Potato pancakes, schnitzel, and sauerbraten cooked with real technique.
• Run by a German couple who cook like they're feeding family.
• Fresh bread baked in-house daily in a visible kitchen.
• Cozy, intimate room that feels like a living room dinner.

Start with the potato pancakes served with apple sauce and sour cream. Move on to the schnitzel (the Jägerschnitzel with mushroom gravy, spaetzle, and red cabbage comes highly praised), or try the sauerbraten. Potato au gratin and roasted vegetables are solid sides. The cucumber salad and pea soup round out a proper meal. Save room for the raspberry chocolate cake if you can.

Small, intimate room with maybe six or seven tables. Warm lighting, wooden decor, and soft German music. It's quiet enough to have a real conversation, but full enough on a weekend that you'll feel the energy.

You're here for food that tastes like home, even if that home isn't yours. A German visitor from Chicago called it the best German food they've had in the U.S. The owners clearly know what they're doing, and they'll chat with you about the menu and the country. It's BYOB, so bring a beer or wine if you want.

Guests consistently describe the food as tasting like home-cooked meals from Germany. One recent visitor, a German living in Chicago, called it the best German food they've had in the U.S. People come back repeatedly, and many say they were sent here by friends. The owners' genuine hospitality registers immediately.