The old Café Momm in Otterloh is in new hands.
Pinar and Michael Kleiner want to bring momentum to the traditional house with their osteria and café.
Otterloh
– A heavenly scent of pizza from the wood-fired oven fills your nostrils in the new Caffe'Osteria “La Lontra” in Otterloh.
A steaming lasagne al forno is balanced out of the kitchen in the dining room with its pretty winter garden.
Anyone who knows the old Café Momm, which has spoiled its guests with home-style cooking here since 1954, will rub their eyes in amazement at first.
New interior and homely ambience
The Momms have leased the gastronomic core area of the economy since this spring and placed it in the hands of the innkeepers Pinar and Michael Kleiner from Munich.
The Kleiners want to pamper their guests with an extensive wine list, cakes, Italian pasta and pizza, but also with lots of regional and seasonal cuisine.
"The menu is small, but always sorted and composed with fresh dishes and ingredients," explains Pinar Kleiner.
Some things have also changed inside: new tables and chairs, a new bar with an impressive portafilter coffee machine and loving decoration.
The couple in their mid-thirties have put a lot of effort into creating a beautiful and homely ambience, you can feel that everywhere here.
Name related to location
Despite the new tenants, much here remains familiar.
It starts with the name of the restaurant.
Because "La Lontra" means "Otter" in German and the new lettering immediately establishes a connection to the village and to tradition.
"We just thought the name was nice, that's how it came about," says the landlady.
Otterloh's traditional inn has retained the family touch that has been cultivated for generations, albeit under different circumstances.
"We run La Lontra as a real family business," adds the boss proudly.
"My husband manages and organizes the kitchen, our daughters both work in service and in the bake sale".
Party service and celebrations are also part of the house's portfolio.
Pastry shop stays in Momm hands
By the way, nobody has to do without the cakes and baked delicacies from the proven Momm tradition.
"When we leased it, it was important to us that the new innkeepers would buy our sweets," explains pastry shop boss Benedikt Momm.
Their preparation remains the domain of the young master confectioner.
Together with his parents and his brother Sebastian, the quartet managed the entire ensemble of inn and café as well as guest rooms and boarding house for many years.
"Now my brother continues to do the catering and the parents take care of the pension," explains Benedikt Momm.
This also gives the house stability.
Pizza maker from Sicily
Long-time employee Fatima is just floating into the restaurant.
She works full-time in service.
The innkeepers, who met each other at the Augustiner and worked at various other stations from Käfer to Schuhbeck before "La Lontra", have been working with Fatima for a long time.
In addition, Pinars Kleiner's brother will also strengthen the kitchen team from June.
A new pizza baker from Sicily will soon join the team.