What Do Cars and Cuisine Have in Common?

At first glance, you would say nothing. But, on my recent visit to the Mercedes Museum in Bad Cannstatt, Germany, I discovered that the makers of the most popular luxury cars for the past century are no slouches when it comes to feeding their visitors.

Good food in a museum, especially one with an automotive theme, sounds like an oxymoron. The full service restaurant at the Mercedes Museum, however, treats all of its diners as if they could afford to drive their most expensive model.

The dining room tables are set with crisp, white linen and adorned with fresh flowers, and the service was excellent from start to finish. I started with the clear soup filled with Swabian ravioli and thin strips of pancakes, followed by a perfectly cooked sirloin smothered in fried onions and a red wine sauce, and accompanied by my favorite of the Swabian noodle family, Spätzle. I had a lovely local red wine that is grown in a vineyard near the museum (you can actually see the fields from one of the higher floors), and then decided to take my coffee and dessert on the terrace to enjoy the gorgeous day.

The crème brulee was garnished with fresh fruit and a generous scoop of raspberry sorbet, but I was almost sorry I had chosen it when I saw the gigantic ice cream sundaes other diners were enjoying.

Prices are extremely reasonable for the quality of the food and service, with a light lunch of Swabian Ravioli and salad running around $8 and a three-course prix fixe menu of soup, filet of beef with dumplings, dessert, and coffee for about $32. I must say, after seeing all of the fabulous cars and stuffing myself with incredible Swabian food, I could easily learn to love life in the Mercedes lane. (www.mercedes-benz.com/museum