Crushing
The famous Gasthaus Zum Eisernen Steg has reopened. Markus Hanson and his chef Jan Tiedemann serve hearty and self-created dishes in a rustic setting at Schaumainkai 1. Two from Mainz are already experienced restaurateurs.
Markus Hanson (55) has a sense of humor. “Actually we wanted to open in February, but with the artisans it’s just a thing,” says the restaurateur and laughs. With chef Jan Tiemann (36) he fulfilled his heart’s desire. The two from Mainz really wanted to open a restaurant in Frankfurt and they did. The old charm of Gasthaus Zum Eisernen Steg at Schaumainkai 1 remains. The wooden floor has been removed and now the light shines in the rustic room full of wooden beams. “The kitchen is new and modern. The lamps are new, of course the antique buffet remains,” says Hanson, who studied medicine and previously ran restaurants in Mainz and Wiesbaden.
The Nagel family has run the restaurant for decades. After the death, new tenants were sought and found. “The ad was online for six hours. And we were lucky,” both men say. Tiemann studied economics. “Besides that, I worked in bars and I loved it,” says the autodidact, who “makes everything new and ready”. Cabbage and Matjestatar soup, Frankfurt green sauce, schnitzel and Viennese-style fried chicken are also on the menu, grandma’s beef salad, Nice salad or Kaiserschmarrn.
“The meat comes directly from Mainz-Kastell, animals from a cooperative in the Westerwald,” says Tiemann, who likes to look at new recipes. “Then I go shopping, memorize some of the things I read, and then cook my creation until it tastes the way I want to eat it.” He also learned a lot from his grandmother and mother.
Prices are moderate, specialties include entrecôte with roasted potatoes and herb butter, Frankfurter ribs with apple sauce and sweet potatoes, and beef brisket with green sauce and boiled potatoes. There is also Ebbelwei, draft beer, fine wines and many juices and soft drinks, which can also be enjoyed at the bistro tables with high wooden stools. “The main thing is to make everyone feel comfortable,” both loyal men admit.
Former regular customers have already moved on and are happy that the restaurant has reopened after a long closure. “It’s old beer and yet it’s fresh. It’s delicious,” says one visitor.
Hanson and Tiemann want to continue the long tradition of the inn while offering modern comfort with fine dining. Hanson has already gained experience in his restaurants “Die Hütte” in Wiesbaden and “Zum Goldenen Adler” in Mainz. “I lived in Frankfurt for ten years in the 90s. It was time to return to this beautiful city,” he says.
The house Zum Eisernen Steg at Schaumainkai 1 is open every day except Monday from 12:00 to 11:00. Information on the Internet at https://www.zes-ffm.de/