Krietsch

The vaulted ceiling alone, old enough to have presided over an orphanage and a prison before anyone thought to put tablecloths down, sets the mood at this German restaurant in the shadow of Schwäbisch Gmünd's minster. The kitchen runs seasonal and regional, with international detours, and the Sauerbraten with bread dumplings is the kind of dish that justifies the whole category. A six-course menu runs Thursday through Saturday evenings with advance notice.

One honor, in evidence: