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Old Castle Adds Second Night Of Music

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By LAURA CONE The Sun

Published: December 31, 2008

Bruce F. Fallender of Sun City Center has not been to Germany in more than 15 years. Whenever he wants to re-live the time he danced to German music in a bus aisle on the way to Munich, Fallender heads over to Old Castle Tavern.

"It's wonderful," Fallender said. "They capture the mood of Germany. They capture the flavor not just in the food but in the whole atmosphere."

Fallender said he has some German ancestry. For Germans, dining out is often an event that involves music, dancing and eating, he said.

"I try to work right through the menu because they have so many wonderful dishes," Fallender said. "Their potato pancakes are wonderful, very authentic. I like the red cabbage."

In addition to the food, he looks forward to the German music on Tuesday evenings at the restaurant in the Cypress Village Plaza.

Frank Hartmann, the owner of Old Castle, said he plans to expand the German music night to Thursdays as well as Tuesdays at 5 p.m. in the new year.

"Our crowd is really loving us and we love to serve them," said Hartmann, who opened the restaurant two years ago.

Hartmann owned four restaurants in Germany before moving to the United States five years ago to go into business.

"We thought there was a need for an upscale, fine dining restaurant in Sun City Center," he said.

He said the most popular dish is the sauerbraten, a beef roast marinated in wine and balsamic vinegar for seven days.

Stacy Snow Feiler, a mother of six and a business development officer with Legacy Venture Group, said she was excited to find the German restaurant because she spent a lot of time in Germany since her husband John, was in the Navy.

"I was born in Germany and my father was stationed there for many years," she said. "We had lived in Europe and dined in Germany. It brought back memories. Everything in there decorating the walls was brought over from Germany. It's very nostalgic of the times we spent over there."

Feiler recently dined at the restaurant with her husband and their friends, Ed and Katherine Skube of Riverview.

"We decided to go check it out," Feiler said. "It was just wonderful. I have been telling everyone about it. I was so excited."

The Old Castle Tavern, 3830 Sun City Center Blvd., is open Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For more information, call (813) 633-6900 or visit their Web site at www.oldcastletavern.us.

Editor Laura Cone may be reached at lcone@mediageneral.com.

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