Mention October holidays and most people think of Halloween.

For some of us, though — such as dining writers who come from North Dakota German stock — the month also has another celebration of note: Oktoberfest.

The official two-week festival — considered the world’s largest fair, drawing more than 6 million people — takes place in Munich, Germany. But revelers celebrate it around the world, from Great Britain to Brazil to Hong Kong.

And even, this weekend, in the East Valley.

But since this year’s festival kicked off Sept. 22, I wondered, where could I satisfy a hankering for hendl or a craving for kasespatzle before this weekend?

Fortunately, the East Valley boasts two authentic German restaurants, Bavarian Point and Zur Kate, both in the same small strip mall on East Main Street in Mesa. So I flipped a coin and found myself entering the former.

Bavarian Point, I soon discovered, actually has two spaces in the mall. The main entrance opens into a hallway — turning left will take you to the dining room, turning right leads to a cozy, European-style pub.

When three of us arrive at 6:30 p.m. on a Wednesday, only a quarter of the tables are occupied in the spacious, dark-wood-paneled dining area. A woman asks us to seat ourselves at any of the white-tableclothed tables or booths.

Our gregarious server, who explains that she usually works as the bartender, helps us start with some Bavarian beers, including Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse on tap and Spaten lager in bottles.

Well-aware of the heartiness and richness of German cuisine, we decide to skip the appetizers and jump right to the entrees.

We started with the zwiebelrostbraten ($17.95), a large, tender beef filet smothered with deep-fried onions. It’s nicely complemented by sides of flavorful red cabbage and roasted potatoes.

Sauteed pork chops covered with mushrooms, a dish called forsterkotelett ($15.95), also are very good. They come with pan-fried herb potatoes and green beans, but the applesauce mentioned on the menu appears to be missing.

Finally, we try one of Bavarian Point’s more unusual twists on German cuisine — huhnerbrust “punijab” ($14.95), boneless chicken tenders in a curry sauce with pineapples and almonds. I’m usually not a big fan of curry, but this creamy sauce is delicious and not spicy at all.

We finish with a couple of desserts. Palatschinken ($5.95) are large, folded crepes filled with lingonberries, but the fruit is pretty scarce. The apple strudel ($4), on the other hand, has plenty of fruit but is a little dry and not very sweet; for an extra dollar, though, you can get it with a vanilla sauce.

At least we’ll know how to order it next Octobe

Bavarian Point
Where: 4815 E. Main St., Mesa (between Greenfield and Higley roads)
Open: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Prices: Appetizers $5.95-$7.95, seafood $14.95-$16.95, house specialities $13.95-$21, desserts $4-$5.95
Info: (480) 830-0999