A Trip to Germantown in Manhattan

Have you ever gotten that feeling where you just need to eat schnitzel? Or a craving for a gigantic pretzel with rock salt? Well luckily for you, you can visit Germantown on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and satisfy all of your German desires. Located in the high 80’s between 1st and 2nd avenues, you will find some of the best authentic German food that you have ever tasted. Here are my top three places you should visit:

Heidelberg

Located on 2nd avenue between 85th and 86th street, Heidelberg is a restaurant that you simply must visit. Founded in 1936, Heidelburg is the last family owned German restaurant in an area once bustling with German restaurants.

The environment is charming, the decor is traditional and the staff is quite welcoming and kind. They even wear traditional German clothes to complete the experience! All of these things are amazing, but the real reason you should come is for the food.

Once you sit down for brunch, there is a plate of bread and pastries brought to you along with your coffee if you ordered any. The apple pastry that they served was absolutely delicious and the only reason I stopped eating it was because I didn’t want to fill up too much and not have any room for the main course. The milk was served in a spout shaped like a cow, which was a great touch and quite fun to pour!

Main Course

The Eggs Bismark, a feast for the eyes and the mouth, was a delight on so many levels. It was served with smoked salmon, a potato pancake topped with a fried egg and to finish it all off a creamy hollandaise sauce poured over the egg and potato pancake. I loved the combination of the creaminess of the egg against the crunchy potato pancake. All of the flavors worked so well together and the hollandaise wasn’t too overwhelming. Overall, this was an excellent dish and I strongly recommend it to anyone visiting the restaurant.

 

Where do I begin? The Heidelburger is absolutely amazing! Buttery mashed potatos topped with a beef burger and fried onions? Yes, please! A delicious gravy was also poured around the outside of the dish. The meat was perfectly cooked and a bite of the mashed potatos and the meat together was heavenly. The fried onions on top were a great addition and so delicious! I absolutely loved all of the flavors in the dish and I thought that everything worked harmoniously.

Dessert

For dessert, we ordered the Palatschinken, which is essentially a crepe with filling inside. I simply am in love with the flavors of this dish! The crepe on the left is filled with apricot jam and the crepe on the right is filled with raspberry jam. To top it all off is a dollop of whipped cream and powdered cinnamon sugar. If you were to refuse this dish, I don’t know what to say. There is also the option of Nutella filling if you wish to have a chocolate presence in your dessert.

Overall, the visit to Heidelburg was a pleasant and rewarding one, and I strongly recommend it to anyone in search of a German delight!

Click Here for Heidelburg’s website

Schaller and Weber

Located just next to Heidelburg, Schaller and Weber is a quaint little German market that will make you wonder why you haven’t come there yet. Established in 1937, Schaller and Weber features many varieties of sausage, beef and many other meats. Don’t be deceived by the small space because there is so much packed into this tiny store and you will want to have time to browse through the whole thing.

One of the coolest parts of this store is the huge selection of sausage. I don’t know about you, but I am in love with sausage! I also really loved the fact that they make their own sausage. Schaller and Weber also makes their own pickles, saurkraut and delicious, cruncy potato pancakes! This doesn’t even include the various pre-made dishes they offer such as cucumber salad, schnitzel, spatzle, salami, pâté, ham, and yes, everyone’s favorite, bacon! Everything has ounces of care and love put into it and it’s no wonder that the food tastes incredible.

 

Schaller and Weber also has a ton of treats from Germany such as kugles, which are little chocolates filled with marzipan and hazelnut. They also sell delicious lemon wafer cookies and all sorts of Haribo gummies that I had never seen before! And of course all of the various types of chocolates and other delicacies. I even saw marzipans shaped like fruit!

I simply am in love with this amazing market and I hope that you will find time to visit it!

Click Here for Schaller and Weber’s website

Glaser’s Bake Shop

Glaser’s Bake Shop is located on 1st avenue between 87th and 88th street. Glaser’s Bake Shop was founded in 1902 and was originally used for bread porduction only. Now, however, Glaser’s is used for much more than bread! Don’t walk in thinking that you won’t leave with something because just the smell alone will make you want to buy the whole store!

One of my favorite parts of this bakery is the space. It feels like you are stepping back into the 1900’s when you walk inside, and the staff is so kind that you will never want to leave. Once you order your treat, the staff hand wraps it in a box and ties a ribbon around the whole thing. How charming!

Even though the space is wonderful and the staff is kind, the baked goods are really the star of this bake shop. There are different treats every time you go, but there will always be their signature black and white cookies and lemon pies. The lemon pies are my favorite! They are so flavorful and not too sweet. I also love the marshmellow topping because it is browned and fits perfectly with the not too sweet and not too tart lemon filling.

Click Here for Glaser’s Bake Shop’s website

 

Overall, this trip to Germantown was a huge success, and I fully recommend it to anyone who wishes to indulge themselves in a great sausage or lemon pie!