Prost!

Tis the season for steins and schnitzel and all things Bavarian (at least it was when we first set out on our German adventure, but alas, I have once again fallen behind in my posting duties), so in honor we raised our mugs and toasted to our own mini Oktoberfest celebration.

Accompanying us as our tour guide was our friend Jevon, who, after previously visiting practically every German restaurant in Southern New England, declared the food at Old Heidelberg in Bethel, CT, far superior. With its cozy gasthaus decor and outdoor biergarten, the Heidelberg was just the place to emerse ourselves in that Old World spirit.

Although the menu is printed entirely in Deutsch, it does include English translations for novices such as Adam and myself, but regardless, after spending quite some time picking out a beer (they have over 30 different imports to choose from), we relinquished any and all menu decisions to Jevon.

First we started with kartoffelpfannkuchen, which certainly sounds like a mouthful, but was actually a fairly light appetizer of potato pancakes over applesauce. Then we moved on to some serious family-style dining.

Of the three entrées we had in front of us, we dug into the rouladen first. Thinly sliced beef rolled around Westphalian ham, pickles, shallots and mustard, then spooned with gravy and served with red cabbage and spätzle, the rouladen was and instant favorite. So much so that after all the meat was devoured, I kept going back to the gravy-soaked spätzle in order to relive its savory, tangy goodness.


Next we divvied up the jägerschnitzel, a boneless, breaded veal cutlet topped with a mushroom burgundy sauce. My first encounter with schnitzel, I have to admit that after the excitement of the rouladen, I found it rather boring.


Making quick work of the jägerschnitzel, we then moved on to the gemischte wurstplatte and sampled three of the eight different sausages we had to choose from.


The weisswurst, which literally means "white sausage," was the mildest of the three. Made with veal, lemon, onion, cardamon and parsley, weisswurst is typically part of the traditional Oktoberfest fare and was almost spongy in texture.

The thin Nürnberger wurst, originates from the city of Nürnberg and is considered the most popular sausage in Germany. Stuffed with pork, marjoram and caraway, Nürnberger is usually grilled over a beechwood fire.

Lastly, the grobe rindswurst was a lightly spicy smoked sausage made with coarsely chopped beef and more closely resembled the typical sausages found in the United States.

Served with sauerkraut, spicy mustard and a helping of deliciously (if not unexpectedly) sweet mashed potatoes, the only thing that was missing from German feast was a pair of lederhosen.

I do regret not saving room for dessert since Germany is as well known for their confections as for their beer and sausages, but alas, we missed our chance for strudel and black forest cake.

Although Oktoberfest has already drawn to a close, that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy some hearty Bavarian cuisine, just crank up the Oompa music and head to the Old Heidelberg. Prost!

Eating Our Way Through New York Part 3, Night of the Ninja

Finally it came time for the dinner surprise that Adam was dying to reveal and I was curious to find out. Arriving at a store front that at a glance could easily be missed, it all came together. The comments, the teasing and subtle hints that Adam had been dropping for practically a month now all made sense as we stood in front of a door with a little black sign that read, Ninja New York.

We had first heard about Ninja last spring when we saw a Travel Channel spot on a concept restaurant that combines food with theater and also tries to scare the crap out of you. I remember saying back then that I wanted to check the place out and now here we were, in the dimly lit basement space that is Ninja, making our way through a dark tunnel to our table, waiting for an assassin to jump out and attack.

Fashioned after an ancient Japanese fishing village, the inner sanctum was all rock and wood planks and sunken pits, and the booths, hidden behind shoji screens, were like intimate caves for two.

Ninja offers an ala carte menu in addition to a series of tasting menus that all come printed on a parchment scroll. Each named after famous samurai, the tasting menus range from three to five courses and are designed to delight the senses with flavor and "Ninja magic," as well as test the stamina.

Since Adam and I are both the "go big or go home" type, we told our server, who introduced himself with a slight drawl as the Texas Ninja, that we would each the largest tasting. Several of our courses required a choice between two dishes, so in order to avoid missing out on anything, in those instances Adam picked one and I got the other.

As I mentioned before, Ninja is big on theatrics, so when my first dish, tuna and beet sashimi with tuna confit and ginger sauce, arrived I had to draw a sword from below the bowl of confit with a loud battle cry. Doing so must have released a chip of dry ice as a fog began to bubble from the dish and spread across the table.


Our second first course, a cake of fois gras and pressed taro, had an accompanying sweet ponzu sauce that was caramelized table side over a small flame.


I tend to be rather picky about my fois gras, but the preparation was not only a treat for the eyes, but one for the taste buds as well. The sashimi was also quite good although I must admit that as I am a huge beet fan, I ate more of it than Adam did.

Next, we were both served a plate, or shall I say plank, of nigiri. The usual tuna, salmon, red snapper and salmon roe was joined by the unusual choice of cod and skipjack. Strong to the point of being fishy, skipjack is certainly not for those squeamish about raw fish, and if I ever encounter it at another restaurant, I am not likely to order it again.


The sushi was followed by an oven roasted black cod, again smoking with the aid of some dry ice, and a generous portion of thinly sliced wagyu encased in a phyllo "tree stump" that I got to break with a karate chop. Hi-ya!


As much as we had enjoyed everything up to this point, the cod was a major disappointment. Not only did it look like one of the ten plagues, but it tasted as if it were swimming in ketchup.

While we pushed the cod aside, I discovered that the wagyu more than made up for it. Served with rice, zucchini, enoki mushrooms and fried potato straws, it was as velvety and buttery as you'd expect wagyu to be.

While we giggled and nibbled our way through the evening and I polished off the wagyu, our ninja returned and asked if we were ready for our entrées. At first I laughed, thinking he was kidding, hadn't we just finished our entrées? Boy was I wrong.

Generally speaking, when I think of a tasting, I imagine course after course of scaled down portions, but when our entrées arrived, they were full-sized, no messing around entrées.

The miso basted grilled lamb chops with yuzu butter became a literal bonfire as our server (excuse me, ninja) set them ablaze, which I have to admit was pretty cool, but the ribeye, where it lacked in pyrotechnics, excelled in shear size. After three courses, although it really felt more like five, a 22 oz steak is unimaginable and frankly impractical. Without the will to try a single bite, we asked for a doggie bag.


Dessert at this point was equally out of the question, so a glass or two of sake took its place.

Although, sadly, no one had jumped out to scare us as we had expected, we did strangely get a magic show at the end of our meal. Still, the real surprise came when I visited the restroom.

An unimpressive washroom at first glance, I soon became enthralled once I sat down to do my business. Each of the stalls is equipped with a washlet, which has got to be the coolest invention ever. Without going into too much detail, let's just say the heated seat is just the beginning. Even if you're not impressed by an imposing, firey, five course meal or a couple of magic tricks, you will be amazed by the bathrooms.

Oh, and did I mention that if you ask nicely, your ninja will give you stickers, too?

For the more serious-minded diner, Ninja is perhaps too gimmicky and showy, but Adam knows me well enough to know I eat this stuff up.

Eating Our Way Through New York Part 2, Dine Like an Egyptian

While in New York, enjoying our "feastival" of food, we decided what better place to cross another country off our list than the Big Apple?

Once we had fully rested and digested from our afternoon in Queens, we set out to find the very place where we could dine like an Egyptian.

Stepping out of the cab (read: taking no chances this time) in front of Casa La Femme, we were instantly grateful for the beautifully warm night as we took in the open-air quality of the restaurant front. Large floor-to-ceiling windows slid open for an al fresco feel, inviting the evening’s gentle breeze as diners relaxed in extravagant armchairs and swirled candlelight round in their wine glasses.

The outdoors vibe did not stop there, however, as we stepped inside onto a real, wall-to-wall grass floor covering that extended through the entire lounge area.


Casa La Femme offers a prix fixe and an ala carte menu and seats their dining room according to which is preferred. The lounge, with grass floor, low tables, large cushioned chairs and imposing fireplace, is dedicated to ala carte diners, whereas the booths in the slightly raised rear dining area, individually tented with white organza, are reserved for those partaking in the four course prix fixe experience.

Since we had already spent the day stuffing our faces, we opted for simply sharing a few drinks, a few apps, and the warmth of each other’s company.

While everything we tasted wad delicious, my one complaint was that our waitress tried too hard to sell us on the higher ticket items, to the point that one could easily believe the only available options were the $20 cocktail or the $200 bottle of wine. Not to mention that if even a simple glass of ice water is dressed up with fresh mint and lime, it should not be offensive to ask for one. Regardless, it would have taken more than a pushy sales technique to ruin an evening we were determined to enjoy.

A highlight of the dishes of Northern Egypt, we first picked from the menu the gibnah domiaty, a mild, creamy Egyptian sheep’s milk cheese served with warm, sesame pita bread. Brushed with oregano, salt and olive oil and a staple of any Egyptian meal, the generous portion of bread did not last long once tasted with a hunk or two of the cheese, which turned out to be akin to a delicate feta.

Next, an order of kofta, or Middle Eastern meatballs, made with sweet lump crab, shrimp and leeks, with a citrus-tossed salad of carrot, bell pepper and scallion spooned on top. Moist and deftly spiced, the kofta made me rethink a few of my preconceived notions about crab cakes.


To satisfy the remains of our appetites, we next ordered the sogo, a spicy Alexandrian sausage served with a red onion and tomato salad, a cucumber yogurt “zabadi” sauce, and pita. Once again, the small bites were packed with big flavor and did not disappoint.


As we sat back and relaxed after our light meal with a hookah and our toes in the grass, figuratively speaking, the evening’s entertainment began. As the music cranked on, a costumed belly dancer weaved and bent and twirled her way through the restaurant. Although some might consider it kitsch, I have a fondness for belly dancing that steams from my mother and grandmother who both used to practice the same sinewy gyration, so I for one enjoyed the show.

With another country added to our whirlwind of a day, we still had the following day and Adam’s super secret dinner surprise to look forward to, so stay tuned for the third and final installment of our Eating Our Way Through New York adventure.