Heidelberg Restaurant

After months and months of pushing this off, I finally gave in and agreed with J that we would go to Heidelberg. I don't know why I was so against it, maybe it was the photos I saw on Yelp that wasn't totally appealing, or maybe German food never crossed my mine, or because this place is located in the Upper East Side.

Met up with J on a Friday evening after work and walked up to Heidelberg. It was a beautiful day which made the walking a lot more enjoyable. We haven't walk around the city like this in a while.

Once I walked into the restaurant it was like I was warped to Germany. The decor and atmosphere made you feel as if you were actually in Germany and eating at a German restaurant. The staff was insanely friendly and kind.

J and I already know what we were going to order so we jumped right into it.

J and I usually don't drink beer much but he wanted to get the boot filled with liquor, so why not? It contains 2 liters of beer, insane much? Took us about 2 hours to finish...kind of pathetic haha

Sülze.
Headcheese in a vinegar sauce. So good. It taste so similar to pickled chicken feet which I love gnawing at. The headcheese was gelatinous with random bites of meat, cartilage and rubbery skin. Delightful.

Sausage Platter for One.
Three different kinds of sausage with potato salad, sauerkraut and red cabbage. Let's just say that all three sausages were excellent and had their own distinct taste. To me, it seems like the lighter the color of the sausage, the milder the taste.

Schweineshaxe.
A whole pork shank, boiled potato and sauerkraut. This dish can feed 2 people, no joke. The pork was big. There were so much meat on the shank that I was amazed. The skin was crispy and crunchy, J loved that part. The meat was tender and moist, the potato worked with the entire dish...surprisingly. At this point, I was totally convinced that German food is da bomb.

And after 2 hours later (literally), we finished it! It also took us 2 hours to finish our meal. I love how none of the staff came over and rushed us, they did not bother us throughout the entire meal unless we gesture them over. Time flies when you enjoy yourself with no interruptions. I appreciate this kind of service and it's one of the best way to keep your patrons happy and coming back.

Asbach Coffee.
I don't know what compelled J to order coffee because he never does after a meal, maybe it was the brandy that was in it...

...or perhaps it's the whipped cream with grated chocolate.

Homemade Apple Strudel.
I've gotten myself a true dessert. Slices of apple with cinnamon walnuts wrapped with a paper thin pastry crust topped with powdered sugar and a good generous dollop of whipped cream. I'm in total bliss. The strudel was perfect and the whipped cream was so light. I could eat another 2 plates of this stuff.

Absolutely beautiful. I would go back just for this...this.

I was so surprised how much I enjoyed my time at Heidelberg. The food was great and service was superb. This is one of the places in NYC I would recommend anyone to come eat. If you never had German food before, Heidelberg is the perfect place to start with. It's a bit of a travel if you live in Brooklyn but totally worth it. I definitely didn't regret the walk.

Heidelberg Restaurant
1648 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10028
(212) 628-2332 

Luke's Lobster

This actually wasn't my first time at Luke's but the Nth time. J and I went to the one in the Lower East Side tons of times but we decided to give the Upper East Side a try. Why? They had fried clams and shrimps, and anything fried will get us there in a heartbeat. It was a long trip up to the UES since we both work way below midtown.

Finally hiked to the place, a lot bigger and roomier than the one in LES. We were so excited to order but we got shot down pretty quick. They didn't have the fried items! I was in panic. Seems that they don't have the fryer anymore, and they only had it the first month when they first started opening up the place. Oh, what disappointment! But that ok, because we got our usual Noah's Ark which consists of -- 2-half lobster roll, 2-half crab rolls, 2-half shrimp rolls, 4-empress claws, 2-bags of chips, 2-bottles of beverage. And if that wasn't good enough, we wanted to try their New England Clam Chowder.

Noah's Ark

New England Clam Chowder

I think I was perfectly satisfied with or without the fried clams/shrimps. I'm sure J was also but he was still hungry afterward, men just got a big appetite. I'm telling you, once you eat at Luke's all the other lobster rolls just won't suffice. I guess it's because they don't cover their lobster in endless thick mayo. Plus, their bread is so crispy and buttered up. And, there's something about their special spice. You can find that spice in a red claw, which is apparently in the first photo above.

If you come here, you definitely won't be disappointed. By the way, their bathroom is a lot roomier than it looks and watch out for the creepy lobster photo in the bathroom!

Multiple locations, but I went to...

Luke's Lobster
242 E 81st St
New York, NY 10028
(212) 249-4241