Germany Is Just Down The Road At Old Heidelberg

The scent of tangy sauerkraut and roasting meats melds with the aroma of baking bread when the door to Old Heidelberg Restaurant on Route 6 in Bethel swings open. The main dining room is to the left, where tables set kitty-corner to each other are topped with linen squares of gentle hues. A small fireplace hugs the paneled wall in one corner, and the mantel holds a collection of beer steins. To the right is the Riesling Room, most of which is occupied by a large table for parties of ten to twelve diners. Wooden beams crisscross low ceilings, and sunlight streaming through the European-style multipaned windows brightens the rooms during daylight hours. The comforting atmosphere has been attracting diners for many years, and will continue to welcome friends old and new, under his management, said Alex Tucker. He is encouraged by the positive response he has received since taking ownership of Old Heidelberg in September 2011.

It has been a smooth transition, said Mr Tucker, because along with a great reputation he inherited a knowledgeable staff. “The staff is tremendous,” said Mr Tucker.

Chef Uwe Moeller, who has served as executive chef at the restaurant since its inception nearly 20 years ago as Helga’s, remains on staff, and splits kitchen duties with Chef Daniel Bernstein, turning out the Bavarian dishes for which the restaurant is well known. Mr Tucker is pleased that longtime waitstaff employees continue to provides familiarity for those customers who may have been wary of a change in ownership.

A regular customer of the restaurant/beer garden for several years, Mr Tucker, a Trumbull native who studied history at UConn and worked in film in New York, overheard last year that the place was being sold. “I had fallen in love with German culture after visiting Germany several times while in college. When I heard Old Heidelberg was for sale, I hoped it would continue as a German restaurant. Even though I’ve always dreamed of having a restaurant, the timing then wasn’t good,” recalled Mr Tucker. When he heard five months later that the opportunity was still available, though, he decided to jump in.

“This place has a devoted fan base. People come here because they feel like they are at Grandma’s house, and I don’t want to change that,” said Mr Tucker. The changes have been minor as he becomes familiar with what does and does not work, he said, and he is immersing himself in learning the business.

“The menu is the same, but I am working with the chefs to include some vegetarian or special diet dishes that reflect the German style,” said Mr Tucker. An example might be a cheese Schnitzel to join the stable of traditional schnitzels and wursts for which Old Heidelberg is known.

Weiner Schnitzel is probably the most familiar German food item on the menu, for American diners. The meal of a lean, boneless piece of pork “dredged in fresh egg wash, covered with the finest bread crumbs, and pan-fried to perfection” tops the menu at Old Heidelberg. Other schnitzel variations are prepared with mushrooms and gravy (jaegerschnitzel), brown gravy with extra cream (rahmschnitzel), or the chicken schnitzel.

All of the menu items are listed in German, with an explanation in English alongside. The lunch and dinner menus are similar, with portions and prices adjusted for lunch. A three-course lunch special is offered Tuesday through Friday, from noon to 2:30 pm, for $12.99. Choose from a Wurstplatter, Schnitzel, Sauerbraten (beef marinated in Burgundy red wine, raspberry vinegar, and spices), or Rouladen (rolled stuffed beef) served with red cabbage and spaetzle noodles. The lunch special includes a soup or salad, and homemade apple strudel, as well.

Among the salads offered is the gruener gemischter salat, a green gourmet salad with herbs, and the krautsalat, a coleslaw with Bavarian beer vinegar. Diced and seared Black Forest ham is added to the kartoffelsalat — German potato salad. The soup of the day, tagessuppe, ranges from hearty stew to lighter summer fare.

Other starts to the meal include the kartoffel pfannkuchen, a serving of potato pancakes over applesauce, or the curry wurst, a quintessential German appetizer of sliced wurst smothered in a zesty curried tomato sauce.

Old Heidelberg offers another dozen or so traditional German entrees, including beef goulash, several sausage choices such as bratwurst and weisswurst, and pork and beef prepared in a variety of ways. Weekend specials are gladly described by the waitstaff. Many entrees are served with spaetzle (a noodle dish) and red cabbage, and sauerbraten or wurst dishes come with a choice of dumplings or roasted potatoes, and are accompanied by Chef Daniel’s freshly baked bread.

Dinner can be finished with a choice of desserts, including apple strudel, the almond and honey topped cream-filled cake known as Bienenstich, and Black Forest cake. Desserts are made on premises.

A German meal is not complete without a German beer. Old Heidelberg diners can choose from more than 40 German beers, ranging from light to dark. One change that Mr Tucker is implementing is the addition of a rotating menu of three to four special draught beers each month. Wine drinkers have many choices, as well, including many Rieslings by the glass or bottle, all described on the menu.

“We are starting to do pairings of food and wine on the weekends,” said Mr Tucker, to help diners familiarize themselves with German food an wine combinations.

Mr Tucker also continues the tradition of the very popular “Bier Garten” festivals, year around, and held outdoors from May to September. Look for live music every third weekend of the month, and every weekend from May to September.

“What people have come to know and love about the place will stay the same,” said Mr Tucker. “We are the same family friendly, comforting atmosphere. I hope to see new clientele discover what our longtime customers already love about Old Heidelberg.”

 

Old Heidelberg Restaurant, on Route 6, Bethel, between Hollandia Garden Center and Target, is open for lunch Tuesday through Friday, from noon to 2:30 pm, and dinner Monday through Friday, 5 to 9 pm. Saturdays hours are noon to 9 pm. Lunch is served Sunday from noon to 4 pm, and dinner from 4 to 8 pm. All major credit cards are accepted. Parties of up to 50 can be booked by calling Hilda at 203-797-1860 or e-mailing oldheidelbergrestaurant@gmail.com. Menu items can be prepared for off-site parties. For more information, visit www.oldheidelbergrestaurant.com.