Wechsler's Currywurst and Bratwurst

It's two in the afternoon on a Saturday, and I just time traveled into my bed from Wechsler's Currywurst and Bratwurst, where I had been drinking last night. I was drinking beer, lots and lots of really great beer. I suppose I should take you back in time. You see, not so long ago, as I was walking down First Avenue, something caught my eye. It was a resturaunt that I had never seen before. One with a big open window that displayed a small but cozy bar, built around a piping hot grill, loaded up with sausages. I didn't even have to look at the menu to know that I'd be returning to here some time in the near future. 

Since that day, I've made two visits over to Wechsler's. The first was primarily an eating excursion, and the second, well, that was last night's beer tour of Germany. Before I divulge in the details of the food and drink, let me say something about the ambiance, if you will. Inside Wechsler's, you are immediately transported to a small bar somewhere in rural Germany. Wechlsler's family crest is adorned on the walls, along with portraits of various German's, likely to be Wechslers from the late 19th century. Its the kind of place you would expect men with leiderhosen to come and drink you under the table. Its the kind of place you find hidden somewhere in Bavaria, not in downtown Manhattan. At the same time, it's emblematic of modern Europe. Wechsler's is filled with Germans visiting New York, or those of have recently moved here. Why? Because of the currywurst.

In Germany, currywurst is king. I can't pretend to be an expert in the wonderful world of currywurst, but I can tell you why it rocks. Wechsler's currywurst is a pork and veal sausage, grilled till its hot and snappy, and then cut into bite size peices. Its then smothered with a tomato curry sauce, and sprinkled with some curry powder. Its tremendous. The curry sauce is such a great compliment to the sausage. For those who enjoy ketchup on your hotdog, but long for more complex and exciting flavors, this is for you. 

The bratwurst is equally terrific. Its served on a rectangular cardboard holder, meant to be eaten with your hands. It comes with a delicious roll, which I used to make little bratwusrt sandwiches. I'm all for authenticity, and eaten things with my hands, but that brat was smoking hot, and the American in me really wanted it nestled on some sort of bread holder. It comes with some spicy mustard, which is great, but once you have the hot mustard at McSoreley's Old Ale House everything seems to pale in comparison. We also ordered a wild boar sausage and a lamb sausage. I wasn't going to not try the wild boar, but in the end, it was mediocre at best. The lamb sausage was good, but very "lamby" if you will. If you love lamb, go for it, but if you generally aren't crazy about lamb, well, dont. 

The currywurst comes with pommes frites, and they are out of this world. I'm not quite sure why so many swoon after Pommes Frites on Second Avenue. They aren't even frites really, they are more like the chips you get in England. Sure, they have a plethora of fancy dipping sauces, but the frites should speak for themselves. These frites are no joke, and are by far some of the best I've ever had. Frites should be thin, like McDonald's fries, thinner actually, like matchsticks, but not so thin that they are tasteless crisps, like those god awful shoestring fries. They should be salty as hell, and fried until dark they are golden brown. They are of the sort you would expect from a top tier French restaurant with an order of Steak Frites. You can get an entire order for 2 dollars, so don't be shy. 

During my first visit, I ordered a beer to go along with all of that delicious food. I asked the bartender to help me with a selection. You see, this isnt the sort of place to get a Heineken, or a Stella Artois even. The entire beer list is in German, and are likely regional beers from Germany. What I was given was a monster sized beer-stein of Hofbrau, a delicious golden lager. I immediately thought of Broken Lizards's hilarious film, Beerfest. This was the secret recipe beer, the beer that I wanted to freeze and ice skate on it in the winter. It was a beergasm. It was so good, that I decided to go back to Wechsler's last night, and get bombed on it. 

This is the sort of place where each beer has its own glass, only to be used for that one particular beer. The bartender was kind enough to help us choose. After a few cold ones, mumbling "weissenbraukrackenfranzenhammer" didn't get us very far on our own. I must say, the "weisse" or wheat bears were great. The bartender, obviously a savvy businessman, kept recommending beer, and we kept knocking them back. I was glad to do it. We tried some of this, and some of that. I would tell you what they were called, if I could remember, let alone pronounce them. The next thing I remember was the bartender asking us if we wanted something a little special. With you good readers in mind, I gladly indulged. What he brought us was bacon smoked beer. I was happier than a little schoolgirl at the very thought. After one sip, I was in heaven. It's a dark and rich beer, that powerfully conveys the aroma of burning beachwood, and the unmistakable flavor of bacon. After a few more sips, I decided that I could never again drink that in my life. Its not that it wasn't outstanding, its just was too much and too rich. It didn't just "remind me" of bacon, I was drinking liquid smoked cured pork belly. 

At that moment, suddenly I awoke at my apartment. With the taste of bacon beer on my lips, I knew one thing. I had to pee, a lot.

Stay hungry folks, most posts are coming soon.