Mmm: Eating German Food in Nyack

Last night I ate the Best of the Wursts! Sounds odd, but not if you're thinking German food.

opened not too long ago, next door to Olive's and with the same owners. We sat outside, as we did at not too long ago. It had just rained so it was muggy out. As the sun set, it was less uncomfortable.

We were a group of four. Three of us ordered the Best of the Wurst, where you get to pick two different types of wurts and two different sides. The choices were Weiner, Weisswurst, Bauernwurst, Thuringer Bratwurst, Kielbasa, Knockwurst or Wurst of the day, which was a cheddar Jalapeno concoction. The waiter was very helpful in deciphering which wurst was which!

There were many different sides to choose from: Red Cabbage, Sauerkraut, Green Bean Salad, Beet Salad, Roasted Potatoes, Parsley Potatoes, German Potato Salad, Potato Pancakes, Spatzle, German Cucumber Salad, Brat Kartoffel, Beet Carpaccio, Mixed Green Salad, Shoe String Fries and Green Beans Almondine. I'm not sure what many of them were!

So I went with the Bauernwurst and the Knockwurst with potato pancakes and cucumber salad. Baurenwurst was a darker wurst with a bunch of spices and things visible as you cut into it. The knockwurst was a lighter pink color and much more plump, like a fat sausage. The wursts were served with three mustards, a sweet one, a spicy one, and a regular one.

I painted my plate with all three mustards and I alternated between my wurst dips. All were tasty. I thought the spicy one went best with my wurst. Cucumber salad was light and delectable. A perfect balance to a hot first day of summer evening.

I've been the the German Festival at Bear Mountain and ordered potato pancakes, where they are heated up hockey pucks with generic apple sauce. This is not the case at Sour Kraut! The patty is made of shreds of potato and whatever else they put in it, hand pressed and perfectly crisped. The apple sauce tastes like fresh apples and pairs amazingly on top of the pancakes. Three out of four of us devoured these.

When the plates were all cleared, the waiter offered homemade from scratch German desserts. We were all full, but how could we say no? We decided to order three desserts and share.

We had black forest cake, which wasn't really black at all, but a very light brown with cherries and cream. They had their own German version of creme brulee, my other ! It was creamy, sweet and tasty. The crunch on top wasn't as stiff as at Restaurant X, but nonetheless delicious.

And of course... apple strudel! It wasn't exactly what I expected, it seemed quite small (especially for $9!). But for a handmade dessert, you can taste the quality. The apples were soft but not too soft. The strudel was light and delicate, reminding me of a crepe. The whipped creme on the side was thick and the perfect accent to a tasty delish. I didn't share it very well!

Sour Kraut also has over 20 different authentic German beers and a long list of German wines. I had a glass of Dornfelder, which was a red wine made in volcanic soils. Tasted smooth on the tongue with a distinct yet not overpowering flavor. (It was the waitor's favorite also.)

Next time you're in the mood for something different, head over to Sour Kraut. The food is fresh and carefully prepared, just bring a decent size budget with you and it will be worth it.