Germany Is Just Down The Road At

Old Heidelberg

Old Heidelberg German Restaurant on Stony Hill Road (Route 6) in Bethel is celebrating its third anniversary this weekend, but the celebration is bittersweet: earlier this year restaurant founder and owner Volker Klemm died suddenly, leaving the fate of Old Heidelberg uncertain. Mr Klemm’s family, led by his wife Dunja, staff, and supporters rallied to keep the restaurant going, however, striving to continue the food and service that resulted in the public twice voting it Best German Restaurant in Fairfield Weekly’s Best Of annual poll.

“It has been difficult, but rewarding,” said Mrs Klemm. “The staff all remained and pitched in where needed; head waitress Hilda Hoffman now helps me manage the place. Chef Ludwig Hahn has joined us from Bavaria and our customers kept coming and brought their friends.”

Her family has joined the staff, with her twin sister Daniela Koerfer serving lunch weekdays and Mrs Keofer’s and Mrs Klemm’s children helping on weekends. Mrs Klemm also serves lunch three days — “It allows me to meet and personally thank our customers,” she notes — but since they are identical twins, it does occasionally create a bit of customer confusion. “We have fun with it,” she admits.

Old Heidelberg seats about 55 patrons inside; in the warm weather diners can choose to sit in the outdoor biergarten, which holds another 100 people and can be used for private and corporate parties. Old Heidelberg also offers occasional grand wine tasting and gourmet dinners and other special events, as well as takeout and catering services.

The restaurant hosts monthly special events, or fests, and customers can sign up for the e-mail list to receive reminders. Introduced last year and returning this year are Weissbierfest, June 15–17, and Schnitzelfest, July 20–22. The restaurant will also be celebrating its fourth annual Wurstfest with grilled brats August 17–19, and its fourth Oktoberfest the weekend of September 14–16. Private Oktoberfest parties will be held throughout the month of October, with the weekend of October 19–21 set aside for a Winefest.

The three-day Oktoberfest at Old Heidelberg draws quite a crowd, according to Mrs Klemm, who noted that many of last year’s 2,000-plus attendees came attired in traditional lederhosen and dirndl dresses. A large tent is erected to accommodate the crowd, and “many customers also bring their personal steins, which they proudly display and we will fill with the original, imported Oktoberfest beer on tap.”

Walking through the door of the restaurant, the main dining room is to the left and a small fireplace hugs the paneled wall in one corner. Its 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 eight or ten.

Old Heidelberg is open seven days a week, from 11:30 to 9 Monday through Saturday, and noon to 9 on Sunday. Live music is played during weekend dinners and hours are extended during the summer on Friday and Saturday nights. A Happy Hour is offered Monday through Saturday from 2 to 5, where a bratwurst and beer combo costs $5, schnitzel and beer is $8.

A $9.99 business lunch option has been added to the menu, which enables diners to have lunch in 30–45 minutes. The entrée is fixed, such as meat loaf or stuffed cabbage, and diners can choose to add a soup, salad, or beverage.

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. The prices reflected here are from the dinner menu. The menu can also be found on the restaurant’s website, RestaurantHeidelberg.com.

The five salads are priced from $5 for gruener gemischter salat — green gourmet salad with herbs and dressing — to $7 for feldsalat, lamb’s lettuce served with Westphalian ham and shallots. Diced and seared Black Forest ham is added to the kartoffelsalat — German potato salad — $6. A soup of the day, tagessuppe, is offered for $7; a serving of potato pancakes (kartoffel pfannkuchen) over applesauce can be had for $9.

If asked to name a German dish, most people would probably reply, “Wiener schnitzel,” even if they have no idea of what it actually is. The menu explains that schnitzel is a lean, boneless piece of veal “swayed in fresh egg wash, covered with the finest bread crumbs and pan-fried to perfection.” Wiener schnitzel is “golden pan fried” and named in honor of a German royal; other variations are prepared with mushrooms and gravy (jaegerschnitzel), brown gravy with extra cream (rahmschnitzel), or with a fried egg on top (Holsteiner schnitzel). All are $19.

Another familiar-name German dish is sauerbraten, which is beef marinated in Burgundy red wine, raspberry vinegar, and spices. Old Heidelberg offers another dozen or so traditional German entrees, priced from $16 to $19, including beef goulash, several sausage choices such as bratwurst and weisswurst, and pork and beef prepared in a variety of ways. There is one chicken entrée, a boneless breast in a paprika cream sauce. There also daily specials, listed on a blackboard at the entry, as well as described by the servers.

Many entrees are served with spaetzle (a noodle dish) and red cabbage. Rippchen, smoked pork chops, is served with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut.

Old Heidelberg also offers schweins-haxen —an extra crisp whole shoulder of baked pork served with bratwurst, hearty bread, mashed potatoes, and sauerkraut — for $25. Initially offered as a etwas besonderes (party special) requiring three days notice, this treat proved so popular — “People where regularly calling to see if we had it; some customers drive up to an hour to get here,” said Mrs Klemm — that it is now a menu regular.

Dinner can be finished with a choice of five desserts, including apple strudel and Black Forest cake, $5–$7.

Beer aficionados can choose from more than 40 German beers, ranging from light to dark and priced $4 to $8 per bottle. On tap is Radeberger Pilsner, either by the glass ($5) or stein ($12). For customers who want to take home an Old Heidelberg beer glass, the cost is $5. Wine drinkers have a like number of choices, including 15 Rieslings by the glass ($6–$9.50) or bottle ($21–$45), all described on the menu.

Old Heidelberg German Restaurant, 55 Stony Hill Road (Route 6 between Hollandia and Target), Bethel; 797-1860, RestaurantHeidelberg.com. Open Monday through Saturday 11:30 to 9; Sunday noon to 9; Happy Hour, Monday through Saturday, 2 to 5. During summer months, the restaurant will be open later on Friday and Saturday.