14 OCTOBER 10, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
GLENDALE & RIDGEWOOD: OUR NEIGHBORHOODS
Zum Stammtisch off ers a delicious taste
of traditional German cuisine in Glendale
BY ANGELICA ACEVEDO
AACEVEDO@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@QNS
Serving up delicious Bavarian
cuisine in Glendale for almost 50
years, Zum Stammtisch has certainly
lived up to its German translation:
the regulars’ table.
“Loosely translated, it means your
own special table,” said Werner
Lehner, one of the owners of Zum
Stammtisch. “Whenever you go to a
restaurant in Germany they have a
stammtisch table, and that’s where
all the regulars go hang out, have a
few beers, play cards and drink.”
All you need is a few minutes in
the dimly lit, tavern-esque setting
to understand that Lehner is in fact
talking about his own establishment,
which he’s been running with his
brother, Hans, for almost 30 years
now.
As soon as you step inside the
Myrtle Avenue restaurant, you feel
as though you’ve been transported
into 1950s Germany — complete with
servers in traditional Alpine attire
and vintage decor such as framed
front pages of an old New York City
German-language newspaper.
Zum Stammtisch was originally
founded back in 1972 by their father,
John, who passed away in 1993. The
family-run business has not only
been able to thrive — it’s listed under
the prestigious Michelin Guide
and has kept up its outstanding
reviews, for instance — but has also
expanded.
About eight years ago, they opened
up the Stammtisch Pork Store & Imports
right next door. There, they
sell 50 variations of beers, German
cheese and snacks, their own
butchered meats and sausages, and
even offer some of their fan-favorite
dishes in the form of frozen food.
But Lehner believes that it’s their
ability to maintain their food and
overall dining experience consistent
that has helped them stay
successful.
“A lot of times people come in here
and are like, ‘Oh, we haven’t been
here in 20 years. It’s all the same.
The food is the same. This is the
same,’” he said. “A lot of times even
the waitress is the same.”
Lehner, who has been invited to
appear on cooking segments for ABC
and NBC morning shows, particularly
understands the importance
of keeping their food authentically
German.
“A lot of our recipes are old German
recipes that either my father
Zum Stammtisch is located on 64-46 Myrtle Ave. Photo: Angelica Acevedo/QNS
brought with him or I had found
here,” he said.
And most of those recipes have
been the same for almost 40 years.
One of their best-sellers is the
Jägerschnitzel, a large breaded veal
cutlet in a fresh mushroom and veal
sauce with homefries. It’s an exquisitely
hardy dish that is perfect for
the fall and winter time.
To complete any great German
dinner, you need a great beer. They
offer a diverse selection of beers,
wines, coffee specialties — and are
in the midst of developing their
whiskey menu, which Hans mainly
takes care of.
If you have room left over for dessert,
there are several sweet options
to choose from that include warm
apple strudels, Bravarian chocolate
mousse cake and Schwarzwälder
Kirsch Torte (black forest cake with
sour cherries and whipped cream).
Lehner said that they collaborate
with Tulip Bake Shop in Floral Park
to create their desserts.
Now, Zum Stammtisch is in the
midst of their annual two-week Oktoberfest
festivities.
Lehner can’t even remember how
many years they’ve hosted their
special celebrations, but he assures
that this year will be as full of live
music and their traditional Bravarian
menu as ever, from Oct. 8 to Oct.
10.
More than just a restaurant,
though, Zum Stammtisch represents
a piece of the community’s history.
As someone who grew up in the
nearby Ridgewood, Lehner reminisced
about the neighborhood being
all German, a result of World
War II.
“You would hear German spoken
in the streets, there was all the local
bars, there were so many more
butcher stores, and German retail,
that kind of thing,” he said.
Although that’s not the case anymore,
as the area welcomes a new
wave of immigrants, the father of
three sees the new generations’ adventurous
disposition and appetite
for new experiences as a great way
to keep their business alive.
“Back then, it used to be that if you
were Italian you ate pasta every day
and that was it. And if you were
German, you ate meat and potatoes —
you couldn’t give a German a slice of
pizza years ago, it just didn’t happen,”
Lehner said.
“I think everyone is just much
more adventurous now,” Lehner
added. “So we get so many different
kinds of people — from different
backgrounds, different ethnicities.
It’s a nice mix.”
As much as the neighborhood may
change, though, Zum Stammtisch’s
guests can rest assured that the
restaurant will always preserve its
essence.
With a confident smile, Lehner
promised, “We’re not going
anywhere.”
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