Paulaner Brauhaus

Paulaner Brauhaus Restaurant Review:

Housed on the spot where Sammy’s Bowery Follies once existed, a mid-twentieth-century tavern that Life magazine deemed “an alcoholic haven,” the Paulaner Brauhaus may still be flowing with booze but a more respectable clientele now frequents the place. Don’t expect any beerhall debauchery here. You can, though, expect to eat a lot better than you’d think. Opened in late 2013, Paulaner quickly shut down for a few months. When it reopened it had a new design, a new chef (who logged time in the kitchen of Kurt Gutenbrunner restaurants) and new owners (from Austrian eateries Seasonal and Edi & The Wolf). There are three beers on tap --- lager, hefeweisen and dark --- and all can be ordered in massive one-liter steins. To go with your brew, start with the obatzda, a vegetable spread that is accompanied by a plus-size pretzel, or the silky beef tartare. Heartier entrées include a fluffy and flavorful wiener schnitzel and a first-rate riff on beef cheek roulade. There are, of course, sausages, and one of the best is the weisswurst, which diners eat after removing the skin. There are a handful of desserts, too, and the best, if it’s available, is the tangy rhubarb strudel.