It may be hard to believe now, but for much of the late 19th century, Germans were the dominant immigrant group in New York City. They left their mark on neighborhoods like the Lower East Side, the East Village (once collectively known as “Kleindeutschland”), and in the Upper East Side neighborhood of Yorkville. During this era, the Bowery was lined with German beer gardens. But a pair of world wars in the 20th century brought about some changes as certain aspects of the German immigrant culture, such as German-language libraries and the gymnastics clubs called turnverein, disappeared — but not the food.
Hot dogs and hamburgers, both German in origin, became an important part of the city’s regular diet, and beer halls became indelible institutions. Meanwhile, German baked goods like strudel, cheesecake, linzer torte, funnel cakes, and kaiser rolls were folded into the idea of what a New York City bakery should make. Here’s a sampling of German dining and drinking places new and old worth visiting.
Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.
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