heidi restaurant

If you have dinner plans this weekend for a place other than Heidi Restaurant, a Swiss restaurant in the East Village, change them and go here. I don't care where you live. Fly. Train. Taxi. Subway. Whatever. Even if you live in Switzerland, you may not get as good a Swiss meal as you would here.

We met up with our friends, Elizabeth (above) and Robert for dinner. Robert is of Swiss heritage and for years he and I have talked/bemoaned the lack of really good Swiss food in New York since Ingrid Roettele's namesake restaurant, Roettele, closed in 2002. She reappeared briefly as part-owner/chef at Heartbreak, gaining herself a well-deserved Michelin star. The "heartbreaking" part for us, was her partner decided - only four days before the stars were announced - to shutter their doors and turn the place into a Greek restaurant. ARGH!!! 

When Mr. Mari and I showed up, Robert was in a full on Swiss-German conversation with the owner, a Japanese man, Swiss raised. Next thing you know, a plate of paper thin Appenzeller Mostbröckli (cider-cured smoked, lean beef) with pickled carrots and white radishes, some good crusty bread, and cold butter were set in front of us. Sooo good. We were off to a very good start.

We opted to share the cheese fondue entree for 2 as an appetizer for 4. I was so excited that I forgot to take a picture but both Robert and Elizabeth said that this is as close to Dezaley, their favorite fondue restaurant in Zurich, as they've ever had outside of Switzerland. For Mr. Mari and I, Heidi's version, made with Appenzeller, Gruyere, and Vacherin Fribourgeois, was the best fondue we've had at a restaurant in years: garlicky - but not sharp, velvety and decisively funky. 

We continued the family style eating for our main courses and dessert: duck rillette (soft pâté spread); kalbsbratwurst (veal sausage) with rösti and sweet onion confit; venison medallions with fried herbed noodles and spinach; a salad - so we had a little green on the plate; ice cream sandwich with caramel sauce; profiteroles with pistachios; trifle with meringue, vanilla ice cream (?), chestnut paste, and blackberry compote. 

Heidi Restaurant shares a space with Extra Place - a restaurant that specializes in Turkish doner (meats roasted on vertical spits) and served on homemade organic pita breads - probably because it's a ton of space to devote to just one restaurant. The only thing Heidi suffers from is its location on an alley off of First Street - it doesn't get any foot traffic. Zero. So I implore you, please go to Heidi and support a terrific restaurant. I can't bear the idea of having to wait another 10 years for a decent Swiss place to open.

"Hoffentlich g'seh mir üs date." - as translated to me by Robert: "Hopefully we'll see each other there."

(Photo of Elizabeth by Robert)