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PILSENER HAUS & BIERGARTEN

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Pilsener Haus & Biergarten in Hoboken, NJ — I Just Want To Eat! |Food blogger|NYC|NJ |Best Restaurants|Reviews|Recipes

HOBOKEN’S PILSENER HAUS & BIERGARTEN TAKES OFF

Sometimes the waiting is the hardest part. Cutting through red tape and getting local politicians onboard for a new venture could cost many young entrepreneurs the chance of a lifetime.

It may’ve taken three motivated European immigrants two-and-a-half years to finally get clearance for Hoboken’s first ever biergarten, but it has proved to be a resounding success. Fashioned after authentic pre-World War One Austro-Hungarian bistros, yet easily mistaken for a bustling German beer hall, the generic-named PILSENER HAUS & BIERGARTEN is anything but pedestrian. Taking up 10,000 square feet of a factory warehouse in the underdeveloped and roomy northwest corridor of this Mile Square City on the Hudson, the fabulously newfangled venue cornering Grand Street and 15th Street pairs international craft beers with deliciously omnivorous charcuterian cuisine in an Old World setting.

Situated in a rustic red-bricked millhouse, Pilsener Haus & Biergarten’s capacious first floor space features a cafeteria-styled dining area with high ceiling, cement floor, exposed pipes, iron-worked windows, 15-foot wooden communal tables, and an open kitchen adjacent to a smaller sky-lighted wintergarten just off the nine-tabled, tree-shaded, corridor-like biergarten. On my inaugural visitation, the echo-drenched cafeteria section got packed to the hilt on what’s usually a slow night, Tuesday.

While getting this premier beer haven off the ground was no easy task, to make matters worse, its August 9th grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony got postponed due to a flash flood that temporarily drenched the floors. Notwithstanding the chaotic deluge, the resilient Pilsener Haus survived the storm and never looked back. In fact, there was a line around the block for the belated 7 o’clock opening that same evening.

“The mayor and some local councilmen were supposed to be there for the ribbon cutting, but they couldn’t wait out the storm due to other commitments,” co-owner Ladislav Sebestyan says as we settle in before supper time beckons.

A friendly Czech Republic native now residing in Secaucus, Ladi boasts about his homeland’s beer consumption (topping Germany for most guzzling per capita), then shares pertinent information pertaining to the architectural design, construction and objective of Pilsener Haus.

“We wanted to create an unpretentious European biergarten that showed off the heritage of 1920’s Austrian, Hungarian, and Czechoslovakian empires,” Ladi informs. “There’s random signage and a Europa Film Festival emblem that stress the authenticity Czech designer Jirka Kolar captured. We looked in Jersey City, even Morristown, to get the biergarten off the ground. But we knew this space we now occupy would work well. It’s not necessarily a neighborhood bar though we’re within walking distance of the pier. However, we wanted to create a ‘Destination Bar’ that not only targets Hoboken, but also all of New Jersey. We have a ferry a few blocks away. People come in from Manhattan. Ultimately, we couldn’t get the expanse we needed on Washington Street’s main drag due to noise ordinances and the lack of outside space.”

The nearby Holland and Lincoln Tunnel both offer high traffic concentration for this amiable destination. And since there’s a high concentration of second and third generation Euro-Americans in the nearby vicinity, the curiosity factor ought to bring in lots of inquiring beer enthusiasts.

“Naturally, I have a high interest in beer. When I reached the legal age, 18, I developed a taste. At the time, my favorite beer was Gambrinus 10°. I like the lightest degree beer they made. It’s less hearty, not as dry, the color’s paler, and the spicing is lower,” Ladi says.

Presently, there are three individual tap stations with seven separate tap handles in the main cafeteria beer hall. Though each tap serves strictly European fare, that’ll eventually change to reflect the prevailing popularity of new-sprung American microbrews (available only in bottle onsite). Today’s menu consists of such Euro faves as Czech Republic’s Krusovice Imperial Pils, Austria’s Stiegl Lager, Belgium’s Lefebvre Blanche de Bruxelle, plus Germany’s highly touted Franziskaner Dunkel Weisse and Paulaner Salvator Double Bock. Fine Italian, German, French, and Argentinean wines sidle American vino from Oregon and California. And several peculiar cocktails will whet the whistle of adventurous patrons.

To match the impressive array of liquids are several standard European dishes, such as Polish kielbasa, bratwurst, veal sausage, smoked pork, jalapeno-cheddar frankfurters, and Munich Fest’s signature staple, rotisserie chicken. Experienced Viennese bistro chef, Thomas Ferlesch, who had gained renown overseas before heading Café des Artistes in his adopted New York City hometown, keeps the main kitchen going. An avid Austrian gardener, Ferlesch hooked up with Pilsener Haus after spending a few years running Fort Greene, Brooklyn’s premier Thomas Beisl.

Ironically, just as Pilsener Haus endured zoning struggles and compliance restrictions (including a provision necessitating a side entrance exactly 500 feet from the nearest alcohol-related venue), I had to fight heavier-than-usual Route 3 traffic and weather a minor earthquake prior to my initial August 23rd sojourn. Happily, unlike the rest of Hoboken, parking is wide open. There are a few business types at the main bar as I arrive pre-dinner. By 8 PM, my once-empty table filled up with a cute couple celebrating their 2nd anniversary, a former councilman from my hometown, local workers, and Ladi’s fellow Czech partner, Andi Ivanov.

Andi co-founded Williamsburg’s flourishing Radegast Hall & Biergarten in Brooklyn, the archetype for this fresh Hoboken hotspot. Though not restricted to any one beer, he claims Weihenstaphaner Hefeweiss as his favorite elixir.

“Both Radegast and Pilsener Haus try to bring a unique product, ambience, and design to the public,” Andi claims as we share the approachable citric-fizzed German lager, Argo Zwickel. “We hope people appreciate the place. Hoboken was hungry, thirsty, and knew it was ready to change approach. We took a less predictable twist offering something exciting. Not everyone could create something new.”

He’s right. The general business climate in Jersey is restrictive, prohibiting modernization due to antiquated regulations that denigrate innovative ventures, especially in the beer industry. But the collective spirit enlivening brewpubs, microbreweries, and beer havens could be felt all over the state in the past decade. In fact, there are developmental plans in the works for a Hoboken microbrewery that’d hopefully parallel the success of Pilsener Haus.

“We’d like to be more spacious outside. We asked our neighbor if we could expand the biergarten to his adjoining space if he’d sell,” Andi shares. “But we think the place is perfect. Our closest competitor is Jersey City’s two-year-old Zeppelin Hall Biergarten at Liberty Harbor. They own the 30,000 square foot residential building they occupy. But Zeppelin’s closer to a giant sportsbar with TV’s.”

As I chow down the mouth-watering Chicken Paprikash (braised poultry in paprika with lemon zest, sour cream, and spaetzle potatoes), Andi returns with the easygoing, pale-malted, citric-dried, mineral-grained Augustiner Edelstoff, a clear-yellowed Munich-styled premium beer the blonde-haired entrepreneur demandingly exclaims “cannot be underestimate.” The loud crowd drowns out the Bavarian music, but the beers and food are addictive and the feel good atmosphere, contagious.

Furthermore, Pilsener Haus will begin showcasing local tri-state talent. A New Orleans-styled brass band is set to go tomorrow evening. Though there’s nary a TV to be found presently, Andi admits they’d use their projection screen to show Yankees playoff games instead of black & white silent films for the short-term interim.

“Our landlord is very supportive,” Andi concludes. “There was construction getting done upstairs while our renovation took place. So we didn’t bother many workers with all the noise.”

Just as Maxwells defines Hoboken’s indie rock music scene, Pilsener Haus illustrates the necessity for a true craft beer watering hole in the land where Frank Sinatra was born.

ww.pilsenerhaus.com

ANDY’S CORNER BAR FLAUNTS JERSEY’S FINEST BEER

BEER PUB
Image result for andy's corner bar bogota
Tucked into the tiny Bergen County town of Bogota, Andy’s Corner Bar is neither run by a guy named Andy nor on the corner, but it’s definitely the perfect bar for beer connoisseurs frequenting Manhattan watering holes such as Jimmy’s No. 43, Hop Devil Grille, David Copperfields, and d.b.a.
Located along the narrow thoroughfare of Queen Anne Road, bordering Hackensack to the east and just off Route 95 five minutes from the Big Apple, this cozy storefront bar features only the highest quality brews from local and national microbreweries as well as international fare from England, Belgium, and Germany. A truly American family-run establishment, Andy’s qualifies as a New Jersey landmark in my humble estimation.

Opened at its current neighborhood spot in 1999, this vibrant beer hall’s history goes back to 1949, where it was incipiently stationed a few feet away on the corner lot (hence the prevalent ‘corner’ designation). Originally known as Bell’s, current owner George Gray’s father, Andy, began working there in the Seventies when it was called Jerry’s Oval Bar. Becoming its proprietor, the name changed to Andy’s Corner Bar thereafter. It was only a matter of time before son, George, discovered the joys of homemade brews and took over the operation.

“There was a home brew shop across the street that my friends started and I always liked good beer,” George explains. “When we decided to move the place, my son was sitting at a doctor’s office when his wife was pregnant. He ripped out a page in the magazine with a picture of a bar. He knew a guy who made bars. He measured our place and came up with the mural that would maximize our space. I wanted an oval or rectangular bar like the other place, but it couldn’t possibly fit in here. This bar is much longer, 18 feet wide by 55 feet long. Then, my wife’s friend, an interior designer, picked out a color combination with the walls and floors.”

Like myself, George remembers making purchases at Haledon’s Grand Opening Liquors during the late-‘90s. At the time, this beer Mecca, a veritable godsend for beer geeks, sold hundreds of different marketed beers. Personally, I’d buy dozens of different cans and bottles during each stopover to start my own beer compendium (www.beermelodies.com). I owe a debt of gratitude to Grand Opening.

George adds, “Most of their selection was imported beer back then. Half their beer went bad due to spoilage so they cut back on some brands. But they had a helluva selection.”

Admitting a bias towards robust stouts, Belgian beers, and newly fashionable sour ales, the bulky Bogota beer baron professes his favorite beer at the moment is Rodenbach Grand Cru. Though he doesn’t drink while working the bar, the adroit host instead tastes tapped samples before being dispersed to valued customers. Because of work obligations, George doesn’t get away enough to explore loads of brewpubs, yet he shows serious appreciation for Newark’s new-sprung brewpub, Port 44, and terrific New Paltz sanctuary, The Gilded Otter. One time he visited all five Major League baseball facilities in California, sojourning West to take in a few good beer joints along the way.

“San Diego and San Francisco all had good beer bars, but not Oakland. I’ve traveled around the country with my brother-in-law watching baseball games. We usually do a long weekend trip,” he says.

On my February 2011 visit to Andy’s Corner Bar, my wife settled into a tapped German wheat beer, the luxurious lemony banana-clove-draped Franziskaner Weiss, while I quaffed the previously untried Six Point Pilsner from Brooklyn. Sitting across the 12-stooled right hand bar in one of the six opposing black tables, we immediately encountered a gray-haired man claiming to have consumed at least one of each of the rear refrigerator’s one hundred-plus beers and ales. This boast was no joke since there’s at least a hundred people listed on the wall of fame plaque situated behind my head. As we speak, George’s cordial, diminutive wife, Barbara, working alone at this point, poured our servings with great care, adding a pretzel to the thin stick hanging out from inside the beer glass perimeter.

 

No doubt about it, Andy’s Corner Bar maintains a winningly rustic saloon appeal, with its gorgeous mahogany mural sprawling top-shelf liquor across the shelves and two olden TV’s (probably installed before high-definition became all the rage) clandestinely tucked into the corners. The hunter green-walled, red tile-floored space may be dwarf-sized, but the selection is fabulous and the ever-changing taps and cask-conditioned lines are clean as a whistle, allowing impeccable flavor profiles to shine through.

Before I met owner George Gray, I’d seen reviews on BeerAdvocate gloating about his bar’s immaculate tap lines. And I’ll be damned, the first time I chatted with George he was cleaning the cask lines for tomorrow evening’s Troegs Brewery celebration. He graciously apologized for being out of cask beers this evening, though no one’s complaining.

A tidy small town alehouse patronize by the older male crowd this early Tuesday evening, its clientele usually changes to younger adults by nightfall.

“Wednesday night is geek beer night with unique seasonals and unusual fare. Last week we had the new Sierra Nevada Hoptimum Imperial IPA alongside Belgium’s Gulden Draak. The kegs were both gone by the end of the night. There is a changeover crowd. The younger ones come in later. They’re almost all beer geeks. And almost as many are female now.” He adds, “I’ve been very impressed with the latest wave of 25 year-olds coming in. They know their beers. Twenty years ago, nobody had a clue.”

While the front jukebox plays classic rock like The Who’s “Going Mobile,” two bar frequenters join in on my typically sarcastic banter as I dip into Southern Tier Old Man Winter Ale, a caramel-toasted dry-spiced seasonal with brusque fig-date illusions. These long-time clients, one blue collar and the other white, live at least fifteen minutes away from Andy’s, but always make time after work to down a few great microbrews.

Naturally, the limited edition tapped brews are key to Andy’s growing success. I return the next day at 3 PM for the 9th Troegs Promo event. Immediately I reconnect with Jimbo, the retired gray-haired postal worker whose legendary beer consumption’s earned him a spot on Andy’s coveted ‘100 Beer Club,’ where trusty devotees quaff 100 different beers over a one-year span to receive territorial hall of fame recognition.

I decide to break tradition and quaff the heartier dark beer prior to the two new lighter-hued medium-bodied India Pale Ales. Full of brown chocolate sweetness, Troegs Old Scratch #41 Chocolate Stout layered cedar-burnt pleasantries above piquant chocolate-caked vanilla, toffee, coffee, black cherry, hazelnut, and cola nut illusions.

The dozen or so customers seated next to me at the bar concluded the best of Troegs three special offerings was Old Scratch #40 IPA, a sumptuously mellow caramel-malted, crystal-sugared delight draping soft peach, grapefruit, orange and grape tang across mild juniper bittering and neutral celery snip.

Neatly complementary, Old Scratch #39 IPA Simcoe revealed woodier hop dryness and sharper piney recess to deepen lemon-soured grapefruit bitterness above winsome pineapple-peach-melon tropicalia.

As the sun disappeared, the time was right to try Troegs two regaled cask conditioned amber ales, both richer and bolder than typical stylistic competitors. Soothing caramel-malted, apple-candied, spice-hopped Troegs Hopback Amber Ale retained truly subtle crystalline effervescence in its cask version. Better still, Troegs Nugget Nectar imparted creamy tropical fruiting to ample wood-dried easement, gaining grapefruit-peeled pineapple, mango, clementine, and tangerine tang.

George concludes, “I cater to my clientele and get the people I want. It’s not everyone’s game. I’m not looking for a power drinker or someone who is looking for the strongest beer we’ve got.”

www.andyscornerbar.blogspot.com

 

JIMMY’S NO. 43

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JIMMY'S NO 43, New York City - East Village - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

DUSKY MANHATTAN WATERING HOLE ROUSES EAST VILLAGE

Dank basement-level hangout, JIMMY’S NO. 43, makes a strong case for Manhattan’s best watering hole. Located down the street from New York’s famed Mc Sorley’s Old Ale House on 7th Avenue in the East Village and within walking distance of Tompkins Square Park, this diminutive three-room catacomb will satisfy any beer connoisseur, or wine enthusiast, for that matter. Featuring an interestingly diverse (and ever-changing) tap selection of a dozen craft brews to go alongside fabulous bottled beers, prestigious limited edition wines (chosen by wine importer, Neal Rosenthal), and admirable organic gourmet food, Jimmy’s No. 43, opened during 2008, couldn’t be any cozier.

Stale cigarette smoke and mucky compost bring a strange odorous waft to this narrow tomb-like neighborhood joint as the mid-afternoon Saturday crowd settles in, November 2010. These foul-smelling issues would slowly dissipate as the small back kitchen started cooking up exquisite dishes. Since I only came to enjoy a few ‘pops’ while my daughter, Nicki, attended a matinee rock show at Webster Hall a few blocks down, I didn’t get to sample the dinner menu, but needless to say, reasonably priced oysters, oxtails, veal cheeks, and duck confit make exquisite Euro-influenced entrees.

The grungy left side bar with cramped eight-stool area sidled a right side dining space and a smaller section with interesting mounted tap handles donning an apricot-mauve speckled wall. Behind the bar, a 35-seat dining area for parties and affairs completes the score. Fine wines from Argentina, Spain, Italy, France, and nearby Long Island complement the beer ‘carte du jour’ that highlighted four commendable libations I hadn’t previously discovered.

Friendly owner, Jimmy Carbone, a husky Italian-American brew freak I originally met at one of Chelsea Brewing Company’s Cask Ale celebrations, stopped by to say hi as I began consuming a ruthless rye, strong pilsner, German-styled schwarzbier, and two stouts. Carbone takes pleasure watching beer geeks, like myself, get into the handpicked offerings emanating from his busy taps. The antique, unfinished feel of Jimmy’s dingy cellar dwelling provides a centuries-old ambiance true brew hounds will find appealing. And the little porch at the entrance enables smokers and telephone callers to get a retreat.

To make things even more intriguing, bustling Irish-styled sportsbar, Standings, located upstairs, also offers great selected beers on tap and in bottle. These adjoined pubs render a rugged one-two punch that’ll knockout any needy ingurgitating visitor. A few guys from Country-Cajun band, Doc Marshalls, were seated next to me sharing thoughts on beer and music.

My first pint, Long Island’s Barrier Ruthless Rye, had an immediate grapefruit-peeled orange rind bittering reinforced by juniper berry, black tea, and white rye illusions. Next, light-bodied Michigan-based Atwater Uber Ursa Imperial Pilsner featured a soft, supple crystal-malted lemon-sugared entry leading to a grapefruit-peeled peach-apricot-tangerine tang with vegetal undertones.

Brought in from the Netherlands, lactic full-bodied De Molen Rasputin Imperial Stout saddled its creamy chocolate-vanilla malting, viscous anise goo, and burgundy tranquility with mild hop-charred oatmeal graining. This rewarding li’l number was given stiff competition from Massachusetts’ Pretty Things Babayaga Stout, a robust ebony-hued full body lacquering molasses-soaked black cherry, black grape, and blackberry notions to liqueur-like anise gluten.

Pudgy-bottled Oregon-brewed medium-bodied schwarzbier, Full Sail Session Black Lager, brought dewy rye-breaded sour malting to dry black-purple grape esters and moldy fig-date astringency (with bourbon hints gaining a late foothold).

POST-SCRIPT: A few weeks later, on Pearl Harbor Day, quaffed four sour ale-related tapped beers and one superfine IPA (reviewed in Beer Index). Barrier’s Belgian Dubble Down Brown and Bulkhead Red Ale plus Allagash Interlude (2010), and Kelso’s cask-conditioned St. Gowanus were worthy. Bear Republic Ryevalry proved even better.

During May ’13, brought a few friends for dinner to Jimmy’s No. 43, consuming fantastic chorizo sausage with broccoli rabbe, lamb sliders and oysters with three sour ales and one cask ale.

First up, Freigeist Abraxxxas Berliner Weiss retained tart Band-Aid-wafted Gose-like lime salting, spiced lemon zest and lightly creamed cotton candied sweetness over yellow-peppered apple, peach, plantain and guava fruiting. Peekskill Simple Sour brought sour lemon-juiced carbolic spritz to lactic brettanomyced musk above rustic corn-dried wheat chaff and vinous grape acidity.

Though not officially a sour ale, Stillwater/ Brewer’s Art Debutante Saison saddled musty Belgian yeat with botanical floral aspects and white-peppered herbal notions, picking up sour fruited illusions along the way.

Check out Jimmy’s No. 43 website for current info: www.jimmysno43.com

Full reviews of each beer could be found in the Beer Index of www.beermelodies.com

HOP DEVIL GRILLE TAKE OVER MANHATTAN’S ST. MARK’S PLACE

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Open since 2008, HOP DEVIL GRILLE, and its smaller, demure Belgian Room next door, have fared well in the East Village. Located towards the end of S. Mark’s Place next to a pizza parlor cornering Avenue A, this hellishly-dubbed aluminum-fronted mustard-browned hole in the wall serves great food and better beer. Truly, the fabulous draft selection competes favorably with ‘older uptown sister’ bar and grill, DAVID COPPERFIELD’S.

Just a few steps from Alphabet City’s Tompkins Square Park, Hop Devil’s semi-Industrial sportsbar appeal invites a mostly young crowd. Stainless steel front door leads to 12-seated left bar with shelved high-caliber liquor and select beer bottles above 25 tap handles. Several TV’s and metal brewery banners line the rustic green-marbled wallpapered interior and a devilish figure giving the finger peers out from the bar’s blackboard.

On my first visit, March ’10, I discovered Mikkeller Whiskey-Barreled Breakfast Stout, Flying Dog Garde Dog, and Green’Flash Palate Wrecker on tap (reviewed in Beers A-Z section). Several fine Belgian brews could be found at adjacent Belgian Room.

On Wednesday, April 14th, a mix of beer connoisseurs, cute college gals, and long-time locals gathered for Kuhnhenn Night to taste several worthy selections from awesome Michigan pub, Kuhnhenn Brewing. I caught an early evening buzz while chowing delicious South O’ Da Border grilled chicken fajita. Had top-line Cask-Conditioned Loonie Kuhnie, White Devil, Double Rice IPA, Extraneous Sixtel, and Mayhem Belgian Dark, plus cloying Play in The Hay Blueberry Lambic (reviewed at Beers A-Z section).