CLINTONDALE, N.Y. -- Want to shake up your ordinary going out to eat routine and expand your culinary horizons? You can do both by stopping by the Gunk Haus in Clintondale.
"We opened in May of 2010, so we're in our fifth year. We actually purchased in 2007, it's a very old building, it's over 200 years old, so it took us about two and a half years to renovate. And we've been very successful ever since we opened. There's a great community here in Clintondale that's really supported us and enjoy having a neighborhood restaurant," said Elizabeth Steckel, the co-owner and executive chef.
The goal of the restaurant is to try and take you across the ocean to Germany, without ever having to step on a plane.
"We spent a lot of time renovating so that it would really have the feel of the gasthauses in Germany and Bavaria where Dirk is from, so it would have that feel. You'd feel like you were walking right into Europe. We knew we wanted to be a neighborhood restaurant and to be a neighborhood restaurant you have to have a price point where people feel they can eat there every week," said Steckel.
If you've never experienced Bavarian cuisine, the menu is still accessible for all palates.
"It's Bavarian comfort food. We definitely like to layer in flavors. It is classic in that sense. We go through a lot of different preparation. Most of the guests love the schnitzels. Schnitzel is like a scallipini. It's a nice cut of meat that's pounded very thin so it can be very quickly sauteed. We have a pork schnitzel, we have a chicken schnitzel. We have a spetzla and cheese dish, we tell the kids its like mac and cheese but 100 times better," said Steckel.
And while you may come for the brews or the food, you'll stay for the gorgeous views and exquisite service.
"We're really proud of our service. And we're really proud that when people come in and they're able to say 'I didn't know what German food is and this is really wonderful and it's more flavorful than I thought it was and a lot lighter than I thought it was," said Steckel.