Located in NYC's Gramercy Park area at 281 Third Avenue this restaurant screams "Happy Holidays"! There are thousands of lights and ornaments hung on fake tree branches everywhere inside the entire place.
Rolf's serves traditional German fare. For the holidays they add Gluwhein to their drink menu - this is a warm, mulled, spiced red wine.
"A" and I shared the potato pancakes with applesauce and sour cream for an appetizer ($11). "A" had the Schniztel Holstein (with a fried egg and anchovies) and I had the traditional Weiner Schnitzel (both $24.95 and served with string beans and spaetzel). We shared a bottle of Reisling ($32) and apple streudel with whipped cream for dessert ($8).
The potato pancakes were thick and not as crispy as I would have liked. The schnitzel was paper thin and the spaetzel was a little gummy. The apple streudel was served very hot and had only a thin layer of crust, but the whipped cream was dense and yummy.
But the food is not the main attraction here - it's the over-the-top decorations! It looked like a trim-a-tree department exploded inside the restaurant. I feel sorry for the person who has to take them down and pack them away after the New Year.
