NYCReview
photo credit: Kate Previte
Gertrude's
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The folks behind Gertrude’s cite more influences than your average MFA candidate—Joseph Leonard, Blue Ribbon Brasserie, and Russ & Daughters Cafe, to name a few. And, if you squint, you can see some similarities. Although the best thing about Gertrude’s is that it doesn’t really feel like anything else.
There’s only one place where you can start your meal with a shot of beet vodka and close things out with a slab of black-and-white seven-layer cake, and it’s this little Prospect Heights restaurant that looks like your grandmother’s house. Gertrude’s is a neighborhood spot with big ambitions, and, while it can seem impractical at times, we’ll take quirky over boring any day.
photo credit: Kate Previte
photo credit: Kate Previte
The menu at Gertrude’s is like an overenthusiastic friend who’s dying to tell you a story. An homage to NYC bistros and Jewish cuisine, it features crispy, half-dollar-sized latkes, a seafood tower decorated with smoked fish, and a burger with horseradish served on housemade challah. The daily spaetzle—occasionally borscht-flavored—is always worthwhile, and so is the fried beef tongue that tastes like an appetizer from a 1950s dinner party. You’ll feel nostalgic the moment it’s gone.
There is, unfortunately, a downside to serving a menu so idiosyncratic. Gertrude’s only has four entrees (Blue Ribbon Brasserie would never), which makes it slightly awkward if you don’t want a whole fish or half a roast chicken, delicious and vinegary as it is. The burger is a reliable option, but, with its slathering of special sauce and heap of caramelized onions, it can take some stamina to finish the whole thing.
Gertude’s can be a little much for a weeknight meal, and it’s not fancy enough for a big-ticket dinner—but for everything in between, you'll have a good time. Come for a casual date night, and share a chopped salad beneath an antique chandelier. Or bring some out-of-towners and take a few shots of flavored vodka while toddlers wearing Dunks and Carhartt watch from a few tables over. It’s too early to say whether this place will become a certified classic, but it’s weird and fun, and that’s a great place to start.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Kate Previte
Crispy Beef Tongue
photo credit: Kate Previte
Latkes
photo credit: Kate Previte
House Chopped Salad
The Big (Leafy) Salad
photo credit: Kate Previte
Crispy Half Chicken
photo credit: Kate Previte
Gertrude’s Burger
photo credit: Kate Previte
Le Grand Gertrude
photo credit: Kate Previte
Cocktails
photo credit: Kate Previte