Favorite Dishes #33: The Sausage Sampler at Paulaner

Step into the mammoth space that is Paulaner (265 Bowery; 212-780-0300) and you may forget you’re in New York City. The ceilings are high and vast, the never-ending communal tables could seat even the largest party of chanting German football fans, and gleaming copper vats of bubbling beer barely even make a dent in the space between the bar and dining room. It’s the kind of place that seems a touch out of sorts on the Bowery, with its raucous nightly energy and, again, largeness standing out next to its somewhat subdued neighbors. That is, until you taste the food, which has all of the attention and precision you’d expect more from a mom-and-pop menu crafted from the most old-school of Bavarian German souls.

There are many dishes worthy of trying, like a bright, chilled pea soup with delicate chiffonade swirls of mint; fluffy yet chewy baked pretzels with Bavarian cheese spread; ethereally light spaetzle with vegetables; or a crisp but yielding pork knuckle you wanna bring home and call your own. But for something truly special, go to town on the sausage sampler and sauerkraut.

The selection may change the night you’re there, but a recent combo featured weisswurst, bratwurst, and merguez, all nestled on a bed of sauerkraut with a trio of mustards. The weisswurst is soft and gentle, unsmoked, the meat and herbs somehow becoming creamy. The bratwurst — traditional in the best sense of the word — is slightly spicy, and rich without being overwhelming. The merguez, with its crisp skin and fragrant balance of warm spice, offers a slightly more heated and rather exotic bite. It’s the kind of plate that’s perfect for a group with very large beers in hand, washing down a long day or smoothing the stomach for a long night ahead.

The Village Voice is counting down to our Best of New York City issue in October. We’re combing the city every day, one dish at a time, to guide you to the most delicious food in NYC. These are our 100 Favorite Dishes for 2015, in no particular order, save for the top 10. To read about previous dishes, browse our 100 Favorite Dishes page.

Here’s our countdown up to now:
#100: Laminated Blueberry Brioche at Dominique Ansel Kitchen
#99: Egg Shop’s Golden Bucket Fried Chicken
#98: Ramen Lab’s Torigara Shoyu
#97: Cannoli at Ferdinando’s
#96: Breakfast Sandwich at Dimes
#95: Banana Royal at Eddie’s Sweet Shop
#94: Fletcher’s Burnt Ends
#93: Almayass’s Mante
#92: Empellon Taqueria’s Fish Taco
#91: El Rey’s Sardine Tostada
#90: General Tso’s Pig’s Head at the Cannibal
#89: The Vegetarian at Meat Hook Sandwich Shop
#88: The 21 Club’s Creamy Chicken Hash
#87: Deep-Fried Olives at Via Carota
#86: Pougi at Loi Estiatorio
#85: Shelsky’s Hot Pastrami Sandwich
#85: Pearl & Ash’s Smoked Bread with Chicken Butter
#84: Gluten-Free Pizza at Rossopomodoro
#83: Perry St’s Chocolate Pudding With Candied Violets
#82: Whit’s End’s ‘Fuckin’ Bluefish Dip’
#81: Morgenstern’s Salt and Pepper Pine Nut Ice Cream
#80: Levain Bakery’s Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie
#79: Delmar Pizzeria’s Pizza
#78: Cafe Cluny’s Avocado Toast
#77: Brooklyn Star’s Cinnamon Bun
#76: Pork Belly Cotton Candy at Carnem
#75: Ippudo’s Pork Buns
#74: Mission Chinese Food’s Oil-Cured Anchovies
#73: Johnnycakes at LoLo’s Seafood Shack
#72: The Starving Artists Steak at Belle Reve
#71: The Spotted Pig’s Gnudi
#70: Xi’an Famous Foods’ Tiger Vegetable Salad
#69: Crème Brûlée Truffle at Kee’s Chocolates
#68: Pok Pok’s Muu Paa Kham Wong
#67: Cacio e Pepe at Upland
#66: Pulpo at Toro
#65: Junior’s Something Different
#64: Duck Carnitas at Cosme
#63: Banana Miso Ice Cream Sandwich at Neta
#62: Breads Bakery’s Chocolate Babka
#61: Braised Lamb Neck at the Gorbals
#60: Dough’s Passionfruit Doughnut
#59: Uncle Jesse Bao at Baohaus
#58: Patatas Bravas at El Colmado
#57: Lupulo’s Razor Clams
#56: Bar Masa’s Spicy Dancing Shrimp
#55: Underwest Donuts’ Halva
#54: The Virgola Platter at Virgola
#53: Noreetuh’s Monkfish Liver Torchon
#52: Amarena Cherry Merveilleux
#51: Roasted Mushrooms at Bara
#50: Fonda’s Oaxacan Black Mole Enchiladas
#49: Flinders Lane’s Lamb Rump
#48: Blue Ribbon Sushi’s Temaki Honnin
#47: Dirty French’s Chicken and Crepes
#46: The Vegetarian Combination at Zoma
#45: Merguez Sausage Flatbread at Irvington
#44: Le Grand Aioli at Marlow & Sons
#43: Shelsky’s Hot Pastrami Sandwich
#42: Hippie Banjo at Pies ‘n’ Thighs
#41: Malted Milkshake from Dizzy’s Diner
#40: Graffiti’s Graffiti Burger
#39: Beef Rolls at Kottu House
#38: Cafe Katja’s Wiener Schnitzel
#37: Norma’s Potato Pancakes
#36: Goat Milk Soft Serve at Victory Garden
#35: Okonomi’s Onsen Egg
#34: ‘Njuja Pizza at Obicà