Schnitzel & Things: Lunch from the Schnitzel Truck
Few of the high-end food trucks that have sprung up in New York over the past few years have interested me as much as Schnitzel & Things. I grew up eating Austrian schnitzel — thinly pounded veal, breaded and fried — a lot as a kid, and had some great schnitzel in Salzburg five years ago. But I finally got to check out the schnitzel truck today after watching it on Twitter for several weeks. It’s good!
The pork schnitzel platter was a solid amount of food for $9, and very tasty.
The schnitzel itself, served with a lemon wedge, was nicely seasoned and tasted great. But the texture was a little off — possibly because I had to walk and wait for about 10 minutes before I got to eat it, while it was still giving off heat in a plastic dish.
Specifically, the schnitzel was a little on the hard side — tricky to cut with a plastic knife in the plastic tray — and not as juicy as I would have liked it. The meat was pounded very thin, so it might do better cut in half and stacked up as a sandwich.
The platter also came with two sides. I got the braised sauerkraut and the Yukon Gold fries. The sauerkraut was really good: Not too salty or vinegary, a little sweet, good texture. And the fries were tasty. But by the time I got back to the office, they were on the soggy side. (Fries are especially hard to transport, so, not their fault. Next time, I’m going for the green lentil salad.)
I also tried a bratwurst sandwich, which is served on a big ciabatta bun, for $5.
The sausage was good, and the sriracha mayo I chose as a condiment added a nice kick. But because the brat was sliced in half, the meat-to-bread ratio was a little off, and it wasn’t as juicy as an intact brat would be.
My advice: Keep the big ciabatta for the schnitzel sandwiches — it’s good. But for brats, something a little smaller, so you can keep the sausage in tube format.
As part of a Twitter promotion, I also got a free sample of their cold, creamy mushroom soup. It had a nice, peppery kick, but was on the rich side.
So what’s the verdict? I’m definitely going back next time the schnitzel truck is in the area. The service is friendly and the food is good, especially coming from a small kitchen on wheels. But I think I’ll try things the other way around: The schnitzel as a sandwich, or the bratwurst as a platter. I’m also interested in some of the other sides, specifically the roasted beets and feta salad and the green lentils.
