Savor the Flavors of Germany in the Adirondacks
Spargel On Nine is a new German restaurant tucked between Lake George and Glens Falls.
Photos courtesy Spargel On Nine.
Are you craving a taste of Germany but can’t afford the flight from the Adirondacks? Look no further than Route 9 between Lake George Village and Glens Falls, where a delightful culinary import from Deutschland awaits.
A typical Bavarian village.
Indulge your senses with the rich and authentic taste of German cuisine in New York State’s Adirondack Park.
We recently joined friends for a celebratory birthday dinner at Spargel On Nine, a relative newcomer to the Southern Adirondacks’ dining scene. Expectations were high as our close companions recently returned from an extended stay in Germany visiting family, where they developed a strong affection for authentic German food and dining experiences.
Genuine German cuisine in an attractive setting.
Spargel, which is German for “asparagus,” opened at the end of 2023, but we hadn’t noticed the restaurant on a bustling strip of Route 9 sandwiched between Lake George Village and Glens Falls. The restaurant’s location was once home to an Outback Steakhouse, so the exterior has that vaguely familiar Australian-desert-meets-American-Little-House-on-the-Prairie vibe. However, any similarities end there.
Spargel means “asparagus” in German.
Once guests step inside the doors to Spargel On Nine, they are greeted by a warm and inviting atmosphere (not a kangaroo or boomerang in sight). The dining room has gleaming oak wainscoting and creamy yellow walls. We were charmed by the large impressionist-style paintings of asparagus that decorated the room and the authentic maps and photographs of Germany.
Note: If you’re hoping for Beer Maids in dirndls or mustachioed Männer in Lederhosen hoisting steins and shouting “Eins, Zwei, Drei, G'suffa,” you will be disappointed. Even though we notified the staff we were celebrating a birthday, we were relieved the strudel bearing the birthday candle was not accompanied by an oompah band playing the Chicken Dance.
Chef Christian Raeth. Photos Courtesy Spargel on Nine.
Chef/owner Christian Raeth hails from the Bavarian town of Erlangen in Southern Germany (Munich is Bavaria’s capital). He was trained as a chef in Germany and worked in top restaurants there as well as in Italy, France and Switzerland. In 1991, Raeth arrived in the U.S. and worked as a chef in the Albany area for several years.
When he and his wife started their family, he gave up the wild schedule of a professional chef for a corporate gig with Sysco, the massive global wholesale food distributor, so technically, he has never been far from a professional kitchen.
Raeth says the dream of owning a restaurant never left his mind. He honed his vision for the restaurant's concept, menu and style for over 30 years. Like a well-made Sauerbraten, Spargel On Nine proves it pays off to prepare your best ideas carefully and allow them to marinate and cook slowly to achieve optimal results.
Expertly prepared traditional and contemporary German cuisine.
On our recent visit to Spargel On Nine, we were warmly greeted and shown to a large booth to be seated. However, we asked if we could switch to a standard table, and the hostess and waitstaff accommodated us immediately.
We had an early dinner reservation and were surprised that the dining room was almost half full at 4:30 pm on a Saturday. Another good sign.
The menu Raeth devised for Spargel On Nine emphasizes fresh ingredients. He recently told the Glens Falls Business Journal, “There will hardly be anything in the freezer besides some french fries and ice cream.”
Chef Christian Raeth’s creations at Spargel On Nine.
Spargel’s menu is extensive, with plenty of the classics customers expect from a German restaurant and more evolved options. “We include sauerbraten, roast pork, roulade, goulash, and red cabbage made from scratch. But there is a whole different type of German cooking that nobody here really touches. There is filet mignon and strip steak, just done in a little bit of a different way. We hired plenty of talent for the kitchen, and I’ve been around long enough, so there is nothing that we cannot execute and cook. It just has to fit and be wanted by the customer. I hope that the community will embrace it.”
They had me at Schnitzel and Spätzle.
Spargel On Nine’s menu options captivated us, as did its beer list, so we lingered over cocktails and imported German beers while we perused and debated the culinary possibilities. We also devoured the restaurant's freshly baked pretzel sticks accompanied by hot honey butter.
Don’t miss Spargel On Nine’s delicious Pretzel Sticks.
Ultimately, our group opted for several classics, like the schnitzel and sauerbraten, as well as the Baiersdorfer Rinderschmorbraten, which is a slow simmered beef brisket in an aromatic beef broth served with a creamy horseradish sauce. We could choose our sides, which included butter potatoes, potato pancakes, spätzle, potato dumplings, and fresh vegetables.
No one was disappointed. My Weiner Schnitzel was so tender I didn’t need a knife to cut it. And it came with lovely white asparagus.
On our next visit, I will definitely branch out to try other options that caught my eye, like the potato-crusted halibut filet with a roasted red pepper sauce, grilled Norwegian salmon filet served with a citrus beurre blanc, and the braised lamb shank with potato souffle and bacon wrapped green beans.
Excellent service and great food make for a winning combination at Spargel On Nine.
Spargel art.
Throughout the meal, the staff was über-friendly, professional, and attentive. In fact, one of the owners stopped by our table and to inquire about our experience.
It's clear that the restaurant is gaining a reputation as a hot spot, as it was packed when we left. Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience, and we look forward to returning to Spargel.
For more information on Spargel On Nine’s menu, hours of operation (they now offer lunch Thursday - Sunday), make reservations, and more, visit their website.
Places to stay, shop, eat, and things to do near Spargel On Nine in the Southern Adirondacks.
