Yesterday, everyone donned their best lederhosen, put on their Pickelhelms and jumped aboard a beer float for the 54th annual German-American Steuben Parade in Manhattan. The parade, which was named after General Frederick von Steuben, a Prussian army officer who offered his services to George Washington during the American Revolution, is a celebration of all things German. Revelers marched up 5th Avenue from East 67th Street up to Yorkville's East 86th Street—an area which DNAInfo points out was once known as "Sauerkraut Boulevard" for its many German restaurants and dance halls. Click through to get a taste of sauerkraut in your mouth.
Pictures: Lederhosen Celebration At German-American Parade!
McDonald's German McCafe Serving NYC Theme Cupcakes
Who here speaks German? (Our knowledge is solely limited to the Die Hard line 'Schiess auf die fenster," which means "Shoot out the windows.") We ask because McDonald's in Germany are now offering a selection of four cupcakes inspired by different parts of NYC! They are named for Central Park, Soho, Chelsea, and the East Village. (There was supposed to be a Murray Hill one, but it moved back to Ohio, hey-oh.) So what does a German think the East Village tastes like, when distilled into cupcake form? BurgerBusiness.com did some paraphrasing:
Video: Germans Invade Brooklyn Kickball
There's not a lot to add commentary-wise to this video, which is a German report on the Brooklyn kickball league. Hipsters, Germans, a Beavis and Butthead quote... it's well worth your 6 minutes and 43 seconds.
Openings Roundup: Seäsonal, Baoguette, Danku
Seäsonal: This sleek new midtown restaurant (pictured) uses Austrian and German classics as a springboard into lighter iterations of typically heavy Kraut cuisine. Chefs and co-owners Wolfgang Ban and Eduard Frauneder—if those even are their real names—are intent on making traditional staples like Schweinsbauch (Crispy Pork Belly) new again with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Other items include Wiener Schnitzel (Breaded Veal cutlet) served with a potato and cucumber salad, and Monkfish Medallions served on Szegediner Kraut. The wine list emphasizes regional bottles such as Riesling, Rivaner, and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), and the atmosphere is comfy and clean; Thrillist likens the white curves and latticework to "the getaway nook on the cruise ship from The Fifth Element." 132 West 58th Street, (212) 957-5550
Openings Roundup: Hallo Berlin Express, Abigail Café & Wine Bar, Cabrito
Hallo Berlin Express: A weird name and a weirder awning, but sometimes good food comes in weird packages (consider Masala Munch.) This new 30-seat joint on 9th Avenue near 50th Street is the sister of the bigger German eatery Hallo Berlin. Eating in Translation stuck his beak in when they opened this week, and walked away full of schnitzel, spaetzle, soup, and cucumber salad.

