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Freud: A Local Gem2 min read

Freud: A Local Gem

From Schnitz’wich to Cocktails, the Austrian–Viennese Experience in Greenwich Village

Jonathan Koo, AVP of Advertising and MBA Class of 2018

Freud, a quaint, understated restaurant, is located on La Guardia Place in the heart of Greenwich Village. Its cuisine, a contemporary take on Austrian-Viennese classics, includes authentic dishes such as Wiener Schnitzel and Octopus Gulasch. The chef boasts Michelin-starred credentials. On Sundays, they feature live jazz during brunch.

I popped in for a quick bite and a quiet space to study for my Global Economy midterm on a Tuesday evening during happy hour (seemed like the logical thing to do after hearing Scott Galloway rant about his AMEX Black Card for 3 hours straight). The clientele I encountered ranged from sophisticated society-types to long-bearded thinkers who spend their waking hours pondering the illusion of time and space. The nostalgic background music ranges from the Beach Boys (see “Good Vibrations”) to Buffalo Springfield.

I ordered the Schnitz’wich, the classic Austrian fried chicken dish in the form of an American sandwich.  A sunny-side up egg tops it off (I’m a sucker for all things egg-related). For refreshments, an “Unconscious,” one of Freud’s marquee cocktails, washed it down nicely.  The Schnitz’wich, as Patrick Bateman (the protagonist and narrator of the novel American Psycho) once said, was a “playful, yet mysterious little dish.”  The Schnitzel itself was very appropriately sized (I’ve had previous experience with offensively large schnitzels). But what impressed me even more than that was the fact that the sunny-side-up egg didn’t dissolve into some unmanageable mess – one of my biggest pet peeves, when it comes to egg sandwiches. The pickled cabbage was the perfect blend of sweet and salty. The side fries were a natural cut with a sweet potato swagger. It was a very pleasant meal overall.

After I finished my “Unconscious,” my mind slowly drifted from calculating the GDPs of emerging markets to the mysterious solemnities of life. Why are we here? What encapsulates the human condition? Did we in fact deviate from that well-intentioned LAUNCH advice and follow the recruiting herd? Another cocktail was due.

Grade non-disclosure is truly a blessing.

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