Cedric Defayes has changed the name of his European restaurant on Avenida Lopez Cotilla from Le Bistro to Heidi’s.
The impetus is a change of menu, which is now strong on sausages, while keeping a few of his customers’ favorites from Le Bistro.
Heidi’s now serves nine different sausages, made from various German or European-influenced butchers located in Guanajuato and Mexico City.
“Our provider in Guanajuato worked at a restaurant in California where celebrities came and asked for certain stuffings in their sausage,” said Defayes. “Sharon Stone’s favorite is on our menu. It is made from pork loin and filled with pistachios, apricots, prunes and visnaga.
Our white veal sausage is made by a second generation German-Mexican family.”
The bratwurst (a Swiss recipe made with veal and pork) is made especially for Heidi’s. Other sausage offerings include Schüblig, Polish (made with pork and beef), chicken with fine herbs and cranberries in a curry sauce, Italian with fennel and red wine, smoked Kielbasa with diced potatoes in the mix, and a lamb and pork loin sauce with garlic and ginger.
All of the wieners come with your choice of dressing: honey mustard, garlic cream, BBQ, Dijon mustard, blue cheese or chipotle.
Side dishes include a light German potato salad, a green salad with a French oil, egg yolk and vinegar dressing, sauerkraut, fried potatoes and a sweet red cabbage. Sourdough bread from Guadalajara bakery Roggenbrot is also served with these hearty meals.
Tasters for two of three sausages, three dressings and three sides start at 239 pesos. A platter of all nine sausages, all the dressings and sides goes for 699 pesos.
To compliment these meaty offerings try a Pilsener, Hefeweizen or Dunkel beer from Baden-Württemberg brewery Hatz-Moninger or choose from selected Mexican craft beers. House wines by the glass are offered, as well as French fruit soda.
Also available are lasagnas, both meat and vegetarian, Greek or caesar salads and a variety of fondues — a house speciality with a mixture of gouda, gruyere and cream cheeses. One variety is tomato centric, others include one loaded with basil pesto, another with mushrooms, and one with curry, garlic and cumin. A best seller is the fondue with a mixture of gruyere, brie and blue cheeses.
Leave room for dessert. Excellent Chiapas coffee goes perfect with an apple strudel or a French Moelleux de Chocolate. All the desserts are made in house.
Defayes has a decent wine cellar with more than 30 vintages from around Europe, South America and Mexico. He personally likes Cabernet from Santo Tomas, Baja California’s oldest winery.
The restaurant has three different areas to choose from: a main area upstairs with a view of bustling Avenida Lopez Cotilla, a patio with lots of greenery and La Cava, where many couples enjoy a romantic dinner.
Hours are Monday to Thursday, 2 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday until 12:30 a.m. and Sunday from 1 to 7 p.m. Lopez Cotilla 1480, tel. 3615-1800. Check out their special offers at HeidisGDL on Facebook.