Brauhaus Schmitz
718 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
On the day that we had to drop my girlfriend’s dad off at
the airport before heading to go see The Dark Knight Rises, we headed to
Brauhaus Schmitz for some traditional German fare. Her father had tried to take
her there on Thursday night before I arrived, but she told him no because I
would be furious if they went without me. This place is really that good!
Her dad had been discussing with me about something he loved
to order at German restaurants called Rollmops. They are pieces of pickled
herring wrapped around a pickle and onions on the inside. I was a bit
skeptical, but when offered, decided to try them. I was pleasantly surprised
with the taste and I really came to enjoy them. They were a little salty, and
they had a nice bite to them from the pickling liquid that they were sitting
in. The crunch of the pickle and the onions was a nice bit of contrast as
well.
We enjoyed our beers and the bread given to the table after
finishing off the Rollmops. I had a German brew called Acrobrau, a lager with a
strong taste and medium body, very much right in my wheelhouse. If we weren’t
going to the movies after dropping her dad off at the airport I would have had
about six of them.
I had been to the Oktoberfest celebration at Brauhaus last
year, so I knew a little bit about their food, but I went all in this time and
got some awesome things for my meal. I ordered a platter that came with two
different kinds of housemade sausages, Weisswurst and Kasewurst, and two sides,
sauerkraut and spaetzel. Weisswurst is a veal and pork based sausage with mild
flavor, and Kasewurst is a really flavorful smoked sausage with cheese in the
middle. The sausages were incredibly flavorful, and I could tell that they were very authentic. My girlfriend told me they were both spot on, and since
she has spent quite a bit of time in Germany, having lived there for 4 years, I
trusted her judgment quite a bit. I devoured both of them without haste,
intermixing the sauerkraut and spaetzel throughout. The spaetzel were the most
delicious little potato dumplings I had ever tasted. I could have eaten a whole
plate just full of them. They were crispy and light, buttery and delicious.
I also had the pleasure of trying my girlfriends plate of
veal jaegarschnitzel, kartoffelpuffer, and gurkensalat. Jaegarschnitzel is a
type of thinly pounded veal, pan fried, and topped with a sauce.
Kartoffelpuffer is a term used for a potato pancake served with sour cream.
Gurkensalat is a salad of cucumbers. All three items were fantastic. The veal
was incredibly tender, and the crunch on the outside was amazing. The
kartoffelpuffer was really awesome too. I would definitely order it as my side
next time because it was so light and airy in the middle while being
ridiculously crunchy on the outside.
We all decided to split an apple struedel for dessert. We
were a little disappointed when it came out with a scoop of vanilla ice cream
on top, but that being said, it was so delicious. It was hot as could be, and
the struedel was tasty and sweet. The whole thing disappeared in mere moments,
and we were all quite satisfied with our meal.
Three and a half pints for Brauhaus Schmitz. While I have never been to Germany, I feel like this place has an authentic feel, and I can't wait to compare it some of the places I encounter in Munich this summer. Phenomenal house made sausages, delicious potato dishes, authentic German beer, and great service are all the high points here. I knew how authentic Brauhaus Schmitz was before we went,
but after eating with two Germans and seeing their reactions to everything, I
am that much more sure about just how good this place is. It really is
incredible, and I cannot wait to go back again and again. You should try it as
soon as you can! Cheers!
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