The Lovebirds are always on the lookout for authentic cuisine whether from a different country, culture or classic American fare. More than once, Bill has bemoaned the loss of the Blue Ox as the go-to place for German fare in Philly. Now that they've discovered Brauhaus Schmitz, Bill has one less thing to complain about.
Christmas Eve the Lovebirds wanted to spend some time outdoors so headed to Center City for a stroll through the Christmas Village in the shadow of Philadelphia's incredibly majestic City Hall.
Most of the market stalls were still open for last minute shoppers but with their shopping finished, their attention turned to finding a snack. Laura's first choice of food vendors was sold out of all but sweet offerings. Because she craved something savory, Bill and Laura continued through the market and eventually found their way to Brauhaus Schmitz's stand. They were doing a brisk business and there was a wait for some of their sausages so Laura chose the weiswurst which was available immediately. Garnished with sauerkraut and grainy mustard and balanced precariously on a chewy roll, the sausage was, dare she wax poetic, sublime. Plump juicy and perfectly spiced, it was exactly what Laura was craving. Although he initially didn't want a snack, Bill ended up choosing a pair of cured Landjaeger (Country Hunter) sausages to chomp on while Laura enjoyed her weiswurst. Fortified for the rest of their adventure, Bill and Laura finished up at the Christmas Village and took a different route back to where they had parked the car. Along the way they passed by the Oyster House on Sanson Street and picked up a quirky pop art portrait of Elmo dressed as Santa Claus complete with aviator sunglasses and sparkly gingerbread man. Along the way it was also decided that they would definitely add Brauhaus Schmitz to the growing list of must-try restaurants in Philly. The Oyster House had previously made the list but was bumped up in rank after the Lovebirds peered in the window on their way by.
Fast forward two weeks or so to a brisk post-holiday early Sunday afternoon. Bill and Laura were quite hungry and feeling the need for something filling and soul satisfying. They pounced on the idea of Brauhaus Schmitz and left home hopeful that a parking spot along South Street would be theirs. Luck was with them in the form of a parking spot less than a block away from Brauhaus Schmitz's front door. From the minute they walked in, Bill and Laura loved the ambiance of the place. It is an airy space with wood tables and chairs, and an old-fashioned tall bar decorated with contemporary touches such as wheat stalks lining the crown molding and a collection of vintage German travel posters. Because the restaurant was not busy, the Lovebirds were instructed to sit wherever they pleased by a friendly waitress. She hustled over right away and took drink orders while Bill and Laura consulted the menu. It was already quite familiar as they had all but memorized the paper copy they brought home from the Christmas Village.
The Lovebirds each got started with a glass of Lindemans Framboise Lambic which is served on tap at Brauhaus Schmitz. Bill ordered the Jaegerschnitzel, a pork cutlet with hunter sauce of mushrooms, bacon, onions and red wine. Laura, remembering how delicious the weiswurst was, ordered it again along with a baurenwurst, spaetzle and a side of gravy. As Bill tucked into the schnitzel he proclaimed it to be delicious. The Jaeger sauce was rich and flavorful and the cutlet was breaded and fried to perfection. Laura's weiswurst was as juicy and tender as she remembered but while the baurenwurst was perfectly fine the smoky beefy flavor was overpowering up against the delicate veal and pork weiswurst. Of the spaetzle, Laura had only one criticism - that there be more on the plate. The hand-formed egg noodles were the perfect foil for the gravy which turned out to be the same Jaeger sauce Bill was enjoying on his schnitzel. In fact, the side of gravy was more than enough for the spaetzle and the schnitzel.
Throughout the meal, Bill and Laura were impressed with the service. It was attentive but not suffocating. Because they had chosen a booth near the bar, the bar tender was quick to notice that Bill had finished off the Framboise and offered up a sample of a porter that piqued his curiosity. The Left Hand Fade to Black porter was full bodied and complex and complimented Bill's entree quite nicely. Although she kept to the framboise, Laura did try the porter and would definitely order one next time if it's still on the menu.
Bill and Laura will definitely return to Brauhaus Schmitz. It is the perfect place to toss back a few back with a group of friends. The menu is divided into lunch/late night snack offerings, dinner and specials. The late night snack offerings include Kleine Teller or little plates such as Laugenbretzel (house baked pretzels), pickled red beet eggs, and Landjaeger sausages.
While they passed on desserts, the Lovebirds left Brauhaus Schmitz satiated and ready for a round about stroll back to the car along South Street.
