Sweet Sauerkraut

Schnitzelhaus

Comments (0) By Matthew Stafford Wednesday, Mar 21 2001

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There are seven wines to choose from, each available either by the glass or the bottle, but if any place is a tankard-of-malt kind of establishment, this is it. Fortunately Schnitzelhaus offers an impressive array of beers to choose from, half of them on tap. The gold-hued Oktoberfest has a mellow, baked-apple warmth to it that contrasts pleasantly with the crisper, spicier Franziskaner yeast wheat beer. Another draft, the Krombacher pilsner, is hoppy but bland. Bottled beers include the widely acclaimed but undeniably weird Schlenkerla smoked beer, in which Bamberg beechwood burned at the malting stage creates a frosty beverage with the smoldering character of a campfire. Like martinis and anchovies, it's the sort of thing you have to work up to. No taste bud prep necessary for the Aventinus wheat bock, however: Advertised as "Germany's original wheat bock" (the brewery dates back to the 17th century), it has all the earthy complexity of a southern weizenbock with lingering grace notes of cocoa and spice -- a fine dessert-time brew. Schnitzelhaus offers the seven bottles by the half-liter and the seven drafts in liter, half-liter, and one-third-liter increments; they come served in an aesthetically eclectic selection of beakers, tankards, and mugs.

In a restaurant half-dedicated to the homeland of Sacher torte, Linzertorte, doboschtorte, and other Viennese extravaganzas, the minimal dessert menu is a bit of a disappointment. On the one hand there's the Deutscher schokoladenkuchen, a Safeway-level chocolate cake with Crisco-flavored frosting. On the other there's a satisfying take on that glory of Austro-Hungarian cookery, apple strudel: tart stewed apples wrapped in a mildly sweet shortcrust and accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's a triumph of comfy simplicity. After that and the kartoffelpuffer (potato pancake) and the bratwurst and the weizenbock, you'll be more than ready for a day of telemarking the Arlberg -- or at least a little cardboard-sledding down Potrero Hill.

Willkommen: What's schnitzel without beer?

Location Info

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Schnitzel Haus

294 Ninth St.
San Francisco, CA 94103

Category: Restaurant > European

Region: South of Market

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Details

864-4038. Open for lunch Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m. Reservations requested 24 hours in advance. Wheelchair accessible. Parking: possible. Muni: 12, 19. Noise level: merry.

Potato pancakes $8.50
Nürnberger bratwurst platter $9
Schnitzel with anchovy sauce $13.75
Pork leg with sauerkraut $14.75
Oktoberfest $7/liter
Aventinus wheat bock $4
Apple strudel $4

294 Ninth St. (at Folsom)