Dining at Suppenkuche in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco was my first German style dining experience, and who knew that a meat and potatoes style joint could be so tasty. Germany has never shined particularly bright in the world of European culinary delights compared to the powerhouses that are France and Italy, but the hearty, nourishing, and fresh food at Suppenkuche proves that Germany has more to contribute to the world than a torn and frayed urban landscape and great philosophers. Starting your meal with a nice suppen is a good idea, maybe the kartoffelsupe mit landwurt-bratwurst (potato soup with farmers bratwurst) For the main course the meat selections reign supreme and ordering only vegetables would be foolish and next to impossible. The Gebratene Rehmedaillions in Rotwein-Pflaumensoe mit Rotkohl und Spätzle (sauteed venison medallions in red wine plum sauce with red cabbage and spatzle) is a robust German dish that will make you feel far more manly than you really are. Finish the night off with a nice piece of black forest cake if you have a sweet tooth. The entrees are in the $15-20 range and are substantial in portion.
What drew me to Suppenkuche initially was the epic selection of German, Austrian, and Belgian beers on draft. The beer menu is organized from lightest to darkest, starting with pilsener, then to the bottom-fermented and balanced helles style, the top-fermented and usually unfiltered hefewiezen stlye, all the way to the bock and doppel bock, copper colored brews with flavors of toasted malt. Since Oktoberfest is approaching rapidly I decided to have a newly imported festbier, (fest beer) the Hacker- Pschorr Brewery Oktoberfest. The Hacker Oktoberfest was copper in color and had a malty sweetness characteristic of the style. Many of the festbiers possess a sweet finish that can be slightly overwhelming but the Hacker has a very subtle hoppy note at the end that rounds out the brew. The on-tap advantage was also apparent, the festbier tasted smooth and fresh and put me in the mood for a flavorful sausage. The bartender, who was large, muscular, germanic looking, and very friendly was knowledgeable and easy to talk to. The staff was attentive, the service was good, and the food was filling and tasty. Eating at Suppenkuche might just change your mind about German food or it might create a fresh notion all together. At the very least go and have a festbier on draft, it's a unique beer experience and all the festbiers tend to be fox-like in color.
Restaurant Grade: B
Brew Grade: A-
http://www.suppenkuche.com/
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