In the 19th Century German cuisine was very popular across America, especially after the Hamburg Steak was paired with bread to become the hamburger. The South Bay was no different. In the early 1900s Redondo Beach was host to a Teutonic beer hall that seated hundreds of people, in the 1940s Manhattan Beach had Little Bavaria, and late in the century Redondo’s destination restaurant was Bit Of Germany. All of those closed, and for a long time Alpine Village, a relative newcomer from 1968, was our only place for a stein and schnitzel.
German food has been making a comeback in the last few years via a craze for gourmet sausages, and the South Bay has its first new German restaurant in half a century. As you might guess from the name, Brat & Brau focuses on sausages and their traditional accompaniments, but also offers a surprising variety of flavors to be experienced.
The restaurant that used to be Number Nine has been attractively redecorated with whimsical murals and furnished with long wooden tables that create an ambiance reminiscent of a German beer hall. Beer aficionados are more likely to notice the array of glassware behind the bar; there are a variety of shapes and sizes to suit each style and brand, which is a sign of dedication. Everyone gets a close look at the collection because you order at the counter, and if there’s a line you may fall into a reverie admiring the abstract beauty of glassware and ceramic.
The menu is simple: a dozen sausages, six items you can put on top of them, plus pretzels, fries, potato pancakes, and a lone salad. From this you might think that a vegetarian would do badly here, but you’d be wrong. There was a vegetarian movement in Germany as early as the 1860s, and two meatless sausages are on the menu here. Whether you like eating critters or not, the best tactic is to go with friends, order two sandwiches each and some sides to share, and experience as many items as possible.
While you wait for your meal you can enjoy some beer or wine, or a few soft drinks if you don’t imbibe. The wine list is short, four whites and three reds, and though there are some decent pours offered, beer is the way to go. The all-German list has some excellent offerings, from a refreshing grapefruit hefeweizen to a deep, dark double bock that is almost in liquid bread territory. My favorite is the Schneider Aventinus, a dark wheat beer with distinctive overtones of plums and spice; it’s not quite Christmas in a glass, but there’s a hint of it.
While you drink your appetizer you can play board games or be traditional and challenge each other to a stein-holding contest. This involves ordering a heavy stein containing a full liter of beer and holding it for as long as possible at arm’s length — you lose if you spill any. It’s challenging but I recommend breaking out the Jenga blocks or other amusements, because those don’t involve a risk of spilling beer on the table. The games and wholesome atmosphere have made Brat & Brau a popular family hangout, and on almost every visit I have seen children, sometimes in strollers, accompanying their parents.
Your food tends to arrive all at once on metal trays covered with paper, just as it does at a wurst bar in Europe. Some sausages may be ordered as a platter, in which case they’re grilled and sliced for snacking, but they usually arrive in hot dog buns crowned with your choice of topping. These are caramelized or grilled onions, sweet peppers, jalapenos, fried shallots, or sauerkraut. We decided to order one platter of non-traditional sausages that included the chorizo, chicken curry, and the spicy “Europa” pork sausage with chili flakes, fennel, and basil. This was a spicy Italian sausage in all but name, and was our favorite of the three, but all were pretty darn good.
We also ordered a chicken curry sausage topped with caramelized onions and shallots, the vegetarian sausage of potatoes, sage, and apple with sweet peppers and onions, and a Southeast Asian sausage with sauerkraut on the side. Curry and Southeast Asian may seem like Californian ideas but they’re not; the currywurst is one of the most popular sausages in Germany. This one had cilantro, raisins, and roasted shallots mixed with the chicken and mild curry seasoning, and I liked it but would have liked a heftier shot of spice. The Southeast Asian sausage was a little more assertive, not identical to the ones I had on a vacation in Northern Thailand, but recognizably inspired by it. The flavors of lemongrass, fresh and pickled chillies, and shrimp paste have it a mild pungent and sour flavor that was enhanced by just a bit of sauerkraut.
The surprise was the vegetarian sausage, which I had low expectations for because it seemed so simple. The Yukon gold potatoes, apples, and sage had been augmented by subtle spices, and it had the mouthfeel of a standard sausage without the meat. The other vegetarian sausage has eggplant, fennel, garlic, and pepper, and I can hardly wait to try it.
The fries arrived hot, crisp, and delicious, and they’re great with the curry ketchup; other available condiments are garlic aioli, barbecue, curry ranch, and something ominously called “Angry German.” I was ambivalent about the potato pancakes, which seem to be made with potato flour without grated potato – depending on where you are in Germany both types are common. I prefer a mix of potato flour and potato, and a little more seasoning and onion. The bite-size pancakes came with applesauce and sour cream, plus a sprig of dill.
Only one dessert is offered, a creamy nutella pudding topped with whipped cream, garnished with pirouline chocolate cookies. If you like sweet, creamy flavors you may be a fan, but we weren’t. I can’t say I would have killed for some good strudel, but I might have inflicted minor injuries.
Dinner for three ran $112, of which $46 was beer (we had five). Our first new German restaurant in decades has found a niche, and new generations may enjoy the flavors of Northern Europe just a block from the Pacific.
Brat & Brau is at 1342 Hermosa Avenue in Hermosa Beach. Open Mo-Thu 4 p.m. – 11 p.m., Fri-Sun 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. Street parking or nearby pay lots, wheelchair access OK, beer and wine served, corkage $20. Partial menu at bratbrau.com, phone 310-376-6532.
