On a cold, windy San Francisco night, German cuisine can be just what you need to warm your insides, and steel your body for the cold German winter ahead. OK, so maybe we won’t be facing real winters here in California – or the Russian army for that matter – but German food still has a place in my heart. It’s so hearty, unpretentious and when skillfully prepared, surprisingly delicate. Suppenküche in Hayes Valley in San Francisco features an artistically designed space that balances austere white walls with indoor tree branches, metal birds small clusters of barley. The net effect is a space that is modern but harkens back to an idealized Germany that I’m not sure ever existed. I like it.

Of course, none of this would matter if the beer (Bier?) and food they served wasn’t up to snuff. Their tap list features a nice variety of German lagers, sorted by style, with helpful descriptions for the lost. The wait staff seemed to know aboutt he beers as well, and were able to explain the different styles without jargon or brushing off an interested but uninformed customer. The long wait for a table provided ample time to stand by the bar, and enjoy a few pints. I happily poked around the special taps list, enjoying a seasonal Weltenburger Mai Bock, while Elianna noted how crisp a German pilsner is compared to it’s Czech brethren.

The tables are communal tables that each seat large groups. If you’re just a couple, expect to make new friends over your pint. This layout encourages community and chatter and perfectly invokes a German beer hall – down to the frat boy table next to us banging their steins on the tables at every opportunity.

As for the food, the surprise favorite of the night was the Cheese Spätzle, which was made with roasted onions. The onions provided added depth and carmel flavors, making it a nice rich counter point to my Mai Bock.

Besides the Cheese Spätzle, we stuck to the specials menu, ordering as seasonally as possible. The roast suckling pig, served with dumplings, and asparagus wrapped in bacon were both good. Particularly exceptional was the single potato served with the asparagus, which had a shocking creamy texture. This potato perfectly encapsulated the kitchen’s approach to food: hearty basic ingredients, prepared with care and attention to details. The german lagers provided a crisp malty counterpoint to the universally rich food, and balanced the meal out nicely. Also pictured is the beet and carrot salad that came with the spätzle.

All told, Suppenküche provides a nice Germany without leaving the city, and manages to align the beer, food, communal tables and well designed space into a single vision, which is uncompromising in its pursuit of Germanic happiness. Prost!

Tags: german, lager, Suppenküche

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 12th, 2009 at 7:31 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.