October 3: Altstadt Bierhalle & Brathaus

I didn't write down which one of my co-workers suggested Altstadt Bierhalle & Brathaus to me a couple weeks ago, but you, sir or madam, are going to cause me to suffer the wrath of my wife once she sees this. She's of German heritage. It's a treat for her when we go to the German deli near our house. At Epcot, we always eat at the German restaurant. And in Vegas, she's always up for a trip to Hofbräuhaus. She's gonna kill me when I tell her how good this was. Everything we had was slightly surprising, in a good way.

It's a very short walk from the office, less than two blocks. A co-worker and I headed over just before noon, and were the only diners there. Like a good beer hall, there are two large communal tables in the center, but we sat at the dartboard table with a view of the kitchen. The table somehow managed to smell slightly of creosote yet not be offensive.

We both ordered the special: pork belly with dumplings, sauerkraut, and a creamy mustard sauce. But first, we started with a pretzel and cheese sauce. Our server explained how they lightly coat the pretzel with lye -- a very traditional method -- and then bake it twice to serve it fresh. It was initially almost too hot to touch, but once it cooled, it was chewy; solid, but not heavy. I preferred the cheese sauce; my co-worker like the mustard sauce better.

The pork belly arrived soon after. I was expecting something like a thick slab of bacon with doughy dumplings and a pungent kraut and sauce, and couldn't have been much more wrong. The pork belly was a 2½'' cube of tender meat, well cooked but not tough. It came with a knife, but most of the time, I could cut it with my fork. So good, and again, surprisingly not heavy.

At first, I thought the dumplings were discs of hash browns. Instead, I think they were potatoes that were mashed, formed, pressed, and baked. Despite the flat shape of them, they too weren't heavy.

And the sauerkraut? I told my co-worker that I don't like sauerkraut. She said it was good. I said no thanks. She said "it's good for you." I took a bite with the pork belly. It wasn't pungent. I wasn't tart. It was, for the most part, flavorless. I guess saying that it was tolerable, and that I had a second bite, is high praise.

We just drank room-temperature water, passing on the beer. I know, I know. I'm still waiting on the change of company policy to allow it. It would have been so good, too. I told myself that the water was Corona or Rainier or Coors, and I guess that made me feel a little better about it.

Apologies to my co-worker: I didn't realize she was picking up the tab, and got a look at the receipt before she took it.

German food, in my experience, has been a heavy, hearty, bulky meal. This was in no way a light dish, but the components were delicate, and an hour later, aren't sitting like a lump of protein and carbs in my gut. You should definitely put this one on your to-do list.

Altstad Bierhalle & Brathaus
209 1st Ave. S.
Pretzel ($6), cheese sauce ($3), and pork belly ($20), plus tax and tip

(PS: No post tomorrow; teleworking.)