Review: Not a schnitzel lover? German restaurant has delicious American, European food too
If it is ever OK to use a cliché and call a restaurant a “hidden gem,” it is in the case of Schnitzel Haus in Hobe Sound.
Seabranch Plaza, which is home to Schnitzel Haus, shows its backside to Federal Highway. Drive past the pale-yellow building and turn onto Crooked Oak Avenue and into the parking lot at the front of the building, where you will be greeted by a large red sign announcing that you have arrived.
The exterior may be humble, but the interior is confident and elegant. Crystal chandeliers hang from black ceilings. Colossal photographs of interesting, iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Grand Canal, Capitol Building, castles and chateaus adorn the walls. Red leather booths and chairs provide seating at tables dressed in white linens. Modern gold lamps provide a warm ambience.
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The menu offers traditional German dishes with the addition of American and European fare. German starters are labeled "vorspeise" and include soft pretzels, bratwurst, smoked salmon, and Bavarian meatball. Other appetizers are stuffed mushrooms, jumbo crab cakes, clams casino, caprese salad, and shrimp cocktail.
We started with one of the German appetizers: kartoffelpuffer ($11.95), because I just love saying that word. Kartoffelpuffer — it’s even fun to type — is three potato pancakes, fried crispy and flavorful, and served with sour cream and applesauce. We also ordered bratwurst brochette ($12.95), which was a sausage lover’s dream. And I love sausages. Bratwurst, knockwurst and kielbasa were grilled and perched atop tangy sauerkraut with a side of spicy mustard. Each had distinctive but cohesive flavors.
The dinner menu offers:
Seafood dishes, such as salmon piccata
Chicken and pasta, such as chicken Marsala
Beef, veal, lamb and duck, such as filet au poivre and duck a l'orange.
We were there for the German food, so we all ordered off that portion of the menu. Besides sausages, I love German potato salad, spaetzle, potato dumplings — are you seeing a pattern? Oh, and red cabbage too.
My sister-in-law ordered dunkelweizen schnitzel ($34.95). The pork cutlet was pounded thin, breaded, golden pan-fried then crowned with a yummy lemon sauce dotted with artichokes and capers. It was a very nice contrast of flavors. The pork managed to remain moist and full of flavor while the outside was crispy.
The sauce had a suggestion of beer, which complemented the sharpness of the lemon and artichoke flavors. Dunkelweizen — "dunkel" means dark and "weizen" means wheat — is a popular dark wheat beer in Germany. On the side, she enjoyed sweet pickled red cabbage and spaetzle, which is like a thick German egg noodle.
The Mister ordered chicken schnitzel ($30.95), which is the same large, flattened, crusty, breaded cutlet without sauce. Fresh lemon juice drizzled on top brightened all of the flavors. There is a reason why the restaurant is named after this traditional German staple. Mister loves it when I prepare thin chicken or pork cutlets at home, but I need some lessons from Chef Lenh.
My choice for dinner was sauerbraten ($34.95), which is another classic German dish of beef marinated and braised in red wine vinegar, sugar, cloves and other seasonings. It's served with a distinctively tangy and sweet gravy. Rumor has it the sweetness comes from ground gingersnap cookies.
We shared apple strudel ($10.95) for dessert. The crust was light and flaky, and the apples sweet and tender with a hint of cinnamon.
Schnitzel Haus is a lovely restaurant that is comfortable but sophisticated. You can relax in a quiet atmosphere, have a conversation, a wonderful meal and outstanding service. If German food is not your favorite, there are plenty of other choices on the menu that will appeal to all tastes.
Schnitzel Haus
Cuisine: German and American fusion
Phone: 772-210-2350
Hours: 3-9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday
Alcohol: Full bar
Lucie Regensdorf dines anonymously at the expense of TCPalm. Contact her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Review: Schnitzel Haus in Hobe Sound serves German and American food
