The people's choice

Café Berlin still the best for German cuisine

Ach, good old Café Berlin. Denver's favorite little slice (or frothy stein) of Germany only gets better during Oktoberfest. You've got to love a place where the owner freely admits that the daily happy hour specials change "depending on whether I'm in a good mood."   

Once again this year, the cafe will run its Oktoberfest happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday with $1 off each glass of beer or wine and various food bargains to be determined by the ladies of the house, Sandra Boog and Marlene Garrett. But rest assured, snackers: last year's "mini-brats" (essentially schnitzel sliders,) will definitely play a big part.

Otherwise, Café Berlin's menu remains as reliable as ever:

Food: You could side-dish your way into a coma, as the complimentary food almost garnishes more compliments than the main event. The potato pancakes, or kartoffelpuffer in the native tongue, will make you scoff at any hash brown thereafter. Thin, crispy on the outside soft and warm on the inside, a topping of applesauce and sour cream gives it a sweet bite that could be enjoyed anytime of the day. The spätzle is a hearty staple on the German table, but Berlin adds their own epicurean twist on the traditional egg noodles with a shiitake mushroom cream sauce — stupendous, again.

The tomatensalat, fresh tomatoes marinated in parsley vinaigrette; and the gurkensalat, thinly sliced cucumbers in sour cream dill dressing, both are cool and smooth on the palate, tightening things up for the richer dishes to come.

Erbsensuppe, or split pea soup, might just be the perfect cure for the lingering wintertime blues. Not everyone is particularly fond of split pea, but this could warm the belly all season long with no complaint.

Sauerkraut is not a topping, contrary to the ballpark mentality. It is a dish, and at Café Berlin, a damn fine one at that. Directly translated, "sour cabbage" doesn’t sound as appealing — that’s why we say it in German. The thinly sliced strips have the perfect balance of  vinegar from the pickling and the natural flavor of the vegetable.

On to bigger and better things, the jägerschnitzel is a must. To move your mind away from association of “Jäger” and “bomb,” jäger means “hunter” and this game couldn’t be sweeter: a breaded veal cutlet topped with a mushroom cream sauce. It inspired us to eat so fast it caused what my dining partner coined as “the meat sweats.”

The halbe ente is a little bit more approachable fare for those new to German cuisine — a half duck topped with a plum sauce, a favorable combination of the fatty fowl and the fresh fruit.

Be forewarned, the brats will spoil those at  any backyard BBQ you may attend in the future. Regular, veal or smoked, you can’t go wrong — it just depends on your preference and the dinner plate gives you a choice of two. The currywurst is another option: a brat topped with curry tomato sauce.

Vibe: More on the upscale side, this isn’t a mass hoffbrau-like party haus. It isn’t stuffy, though. The two-room area is small, reminiscent of an Eastern European tavern with a small bar offering only a few seats. Make reservations and you’ll be fine.

Drinks: You have to end the meal with schnapps. And no, we’re talking about the froufrou peach nightmare kind of liqueur; these are real schnapps with real bite. The Stroh Obstler will clear your sinuses and the Dornkaat is a nice digestive as well. The Pflümli is a little bit lighter, as it is a plum-based schnapps.

There is a full wine list, but it’s Oktoberfest — drink beer. They have several variations on the Munich-based favorite, Paulaner, as well as Warsteiner pilsner.

They come in big, bigger and black out; 1/3 liter, 1/2 liter and 1 liter, respectively.

Bottom line: If we’re all Irish for a day on St. Pats, we all get to be German for a couple weeks during Oktoberfest, and there is no place more authentic in town than Café Berlin. Prost!