German culture has given so much to our fair country. Precious gifts the likes of
Hasselhoff and
Kraftwerk are often the first to come to mind.
Having developed a great appreciation for the country during my travels there as a teenager, I was excited to see the new Brahaus Schmitz open up on 7th and South Street.
I was curious to see if it could fill the void left by the now defunct Ludwig's in Center City which served its last schnitzel over nine months ago. My anticipation was high, but my curious excitement also came with a certain uneasiness.
Would the unconventional marriage of Philly's "hippest" street and a German beer hall result in a cultural quagmire further perpetuating unwanted stereotypes? Would the place just end up another soulless bar unsure of who it is really trying to appeal to? Would it be just another South Street tourist trap filled with people from Jersey? I certainly hoped not.
So I decided to check the place out to see if it met the authenticity of the Munich beer halls where I cut my teeth as an adolescent beer drinker. Saturday night I got together a few friends: Slow Joe, The Candyman, Haggard, and Ill Bill to check the place out. We hitched a cab and decided to take our chances. I knew the risks: overpriced beer, obnoxious people,
getting caught in a flash riot-but I was not about to let those silly things stop me from connecting with my inner Deutsch.
The Schmitz sleek wooden facade transitioned well into a warm interior lined with long oak tables perfect for throwing back a few with your best of friends and pretending you know the words to "
Ein Prozit". The place was packed from wall to wall, but we managed to grab a table just at the right time. My skepticism was quickly washed away as we got a round of Spaten Oktoberfest to start the night off. This led to many other rounds, the likes of which included: Kostritzer Schwarzbier
, Reissdorf Kolsch, Frankizkaner Hefe-Weisse, and serveral others that became more difficult to pronounce the more of them I drank.
The combination of the authentic German suds in a beer hall style layout, set in the weirdness that is Philadelphia created a feeling that was both foreign and familiar. A merging of the past and the present that was not the trashy gimmick I had feared. It was a tribute to German culture done with American pizazz.
By the end of the night, and several tasty Spaten later, I was convinced that I could finally launch my music career by starting an
oopma band that played American pop songs to adoring teenage fans across Europe and Asia. So if anyone can play Fergie's "Lumps" on the accordion, please, please, please, send me a message.
Rating:
3 of 5 starsBrauhaus Schmitz
718 South Street
http://brauhausschmitz.com/
