Enjoy German fare — and beer — at Bauer's Brauhaus

Heady weiss beers, soft salty pretzels and tender planks of schnitzel. ... I'm not sure it gets any more German than that.

And it certainly doesn't get any more German than Bauer's Brauhaus in downtown Palatine.

In January, members of the Bauer family — with chef Jason Bauer in the kitchen — opened this German eatery in the spot of the former Christl's German Inn.

The interior space has been completely renovated with the biggest change being the addition of a stately bar that seats more than a dozen and supports a dozen or so tap handles pouring German-made and German-style brews. There's also about 15 imported and craft beers available in bottles. If you're looking for Miller Lite, you'll have to look someplace else.

The place exudes warmth. And with its exposed wood beams, rich trim and mounted trophies on the wall, Bauer's looks the way I'd imagine a Black Forest hunting lodge to be. No, you haven't had one too many Spatens — the moose in the middle really does move its head but stops short of Disney animatronic chatter. (If you hear it talking to you, then you have had too many lagers.)

While the bar area is large, Bauer's Brauhaus is first and foremost a restaurant and a good one at that. A mix of traditional and high-topped tables fill the space, and diners of all ages file in for well-crafted German fare.

On a recent Saturday night I spotted a number of children dining alongside their parents. The restaurant does not take reservations (frustrating, yes), so expect a 30-minute-plus wait if you arrive after 6 p.m. on a weekend. If the wait becomes too long and you can snag a seat at the bar, you can order from the limited bar menu. On that crowded Saturday I spied a couple of tweens munching on one of the jumbo pretzels and playing hand-held video games at the bar while their parents enjoyed a brew and appetizer of their own. The restaurant does not advertise a children's menu, but can accommodate with burgers and cheese sandwiches.

The menu is tight and traditional, and that allows them to do things right.

The previously mentioned pretzel is a popular starter and happy hour snack. Nicely salted and with a pleasant crust giving way to tender, airy bread, it's served with a sweet, grainy mustard, a tangy Dijon-ish version and a creamy beer cheese that puts the goopy neon stuff that comes with mall pretzels to shame.

The deviled eggs had a devilishly delicious horseradish kick and come four to an order. Mussels, Wisconsin cheese curds and homemade pickles dunked in the deep fryer round out the appetizer menu.

Soups are made daily, and you won't be disappointed if the soup du jour on your visit is the hearty chicken soup with tender vegetables.

A handful of salads are available, including a roasted beet salad tossed with goat cheese, candied walnuts and honey vinaigrette that looked quite tempting, but for reasons that never became clear the waitress said I couldn't order it. She seemed to indicate something about it being an entree-sized salad (though not stated as such on the menu and only $1 more than the other two options) and when I said, that's fine I'll have it anyway, she still said I couldn't have it with my fish. The menu states entrees come with choice of soup or salad, so I hope the management either changes the menu or changes the policy.

That said, the salad that I did end up with was a perfectly nice plate of spinach, red onions and slices of hard-cooked eggs in a mildly sweet vinaigrette. The fish, organic Rushing Waters trout, was spectacular. The lightly seared fish was tender, and the braised lentils had a piquant lemon twist that played well with the trout. A creamy, herb-infused sauce tied everything together and was the reason my plate was nearly licked clean.

The schnitzel, in either veal or pork, with a fried egg on top or not, is equally well done. The breading on the thin steaks stayed crisp, and you barely need a knife to cut it; the accompanying cabbage was neither too mushy or too astringent. The handmade herbed spaetzle triggered taste memories of dining in Heidelberg, yet my dining partners were not as enamored with this classic Old World side dish as I was.

The roast Amish-raised chicken was well done and sported a crispy skin and moist meat; it also came with the spaetzle and buttery green beans.

A burger, platter of German sausages and German-style cabbage rolls stuffed with Swiss cheese, mushrooms, white rice and a curry-spiked tomato sauce round out the dinner menu.

If you stop in for lunch, you're in for an incredible treat: German potato salad. Other German potato salads I've eaten were made with potato slices, bits of bacon and a warm vinegar-based dressing. Bauer's potato salad includes chunks (not bits) of crisp, smoky bacon and potato cubes in a creamy dressing with a garnish of chopped hard-cooked eggs. I overheard a guy at the bar saying he wanted to order three pounds to go (I didn't stay around to see if his request was granted, but I'd order a bucket for a summer cookout in a heartbeat). The brat that came with the potato salad was homemade and not the slightest bit gritty or greasy. Unless you can handle sinus-clearing mustard, ask for it on the side.

On both my visits the service was pleasant (the beet salad episode aside) and the atmosphere jovial. I'll let you decide if waitresses clad in cinched-waisted beer wench dresses are a quaint, traditional touch, or something a little less wholesome.

As the evening went on the families cleared out and 20-somethings began to outnumber the 40-somethings. We'd occasionally hear a group break out in song and slug down shots that lined a cross-country ski. Head to the website, bauersbrauhaus.com, and learn the restaurant's official drinking song so you don't feel left out of the festivities.

If you're looking for quiet conversation, dine early.

If you're looking for high-quality German food, dine often.

<b>Bauer's Brauhaus</b>

45 W. Slade St., Palatine

(847) 991-1040; bauersbrauhaus.com

<b>Cuisine:</b> Traditional German

<b>Setting:</b> Old World hunting lodge with carved bar and lots of tap handles

<b>Entrees:</b> $ 10 to $ 20

<b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday to Thursday; 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday