By Elena Kadvany
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I am a perpetually hungry twenty-something journalist, born and raised in Menlo Park and currently working at the Palo Alto Weekly as education and youth staff writer. I graduated from USC with a major in Spanish and a minor in journalism. Though my first love is journalism, food is a close second. I am constantly on the lookout for new restaurants to try, building an ever-expanding "to eat" list. As a journalist, I'm always trolling news sources and social media websites with an eye for local food news, from restaurant openings and closings to emerging food trends. When I was a teenager growing up in Menlo Park, I always drove up to the city on weekends with the singular purpose of finding a better meal than I could at home. But in the past year or so, the Peninsula's food culture has been totally transformed, with many new restaurants opening and a continuous stream of San Francisco restaurants coming south to open Peninsula outposts. Don't navigate this food boom hungry and alone! Feed me your tips on new chefs and eats and together we'll share them with the broader community.
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Olympus Caffe & Bakery's outdoor patio in downtown Mountain View has been transformed into a socially distanced German beer garden called Das Bierhauz.
Das Bierhauz, newly opened at Olympus Caffe & Bakery in downtown Mountain View. Photo via Das Bierhauz Facebook.
Das Bierhauz opened at 135 Castro St. in late August, serving German beers and bratwurst. Olympus owner Mehmet Vural said the beer garden concept made sense since cafe already had numerous beers on draft, plus a "beautiful" patio they wanted to take advantage of.
"You need to survive during this period," he said.
Das Bierhauz has
more than a dozen German beers on draft, plus bottles and some wine. Customers have the option of a half liter, sampler flight or 1-liter "das boot" glass. For food, there's plenty of German fare —several kinds of bratwurst, a Bavarian pretzel, doner kebab sandwich and chicken schnitzel with spaetzle — plus burgers, chicken nuggets and nachos. Das Bierhauz also serves omelettes, crepes and pancakes for brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Vural said they want Das Bierhauz to be casual and family friendly. There's free WiFi, board games and pets are allowed on the patio.
"This is not like a bar," he said. "It's welcoming of everybody."
Das Bierhauz is open daily from noon to 10 p.m.
