The new year brings on a lot of changes for many people, and the folks over at Brat Haus are not immune. I was lucky enough to coordinate a food tour with some fellow food writers to preview some menu changes that they will introduce this year.
The tour started with an introduction of the brains behind the whole operation. We first met with Aaron Ward, the man behind menu development at Brat Haus, Chef and the pit-master for SmokeHaus. He bases a lot of the new menu items on his own personal tastes and wants the restaurant to feel like you’re in his backyard. We were also introduced to Ryan Laufenburger, the Kitchen Manager and self proclaimed “blood, sweat and tears” behind the whole space. They both visited our group frequently, making sure that we understood all the components behind each dish and the decision for the presentation and plating.
The new menu reads like a love letter to all things local, with dish components from Noble Bread, Bob McClendon Farms, John Anthony bread and many other local features. They also make most of the sauces, brats and accouterments in-house which certainly creates a lot of work for the kitchen, but extra steps like this that make all the new dishes shine.
Ryan started us off with a bountiful charcuterie board, teeming with Noble country bread, green apple slices, secchi salami, house-made whole grain mustard, mortadella, bacon jam (cured and smoked in house), Beemster cheese, brasiola (air cured beef), Humbolt goat cheese, pickled organic okra from McClendon Farms and an apricot chutney. The clever combination of meats and cheeses isn’t revolutionary, but everything works beautifully together. The goat cheese was a clear winner in my opinion, with two layers and as Ryan explained to us one layer was cheese from a daytime milking and the other from nighttime milking. The differences between the two were subtle but noticeable and the uniqueness was definitely the topic of conversation.
We were also presented with their monster pretzel which is not a new item, but it’s just too fun (and impressive) to miss out on. It’s presented on a pizza pan, likely because no other dish can accommodate its size. The pretzel itself is vegan if you opt for no dipping. If you are the dipping kind, you’ll love the Beer Cheese Fundito that comes on the side. The fundito is made up of Swiss, American and cheddar cheeses and, of course, some really great craft beer. You could easily fill up on this beast, even with a few friends to help you. But make sure to make room because there are some great new items waiting for you.
Are you a pork belly fan? The new pork belly bites are a delightful dish to share with friends, but only really good friends. Brat Haus beer braises their pork belly for 3 hours and then its pressed to flatten in out to a uniform size. The pork belly is then diced into bite size pieces and tossed in Sambal and then served hot with a side of truffle aioli.
If you are looking for something on the lighter side the Kale Salad has everything you love about Autumn on a plate. The crisp kale is joined by fried Brussels sprout leaves, pomegranate, pepitas and Bob McClendon’s butterkin squash, a hybrid of sugar pie pumpkin and butternut squash. The salad is then tossed with a tart apple vinaigrette which helps to brighten all the flavors of this hearty salad.
Deviled eggs are a treasured thing in my house and I love to see them on menus when I am out and about. I stick to the traditional when I make them at home so that I can appreciate the variations of individual chefs here in the Valley. Brat Haus makes theirs with a bacon fat mayo, house-made Dijon and a champagne vinaigrette and then top them with a smattering of their house-made bacon. They are beautiful to look at and have made it to my top 5 favorites.
My favorite dish of the night was, by far, the German sliders. These tasty treats are served on a pretzel bun with their house ground mustard and the perfect amount of sauerkraut. The flavors are deep and intense with that great fresh bite of the sauerkraut bringing everything home.
If you are looking for something a little different than your traditional brat, or what you think a brat should be, you have 2 new great options.
The new Greek Brat brings in a whole new set of flavors and textures to what you might be expecting. The brat is comprised of lamb, harissa, raisins and mint. Once completed it placed on a John Anthoney bun and topped with feta, house made tzatziki, campari tomatoes and Greek olives.
The most playful of all the new additions has to be the Umami Brat. The Brat Haus team partnered up with the team from the now closed Umami restaurant in Tempe. The brat itself is combined with ginger, scallions and cilantro. The brat is then topped with the umami noodles that were prepared in pork stock with miso, fish sauce and soy sauce. If that weren’t enough the brat is then dressed with slaw along with house-made kimchi, scallions, eel sauce and miso dressing. There are unexpected flavors and textures, but it makes for a heady combination that cannot be compared to anything you’re ever had before.
No matter what choices you make for dinner, make sure you always leave a little room for dessert. I’m not much for chocolate (I know, I’m a crazy lady) but I always get drawn in by Nutella. The Nutella blondie us all comfort and perfect tooth-aching decadence. The perfect partner for the blondie? A Nutella milkshake, of course! So the real question after all of that is, when will you be making a visit to Brat Haus?
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*This meal was provided to us complimentary as a part of a media invitation. However, this has no effect on our opinions and comments regarding our experience. View our Disclosure Policy for more info.