Summer Cooking Camp

Brats Brothers Gourmet Sausage Grill
By Bruce Wildstein

Brats Brothers in Sherman Oaks may be the only place in Southern California where anyone can find a grilled sausage they like. That's because they have about 24 varieties on the menu made with ingredients you may not find elsewhere. Larger than a standard hot dog and certainly more interesting to eat, bratwurst sausage has been a part of American culture for almost a century. Its German origins are highlighted when you walk into this small café, where the décor includes beer steins, flags, pictures, and other bric-a-brac of Bavarian nature. The "brats" are grouped into two categories, those of the "standard" variety and those called "exotic". The standards include the German and Swiss, Hungarian, Black Forest, The Big Cheese, The Rancher, and The All American. On the exotic side of the menu you'll find The French, The Austrian, The Gobbler, The Aussie, The Texan, and The Peking. And a small blackboard announces two new brats: The Elk and the Kangaroo.

All the brats are locally hand made for the restaurant and all natural food products with lean meats are used. This insures they are fresh every day with no MSG or artificial ingredients. And of course they are grilled in the traditional manner. They're served on a delicious bun, also specially made. Brats can be ordered a la carte, or as a "meal". Go ahead and get the meal plate, as you will be able to choose two sides. The sides include a Creamy Potato Salad, Grandma's Sauer-kraut, House Chili, Red Cabbage Salad, Roasted Garlic Herb Potatoes, and French Fries. There are also a few toppings you can add to make things even tastier, be that grilled onions, grilled red & green peppers, and plain sauerkraut. Add to that Brats Brothers special mustard or ketchup and you'll be satisfied with any of their selections. And to drink, they have soft drinks plus the legendary Dr. Browns sodas.

For our meal, we ordered the "exotic" French and The New Zealander. The French made with "sweet" chicken plus cinnamon and apples. The New Zealander is made with Moroccan Spicy Lamb. Since we wanted to share the sides, we ordered four different ones: Creamy Potato Salad, House Chili, Red Cabbage Salad, and Roasted Garlic Herb Potatoes. Suffice it to say that we thought everything was delicious. The brats are big and plump. And if that weren't enough, we then ordered the Sampler Plate, which has four small brats: The Hungarian (spicy smoked pork), Black Forest (cured and smoked pork), German (veal, pork, onions, herbs), and the Swiss (mild veal with parsley). All were tasty in their own way, and we enjoyed them with the special spicy ketchup and mustard.

Brats Bothers also have other items on the menu. You might want to try their Creamy Bavarian Potato Soup made with vegetables and smoked sausage. They also have a classic Wiener Schnitzel made with breaded pork or veal plus cranberries and French fries. Their Traditional Bavarian Beer Goulash is a beef stew made with beer and vegetables. And their Schwein-ebraten is billed as "one a Bavarian cannot live without." It's a Munich pork roast with sauerkraut, dark beer sauce, cranberries and a Bavarian bread dumpling. Oh, and for dessert they have homemade Bavarian cheesecake with raspberry sauce.

Brats Brothers is certainly the place to go for your next brat meal so don't hesitate to try them, especially if you haven't had a real authentic brat sausage. They are also starting Saturday and Sunday Brunch (8:00 AM to 2:00 PM) with a menu that includes eggs, Black Forest ham, biscuits, special puff pastry, Weisswurst, and mini sausages. Brats Brothers is open daily and located at 13456 ½ Ventura Blvd in Sherman Oaks, 818-986-4020.

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