Brauhaus Schmitz is exactly the kind of place that Philadelphians should be running to these days. Between its menu rooted in the deep, abiding comforts of German cuisine--bratwurst! sauerkraut!--and a beer program as exciting and occasionally challenging as any in the city, this casual gem has tapped into our town’s foodie zeitgeist with serious passion. Step into the expansive space on South Street and enter a different world: From the tatted-and-pierced one dominating the sidewalks outside to the more elegant world of the waitresses in dirndls within. The wait- and barstaffs here are remarkably well-versed in both the menu and the drinks -- a necessity in a restaurant with unfamiliar brews like Benediktiner Weisse and dishes along the lines of kartoffelpuffer. Don’t be intimidated: Everything at the Brauhaus, it seems, is delicious. Start with a laugenbrezel, a Bavarian pretzel that is exactly what all Philly soft pretzels wish they could be when they grow up. Move on to a too-generous plateful of sauerkraut kroketten, golfball-sized orbs of fried sauerkraut that find an exquisite middle ground between high-toned acid and fryer-born nuttiness. From there, make sure to tuck into one of the homemade sausages: Nurnberger bratwurst is particularly successful, scented as it is with mace, marjoram, and caraway. So, too, is the Kasewirst, the pork glossed with emmenthaler cheese, the smoke of hickory perfuming it all. You’ll need a beer to cut the richness, and my glass of Arcobrau Zwicklbier was perfect for the job of accompanying everything we tasted: Vivaciously effervescent and bright enough to counterbalance even the smoky heat of the Hungarian paprika sauce painting the fried veal Zigeunerschnitzel. Despite all the successes of the savories, make sure to save room for dessert: Apple strudel, for example, beautifully toes the line between sweet and tart, and a chocolate cake made (kind of) healthy with cherries screams out for an accompanying glass of schnapps from the restaurant’s extensive list. It’s a great way to end a meal at the kind of place that the city has needed for a very long time.