Brats and Brews…

We have been anxiously awaiting Chef Payton Curry’s new endeavor the Brat Haus to open and last night we finally got to go.  If you are in need of a reprieve from this stifling summer heat, this is your place.  You can’t complain about the heat when you are busy having fun.  Payton and his team have taken the old Oregano’s on Scottsdale Road near Osborne and transformed it into a modern day gastropub/beer garden.  I had peeked in a few times during the renovation and couldn’t believe the transformation they were making.  They have taken three little buildings and the small parking lot they surrounded and turned it into a hangout destination.   With long community tables, a killer pizza oven, and outdoor games, the Brat Haus is going to be THE place for Octoberfest.  But until then, their patio mist system is so nice that we even saw families enjoying dinner on the patio last night.  (The high was only 116-degrees yesterday…)

The Brat Haus offers a menu of house made sausages that are unbelievable.  We had been lucky enough to have some samplings from the sausage menu prior to their opening and Bob was blown away.  Payton has a selection of traditional favorites like a Beer Bratwurst and Spicy Brat, along with gourmet choices such as the Duck, Duck, Dates and Moroccan Lamb, and Exotic choices such as Rabbit & Hops and the Rattlesnake Ripper.  We ordered three different ones to try and loved them all.  My hands-down favorite with the Duck, Duck, Dates with the Apricot Onion Chutney.  They also have a nice selection of salads and Belgian fries (which must be tried with their Truffle Aioli) and their house made pretzels that come with a selection of mustards.  We brought Aidan and a buddy of his and enjoyed the happy silence of two ten-year-old boys who were busy eating, a sound (or lack thereof) that only a parent could appreciate. The Brat Haus also has a case of sausages that you can take home to grill and I know you will want to.

The Bru Haus next door is a bar designed for the true beer lover.   With a large menu of beers on tap and by the bottle, there are several German and Belgian selections that you just know were brewed to be enjoyed with sausage and sauerkraut.  My father will love this, since I know for a fact that he has no fewer than four jars of sauerkraut in his refrigerator right now.  I spent part of my childhood living in Germany and the found the Bru Haus with its beer garden to have that same jovial, community spirit that I remember.

That Brat Haus was definitely worth the wait, but we will not have to wait again, since we made plans to go next week with my stepbrother.  (Literally as we were eating.)  There may soon be a wait for a table, however, since I can see the Brat Haus developing a dedicated following.   Payton has plans for guest chefs to make good use of the pizza oven, and has already had his friend Justin Beckett from Beckett’s Table create a special barbecue pork and jalapeño sausage.  This is just the kind of fun addition to Old Town Scottsdale that will become a beloved mainstay.

Can’t wait for Octoberfest!!

Brat Haus
3622 North Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale, AZ
480.947.4006
www.brathausaz.com