Wursthall Restaurant & Bierhaus Debuts In San Mateo
The chicken schnitzel sandwich plate at the new Wursthaus Restaurant & Bierhaus.
When is a bierhaus not just a joint to enjoy a beer and brat?
When J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is involved.
When Lopez-Alt joined forces with Adam Simpson, owner of nearby Grape & Grain craft beer and wine bar, and Tyson Mao, a Lyft project manager, they thought they’d open a low-key, no-big-deal restaurant in the city all three call home.
But Wursthall Restaurant & Bierhaus, which opens tonight, has drawn unprecedented attention far and wide.
That’s because of Lopez-Alt’s fame and following. The MIT grad is a James Beard Award-winning cookbook author and managing culinary director of Serious Eats, where he writes the popular “The Food Lab’’ column. His meticulously researched cooking techniques spark passion and discourse across the Internet.
The bar.
All beers are on tap. None are sold in the bottle or can.
Wursthall is the first restaurant he’s partnered in. “Initially they were looking for just menu consultation,” he explains. “But I wanted to be more involved. My wife and I bought a house here a few years ago. We noticed there was no modern place geared to families in an affordable price range. I had been talking to her about getting more involved with restaurants. But this is way bigger than anything I envisioned. I’m at a point where I don’t do anything for a paycheck. I do only projects I want to put my name on and really get involved in.’’