Kin of kraut

Double down: Encouraged by the success of their Mexican restaurant La Venadita, biracial brothers David and Tom Schnetz opted to honor their German heritage by opening Oakhaus (3413 Broadway) less than 500 feet away. After weeks of soft-opening, their latest restaurant entered full-service mode on June 7.

When asked if there are any similarities between the cuisines, Tom laughed and replied, “No connection at all.”

Still, Tom, the kitchen-oriented brother, will share chef duties with co-owner Matt Ridgeway, who worked with the brothers on La Venadita and co-owns a Mexican restaurant with them in the Bay Area.

Oakhaus aims to take old-timey measures like boiling their pretzels ($4.25) before baking them. But they’re not chained to tradition and are willing to experiment with items like kraut balls ($3.75)—spheres of sauerkraut, onion and carrot, dusted with spices and breadcrumbs that get fried and served with curry-ketchup and honey-mustard.

“David got hung up on these kraut balls, and we thought it was a fun little challenge,” Ridgeway said. “And actually, we pulled off making it a vegan dish.”

Oakhaus will bake four styles of their own bread. And Karen Henderson, a Cupcake Wars champion, will supply German chocolate and Bavarian cream cupcakes (starting at $3.75).

The requisite-for-Sacramento beer selection features 14 taps. Four will be from Germany, and the other 10 will lean toward Sacramento-area or West Coast beers. If that’s not enough, the restaurant will also stock more than 30 cans and bottles. When they get fully rolling, Ridgeway said they’d like to do some prix fixe dinners featuring beer pairings.

The modern space has an outdoor biergarten that’s about as spacious as the interior and offers views of Broadway. All the better to soak up the surrounding Oak Park neighborhood, which reminds Tom of his home in Oakland.

“We love the area,” he said. “It has such a great history. And it’s just so inclusive and has such a diverse mix of people. To me, this is the most exciting neighborhood in Sacramento.”

Espresso barbecue: For Father’s Day, Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters has partnered with Allspicery and V. Miller Meats to make a singular spice-blend (10 oz. for $16) that includes espresso, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon and dark brown sugar. Matt Davis, butcher at V. Miller Meats, said he’s tried the mix on pork, beef and chicken and concluded it works on “pretty much anything.”