MICHELLE MIN
Steins shines with upscale burgers and
beers, among other offerings. Right, the
beer hall's impressive tap lineup.
BEER HERE
Steins boast some 20 beer taps. Not
surprisingly, the restaurant's beverage
sales have been running 85% beer, though
it offers a dozen cocktails—priced at $10
each—and a handful of wines.
Most of the restaurant's beers are
priced from $7 to $8. A popular choice
is Hefeweizen Weihenstephanar, a 15-oz.
German wheat beer for $7.
Other esoteric beer selections include
Hitachino White Ale, priced at $9, which
Kim describes as "what happens when
you take a classic Belgian witbier, add
some fresh orange juice and sprinkle in a
healthy dose of Japanese refinement."
Another interesting beer at Steins
is New Belgium's Hoppy Bock ($7),
described as a "German-style springtime
lager brewed with rye then loaded with
Hallertauer, Perle and Fuggle Hops for a
spicy, earthy aroma."
The wine list focuses on local favorites
as well as imports, with 11 wines poured
by the glass at $7 to $13 and from $26 to
$46 by the bottle.
Kim, who had previously run a handful
of bakery cafes in the Bay Area, invested
www.cheersonline.com
in the Steins concept with a handful
of partners operating under the Prost
Restaurant Group.
The target audience for Steins, Kim
says, is young, working professionals. So
far the crowd has typically been a mix of
locals and those driving an hour or more
down from San Francisco, Kim says.
The lunchtime rush has also been
fairly intense around noon during the
workweek, he adds.
It helps that Steins is located in a
downtown, pedestrian-heavy area a few
blocks from main drag in Mountain
View, which happens to be Google's
home-town headquarters. It's also near
the Caltrain stop, which many visitors
use to come and go from San Francisco.
Perhaps the only issue with the location
may be that Mountain View is a noiseconscious, affluent suburban community.
So Steins closes comparatively early for
Bay Area bars, between 11 p.m. and
11:30 p.m. to respect its neighbors.
Kim has a lot on tap for the new venue.
He says Steins is planning to host brewer
dinners and offer seasonal pairings as it
gets ramped up.
MAY 2013 |
17
