Slightly off the beaten path, Schmidt's is a classy German restaurant just east of the well-trafficked Mission & Valencia Street corridor. They offer a plethora of sausages and other Bavarian specialties with a less raucous ambiance than other German restaurants in San Francisco, making it the best choice for a date (unless you don't particularly like to hear the other person speak :P)

The food is stellar, far superior that of Suppenkuche and the nearby Walzwerk. They have a decent beer selection, about on par with any German place in San Francisco.

I tried the spaetzle, a German-style egg noodle traditionally served with cheese. Schmidt's incarnation also included deliciously fresh roasted red peppers and mushrooms, alongside a salad with baby greens complete with vinaigrette. I've heard their schnitzle is to die for, so I'll definitely be back to try it at some point.

The German Restaurants that I've been to in San Francisco - Suppenkuche and Schnitzelhaus - are both rowdy, boisterous places with huge portions of OK food.

Schmidt's is a little nicer. It's chic inside, and the servings aren't as big. But the food is quite a bit better. I had a smoked brat, a pretzel, and the German version of mac and cheese and all were excellent.

And they also have a bunch of very good German beers on draft.

Good place.