Authenticity and quantity at Hardy's Bavaria Authenticity and quantity at Hardy's Bavaria (June 29, 2001)

By Jim Harrington

German food is the forgotten food on the Peninsula. Compared to the large number of people of German descent who live here, there is a woefully small number of German restaurants on the Peninsula. The slice of schnitzel gets even smaller if we limit the discussion to only the good German restaurants.

Still, if you have a powerful hankering for spatzle, strudel and sausage, it's quite easy to recommend the quaint Hardy's Bavaria in downtown Sunnyvale. Self-billed as "the Peninsula's choice for German dining," Hardy's is an inviting, comfortable place for families and friends to gather around big plates of potato pancakes and applesauce.

Located on Evelyn Avenue a few hundred feet from Sunnyvale's increasingly hectic Murphy Avenue, Hardy's looks like almost every other German restaurant in the country. There are plenty of big steins and Octoberfest-style decorations filling the small, yet cozy, establishment. The service is warm and hospitable. Beer is always the drink of choice.

Order an ice-cold Spaten and an appetizer. The sausage sampler ($5.75) is probably the easiest choice on the menu. A plethora of German sausages are cut into fairly thin rounds and then served with mustard. There's also a smoked salmon filet sampler ($8.50), which combines the house-cured fish with potato pancakes and lingonberries.

The baked brie ($5.75) is a rich and decadent offering of gooey imported cheese prepared with a moderate amount of garlic and roughly a wheelbarrow's worth of butter. Slice the soft cheese and spread it on the fresh bread. Dip the creation into the sea of calories at the bottom of the dish and you're all set. It's fantastic.

The goulash soup ($3.75) is a favorite for its flavorful mix of beef and potatoes braised with onions, paprika and various spices. For a salad, try the warm mushroom salad ($6.25), a mix of sautпd mushrooms on tender greens with a vinaigrette of virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

For a German restaurant, Hardy's offers a decent selection of vegetarian choices. Of course, it wouldn't be a trip here without a dish of potato pancakes and applesauce ($7.95). Beyond that, try the dense Kase Spatzle ($7.95), German pasta tossed with mixed vegetables and plenty of mozarella and gruyere cheese. The Gemuse Strudel ($7.95) is one of the more intriguing dishes on the menu -- chopped broccoli and spinach combined with tasty ricotta cheese then baked in strudel leaves. The Tiroler Semmelknodel ($7.95) is more than just a mouthful to say. It's a delightful dish of bread dumplings covered with a ragout of shitake, champignon and oyster mushrooms.

Moving past the meatless menu, you'll find all the traditional German favorites. The grilled bratwurst ($10.75) provides plenty of options. Do you want white veal, smoked German-style or chicken-apple? (Note: If you've shared a sausage sampler as an appetizer, you'll be properly prepared to answer that question.) The Sauerbraten ($12.95) is a nice round of beef that is marinated, roasted and served with the appropriate sides of potato pancakes and red cabbage. The Weiner Backhuhn ($13.95) was the best dish I tried at Hardy's. A large piece of boneless, skinless chicken breast is rolled thick with bread crumbs and baked. The dish is fabulously flavorful and thick with moisture. Another personal favorite is the Forelle Gebraten ($13.50), a nice boneless filet of trout grilled with zesty lemon, rich butter and a riesling sauce. {Hardy's Bavaria, 111 West Evelyn Ave., Sunnyvale; (408) 720-1531. Lunch hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tues-Fri. Dinner hours: 5-9 p.m. Tues.-Sat. Credit cards are accepted.}