The spacious new location, a former Wells Fargo Bank branch, greets the customer with gleaming hardwood floors and miles of meats that are dried, smoked, parboiled and fresh.
"People walk in and take a deep breath, inhaling the scent," said Petra Silva, general manager and daughter of founder Dittmer Bubert.
With 5,000 square feet on the ground floor and offices upstairs, Dittmer's has more than doubled in size. No more squeezing into tight spaces between crowded displays. The restroom and floor space are fully accessible.
Besides Silva and her brother, Mark Bubert, and of course Dittmer Bubert himself, 10 of the staff members from the old store are back.
The family hasn't spent the year and a half on vacation. First, there was insurance and remaining inventory to deal with, then real estate, architecture, planning and the usual construction delays.
They scrubbed out everything from the bank except for two immovable objects: the vault and the fireplace. Why did a bank have a fireplace? Never mind. Now it is Santa Claus red and has a candy display next to it. The vault has been insulated and reborn as a meat cooler.
Light green tiles with a horizontal interest stripe decorate the back of the meat and deli/sandwich counter. Across the way, by the front door, is a stand-alone checkout counter. Eventually there will be seating outside.
After a hungry childhood in postwar Germany, Dittmer Bubert apprenticed himself to a sausage maker. Germany has more than a thousand types of sausage. He immigrated to Canada, then came to the Bay Area and worked at Safeway markets in Redwood City and San Mateo. Meanwhile, he made sausages at home, often incorporating recipes from the non-Germans he'd met. Then, as now, the community wanted more sausages.
In 1978, Bubert opened his own shop in the back of a small center on San Antonio Road. He kept adding varieties, such as the Sheboygan brats so dear to customers from Wisconsin. With a minimum order of 25 pounds, Dittmer's will custom-make a sausage.
Perennial favorites range from one-note frankfurters to spicy paprika sausage.
While 40 types of sausages are the heart and soul of Dittmer's, there are other products. In the cheese case, find goose fat in a 14-ounce tub. Palo Alto Firefighters' Pepper Sauce sits next to Curry Gewurz (that is, spicy) Ketchup. Pickles and sauerkraut abound. Vacuum-packed meats and fish in the cool case include pickled pork hock, tri-tip, butter chicken and smoked salmon. And in the extensive freezer section, find ground lamb, beef bones, caul fat and veal loaf (with cooking directions on top).
As ever, Dittmer's does not ship or deliver. Dittmer's products are not available elsewhere, not even online. There is a knife-sharpening service one Saturday each month. The point is to come in and experience a real butcher shop.
The Village Court Shopping Center, on the Los Altos side of El Camino Real at San Antonio Road, has seen a lot of coming and going. With continuing construction in one area and desperate people sniffing out the scent of sausage, pay attention to your parking.
Dittmer's Gourmet Meats and Wurst-Haus
4540 El Camino Real, Los Altos
650-941-3800
dittmers.com
Hours: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday.
This story contains 639 words.
Stories older than 90 days are available only to subscribing members. Please help sustain quality local journalism by becoming a subscribing member today.
If you are already a member, please log in so you can continue to enjoy unlimited access to stories and archives. Membership starts at $12 per month and may be cancelled at any time.
