środa, 30 maja 2012
wtorek, 22 maja 2012
A few impressions from a visit to Berlin.
Berlin is one of the cities I could see myself living in. You find it easy to be whoever you are or want to be at the moment. And knowing Berlin with each visit a bit better I guess I still like Prenzlauer Berg best. Town houses with high number of cafes, bars and parks per square meter make this part of the city lively, cosy and with Paris-like atmosphere.
Everybody seems so laid-back, sitting around in cafes from the morning until early afternoon during the weekends, riding old-school, tatty bicycles, dogs running around and being welcome almost anywhere they appear - even sales people keep water bowls for their customers' dogs during hot days. And if you're hungry in the middle of the night there is always a falafel spot just around the corner.
I was lucky to arrive in the beginning of a sunny weather. Here are some photo impressions:
On the sunny Sunday afternoon we took a trip to Dameritz Seehotel, an hour by car from Berlin, direction east.
The staff has still quite a lot to learn about service ("Eastern Germany, you know..." as my friend commented) and the carpaccio was too thick, gummy and without any particular taste, the Chardonnay and Zinfandel not what one could wish for, but my fish with asparagus and strawberries was just right and fresh, and the sorroundings made up for the deficiencies.
Everybody seems so laid-back, sitting around in cafes from the morning until early afternoon during the weekends, riding old-school, tatty bicycles, dogs running around and being welcome almost anywhere they appear - even sales people keep water bowls for their customers' dogs during hot days. And if you're hungry in the middle of the night there is always a falafel spot just around the corner.
I was lucky to arrive in the beginning of a sunny weather. Here are some photo impressions:
Cheese shop at Sredzki Straße
My all-time favourites are Gruyere and Bergkäse -
- the older - the smellier - the better.
Lindner Deli.
Lindner Deli with their very elegant salesmen.
My super chic hostess serving spargel and schnitzel in her golden lace dress.
Abovementioned delicacies accompanied by sauce hollandaise and lemon juice.
On the sunny Sunday afternoon we took a trip to Dameritz Seehotel, an hour by car from Berlin, direction east.
The staff has still quite a lot to learn about service ("Eastern Germany, you know..." as my friend commented) and the carpaccio was too thick, gummy and without any particular taste, the Chardonnay and Zinfandel not what one could wish for, but my fish with asparagus and strawberries was just right and fresh, and the sorroundings made up for the deficiencies.
See the world through Chardonnay...
Nibbles - classical bread and butter.
Beef carpaccio.
Lachsforelle (a type of trout) with spargel and strawberries.
The hostess still chic in her huge hat relaxing during sunset.
The author with her faithful Swiss companion.
czwartek, 17 maja 2012
Jeff's on Thursday. Moules, oysters and chicken tortilla salad.
All the frutti di mare lovers' favourite day of the week is Thursday. That's when the delicacies come to town.
And here we have some representatives of the frutti di mare family - moules in white wine and oysters accompanied by vinegar sauce. And with the sunny weather you can have them in the garden and feel like on vacations. Just close your eyes and smell the oyster. Ocean, sand, mud. Now, Bon Appetite!
And here we have some representatives of the frutti di mare family - moules in white wine and oysters accompanied by vinegar sauce. And with the sunny weather you can have them in the garden and feel like on vacations. Just close your eyes and smell the oyster. Ocean, sand, mud. Now, Bon Appetite!
And ps. - chicken salad with guacamole on a tortilla - very filling, an entree and main course in one.
sobota, 12 maja 2012
piątek, 11 maja 2012
Frida, Warsaw. Guacamole, fajita, pollo en mole.
I've seen the movie, I've read the book - a couple of times. The book tells better stories than the movie, the movie has one great soundtrack and Salma, playing smoothed out, a bit too pretty, but still convincing Frida. From time to time I go back to one or the other and afterwards I always have this thing for mexican cuisine.
This time was different. It's been a couple of months since I last saw the movie or read the book, my mexican cuisine phase was long over. AND I still felt guilty because of the churros I had then. The plan was to end a nice walk in the old town with a quick espresso at Blikle's summer garden. Frida restaurant was just on the other side of the street and I believe I got somehow hypnotized, since I got up from the table and crossed the street without a moment of hesitation. It's not that there's something wrong with Blikles. It was something wrong with me, never being to Frida restaurant yet. And I felt I had to fix it right that moment.
This time was different. It's been a couple of months since I last saw the movie or read the book, my mexican cuisine phase was long over. AND I still felt guilty because of the churros I had then. The plan was to end a nice walk in the old town with a quick espresso at Blikle's summer garden. Frida restaurant was just on the other side of the street and I believe I got somehow hypnotized, since I got up from the table and crossed the street without a moment of hesitation. It's not that there's something wrong with Blikles. It was something wrong with me, never being to Frida restaurant yet. And I felt I had to fix it right that moment.
Chair in the summer garden. Comfy and of the right height, which is so important when you eat - I hate eating with my stomach squished by sitting on chairs that are too high or by tables that are too small.
Guacamole and nachos. Ripe and fresh, simply accurate.
If you order fajita, your tortillas come in a special pot that keeps them warm.
And your fajita might look like this.
And that's my pollo en mole. I liked the sauce better than the meat - a bit too tough. The sauce is a bit hot, but that's what you expect from mexican cuisine, right?
Well, that's a first here:) It's just that I found it so cute I couldn't help photographing it at the time, and now I can't help putting it here;-) Now you know what takes us girls so much time in the ladies' room:)
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