I'm still on a post-food high. I had the pleasure of welcoming three good friends from the program this weekend, and we made it our mission to check out some dining hot spots with rave reviews on authenticity. I never thought the day would come, but I had amazing Mexican food in Germany! The locale: Maria Bonita, a tiny sit-at-the-counter place that reminded me much of somewhere I went last spring in Hermosa Beach. It is owned and operated by an ex-pat Texan, who chatted us up while serving us delicious margaritas, tacos with homemade corn tortillas, fresh guacamole and salsa with actual spice. We were all euphoric and a bit in disbelief.
On Sunday we had another great success, and one for me that was close to home. Having read about New Orleans Haus (but a bit wary because of other botched experiences with "authentic" Louisiana cuisine), we walked through the lovely sunny streets of Kreuzberg to find the location along Görlitzer Park. Walking into the small restaurant was like entering a place in the French Quarter...bare wood tables with elegant chairs, a ceiling fan turning softly, hot sauce bottles on prominent display, the guy in the kitchen wearing an Abita Beer shirt. I never thought I would have a fried shrimp po-boy in Germany (my last meal before leaving my home state...remember, Katherine?) and this place rocked this southern girl's world. It was opened recently by a real Louisianan, and all the dishes my friends had (gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish etoufee, macaroni pie) tasted just like home. The owner has even contracted a German butcher to make andouille sausage for him and imports the seafood from the Gulf. Now that's legit.
Such places are why Berlin is awesome. But I realize this isn't a food blog, so now moving on to some things that don't involve eating: on Saturday my friend Chrissy and I went to an awesome costume store (with a line to get in, whoa!) to buy some things for Karneval next weekend. An hour later I emerged with a black flapper dress, hot pink leggings, a cat mask, and a bunny mask complete with buck teeth. Should be a great time...I'll be visiting Chrissy in Mainz to celebrate German Fastnacht (or Karneval, or Fasching...from my understanding a huge celebration before Lent similar to Mardi Gras that's named differently in each region in Germany). I look forward to donning my costume pieces in whatever combination for what should be some awesome street parades and parties. Time to see how what these Germans do stands up to what my home state is known for.
The weekend also included a fun party thrown by a friend from Taiwan and then a birthday celebration for a friend in the program. I provided the birthday cheesecake with bananas foster...I've become quite the baker here now that I have a richtig kitchen, even though the conversions are a bit difficult for math-challenged me. If only I could go back in time and bring a measuring cup instead of all those seldom-used tank tops! Hindsight is 20/20, and I was a fool.
I'm relishing living in a place now where visitors are happy to come...Berlin is definitely a destination, and I have plenty of floor space in my wohnung. I love seeing my good friends from Bremen, laughing a helluva lot, and being able to talk about the joys and challenges of living here. My friend Brent put it well when he says he feels "one dimensional" in German. So having a weekend with some Amerikaners and feeling totally 3D is quite nice.
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