Monday, June 13, 2011

Spargel mit Hollandaise

Upon learning that the pub chosen as our meeting point had closed down or relocated, my Berlin native friend directed us to arrive at Cafe Zosch, getting off at the S Bahnhof Oranienburger Str. stop.  We had spent the afternoon wandering around, enjoying the urbanity and as our meeting time approached, a relaxing session of good food and some brews at a Berlin establishment was welcome.

 

So tucked away on leafy Tucholskystr., amidst a quiet buzz of other cafes and bars, we found outdoor bench seating at Cafe Zosch.



Scenes from the sidewalk seating



I only captured shots of my plate (which one of my fellow diners had a few good nibbles off of as well), but everyone's dishes looked lovely.  My fare was simple, hearty, fresh and light: Lax with potatoes and the everpresent seasonal dish of asparagus (spargel) with Hollandaise sauce.  The table beside us was full of a cheerful crowd of Frenchmen & women. We toasted, ate well and enjoyed a couple of hours of dialogue.  A straightforward and lovely Berlin moment.



Saturday, June 4, 2011

Lunch, Dinner & Breakfast at Pestana Tiergarten


Our recent stay in the Embassy District of Berlin had us enjoying the recently opened Pestana Tiergarten hotel, directly across from the Nordic Embassies.  


 Creamy potato and smoked salmon soup
(Kartoffel suppe mit Räucher Lachs)


Later on, sampling the Portugese fish soup 
(Portugiesischer Fischeintopf mit Knoblauch und Gemüse)...


And the beautifully presented Stir Fired Scallops with tomato and garlic 
(Jacobsmuschelen an Kirschtomaten ragout mit Knoblauch)


And rounding off the weekend with breakfast.  The hotel does breakfast beautifully, with a wide selection of Granini juices, silver carafes of coffee on every table, goat yogurt with fruit in glass jars, smoked salmon, rolls and chives and more...