I’ve been eating in other people’s dining rooms a lot over the past couple of weeks. It all started with this fantastic Shanghai Family Style Dinner with Ashlee Lee aka The Dumpling Diva. The evening was hosted by Kitchensurfing.
Kitchensurfing brings together chefs, hosts and their guests - which they may or may not know before. Next weekend, starting September 27th, presents twelve chefs and their menus. Tickets are going on sale today.
My small cell phone camera only captures part of the graffiti leading to a bridge crossing Landwehrkanal from Treptow to Neukölln, and cuts hipsters to hips. Which makes absolute sense considering the fabulous baked goods served over there at places like Bully’s Bakery on Friedelstraße:
A crunchy topped Pear Pie.
Thanks to the hard work & lovely support of the fine folks at Slow Travel Berlin, my first Berlin cycling tour is officially listed on Gidsy. The first two dates of park cruising are planned for next week.
So check your calendars, head over to Gidsy and book your spot for the 3 Parks Cycling Tour. More dates are available upon request.
It will get a bit food-centric around here since I am in search of good street food vendors in Berlin.
This little truck parked by Nordbahnhof on Bernauer Straße sells Quarkkeulchen, which are comparable to donuts, but better than any I’ve ever had. A little more gooey on the inside and nicely crisp on the outside. Perfect breakfast or sweet snack for a great price: 5 are only EUR 2.20.
There are plenty of Mirabelle trees in Berlin, at least two on Prenzlauer Allee between the S-Bahn bridge and Danziger Straße. Easy to spot by smashed fruit on bike path. Last week I picked a good amount on Greifswalder Strasse, close to Ernst-Thälmann-Park. Enough for five glasses of chutney.
Check Mundraub for more info on local foraging.
It has been sitting there for some time now. Next to a parking meter.
Either someone is opening an outdoor alteration shop. Or it was too heavy to carry home. Always good to bring a bike lock. On any occasion.
…and this literary ornament on a wall in Mitte’s Heckmann Höfen. Time for “pulling the hoodie over your head” before “entering the day”.
Heckmann Höfe are not as famous as neighboring Hackesche Höfe, but much sweeter, not just due to the Bonbonmacherei. A candy factory which I’ll visit after their summer break.
Lots of books to be found in Volkspark Friedrichshain yesterday. “Read me, and pass me on” says the little sticker. September 1-9 Berlin will be celebrating Sprachwoche, a week of language & reading.
My sister’s in town. Always glad to have another good reason to ride to Kreuzberg and Prinzessinnengarten for delicious lunch made from produce fresh from the garden, and a stroll from bed to bed to see what’s growing. The tomatoes, sunflowers, and pumpkins especially are such beauties. So is this bicycle which is slowly taken over by nature and tied to the fence by green arms.
After 123 years of family owned business, Werner Castorf, father of director Frank Castorf, had to close shop. When the wall came down, the formerly successful business of selling blinds lost its customers to product from the West. Castorf used to have an agreement of “freezing” rent in the winter and paying it off during the busier summer months. The new owner of the building did not follow the tradition. It must be a big loss for 90 year old Castorf and his wife, who ran the shop for 65 years.
