this is why you're fat

Germans eat a lot and they drink even more. Turning down food or drinks will undoubtedly result in questions about what I've already consumed today or the contents of my uterus, so I've decided to fully commit to the cause and worry about counting calories when I'm back in the states.

The perfect Sunday afternoon indulgence

Wheat beer, spicy mustard and a pretzel - three of Germany's main food groups

American Breakfast at The California Breakfast Slam - my hangover go-to

Yumcha Heroes perfection

liters of fruit wine at the werder baumblütenfest

Vanille and Marille

Maria Bonita tacos and margs

Ringing in spargel season with schnitzel, potatoes and riesling

Baby beers

A tier at Anna Blume

Just a SMALL portion from a barbecue for seven people

KaDeWe cakes

See y'all on the other side.

amsterdam [part II]

My favorite time spent traveling is usually the time spent wandering around and usually getting lost. Even though Amsterdam was windy and cold the February weekend we were there, it was no exception to this rule/universal truth. The canals are gorgeous, the architecture is charming and the Red Light District is, obviously, very interesting. One of our favorite neighborhoods, De Pijp, was a little bit of a walk south of the city center, but ended up being worth the numb toes.

More crooked buildings

Highlights and must-sees in Amsterdam:

Coffee shop hang

• Abraxas was by far the best coffee shop we went to. Amazing vibe, huge and potent selection of…treats and…accessories? (ok y’all, weed and vaporizers). I can’t exactly remember how many times we frequented Abraxas but it outshone the rest of the coffee shops we went to, which all had a frat party/“LET’S GET FUCKED UP” vibe (probably our mistake – I’m sure there are several other amazing shops we missed). Abraxas is the cooler, chiller big brother of more touristy locations like The Bulldog.

• Van Dobben is an authentic Dutch diner tucked away from the busier streets with amazing croquetten – a traditional Dutch snack, which is basically fried mashed potatoes on a bun – and other small dishes. None of us were brave enough to try one of their hot commodities, “meat salad,” mostly because they couldn’t tell us what kind of meat it was made out of. This type od ambiguous meat is something I’ve slowly gotten used to in Germany…y’all grossed out yet?
• Street waffles. Don’t miss out. I’m already regretting not eating more.

The Old Church (left) is right in the heart of the Red Light District (right)

• Sexmuseum Amsterdam, which is basically the history of porn in print, is a fun diversion for only 4 €. 

• Of course, the Anne Frank House is something that I hope every tourist does when visiting Amsterdam. I loved her diary in middle school, and being able to visit the warehouse where Anne, her family and several others lived was profound and chilling. We had to wait for about an hour, but it was absolutely worth the wait.

Every store we went into in Amsterdam (not because any of us had really budgeted any shopping in, but because it was so cold we had no other choice but to shamelessly look but not buy) was full of GORGEOUS things. Among my favorites were Hutspot, Maison NL, Art Unlimited and two markets we stumbled on – one in De Pijp - and a beautiful book and poster market near the city center.

Almost bought this guy

Next up: Barcelona.

Speckwürfel

I need to tell y'all about something.

See that?

That is the secret to culinary gold.

Speckwürfel, glorified German bacon bits, is used in countless dishes here in Berlin. Pastas, salads, soups. I wouldn't put it past these people to find a way to smack some chocolate on these babies and incorporate them into dessert.

Do these exist in the U.S.? My grocery store knowledge thus far has been pretty limited to buying a pound bag of kale, some overpriced cheese and a six-pack and figuring out how to pass kale chips off as dinner three times a week. Someone get back to me on that. I'll be here with the bacon.

Restaurant TIM RAUE

As if moving to Berlin wasn’t enough excitement to satiate me for at least a few weeks, I was fortunate enough to enjoy the best meal of my life right out of the gate on my first Saturday in Berlin. The family I’m working for are good friends with renowned Michelin star chef Tm Raue, a Berlin legend. Tim and his talented team served us a leisurely six-course lunch, complete with wine pairings and celebratory champagne.

From the whimsical but beautiful interior to the talented staff to the indescribably amazing food, the Tim Raue experience is as near perfect as I have ever seen.

Lucky does not even begin to describe how I feel.