Berlin Reified | Food, design and life in Berlin

Autumn in July

We splashed through puddles in our Wellington boots on our way to Kleine Eiszeit: there was no keeping S from her ice cream. Black currant for her, gooseberry for me, then she wanted a taste of my scoop (cream nubbled pale green). A very early pizza dinner at A Magica, now nursery rhymes on the sofa. I rather love this autumn in July. Happy weekend, my dears.

Sunday mornings: Rose shortbread

So much to tell you! I'm still reeling from the incredible open day at the art school in Weißensee (I meant to just peep in then stayed all afternoon), still drying off after a damp but happy hour at the Freie Internationale Tankstelle's pop-up Biergarten. But let's start with this morning, shall we?

Sunday morning shortbread seems slated to be a new tradition. When Clare brought me a box of homemade lavender lemon shortbread on a flying visit last month, it set my mental wheels racing. It was the perfect thing to have around the house: fragrant, satisyfing, undemanding, the perfect late afternoon pick-me-up for myself or unexpected friends. The shortbread was incredible, of course, and simplicity itself. She had used Delia Smith's recipe, adding a teaspoon of dried lavender blossoms and a bit of lemon zest. And that made me wonder what else I could add. This morning it was rose petals (I used the ones that Sonnentor sells). What next? Black pepper and orange zest?

Recipe notes: I can't quite understand how Delia bakes her shortbread for over an hour; mine was done after twenty minutes. I also couldn't see the point of rolling out the dough when patting it in worked just fine. And sprinkle your sugar on while the shortbread is still warm, as it adheres better that way.

PS: Clare, her husband, well-behaved dog and small daughter are moving back to Berlin in October. They're looking for a flat with at least three rooms, ideally in Prenzlauer Berg as that's where their daughter will go to nursery. Send me an email (click "Email me" in the sidebar) if you know of anything!

Pick-your-own berries & fruit in Berlin and Brandenburg

I've loved reading your recommendations of vacant lots -- keep them coming! Above is one of my favorites (taken at the corner of Sredzkistraße and Rykestraße a couple of years ago. Doesn't that one perfect apple seem placed by a divine hand? And talking of bounty, I was stunned by this morning's pristine blue sky. Cool breezes and golden light: perfect weather for berry-picking, no? Off we go!

If you're inspired too, here's an updated version of pick-your-own places (strawberries, blueberries, cherries sweet and sour, apples and more) from last year's post. Do let me know if you have favorites I've missed.

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For free foraging in the city and suroundings, see the much-beloved Mundraub (with an article on the same by Slow Berlin here).

Berliner Beerengarten, various locations

Buschmann Winkelmann/Spargelhof Kleistow, Glindower Straße 28, Klaistow (map)
Tel. 033206 / 61070

Neumanns Erntegarten, Heineberg 2, Potsdam-Bornim (map)
Tel. 0331 501651 or 0170 8368646
Reported on by Suzy of Foodie in Berlin and Sam and Sophie of Krauted Haus.

Obstgut Marquardt, Potsdam-Satzkorn (map)
Tel. 033208 57718

Obsthof Lindicke, Am Plessower Eck 1, Werder (map)
Tel. 03327/45624

SL Gartenbau, Perwenitzer Chaussee 2, Oberkrämer-Vehlefanz (map)
Tel. 03304/39940

Obstbau Zaspel, Helenenauer Weg 2, Blumberg-Elisenau (map)
Tel. 03338/45524 o. 0172/4149186

Obstgut Müller, Dorfstr. 1, Altlandsberg-Wesendahl (map)
Tel. 03341/ 215856

Vacant lots & free champagne

I was at Mitte Meer yesterday, still located in the lonely urban wasteland behind Hamburger Bahnhof. This location is closing at the end of the month (10% off! everything), and I wonder why and what will replace it. If desolation was Berlin's keynote, increasingly it's commerce and noise. This weekend, the Veuve Cliquot Airstream will set up shop in this transitional space, serving posh food truck fare cooked up by the Chipps team: truffled currywurst, sweet potato fries, brioche burgers and so forth. This Sunday there's a fancy brunch from 11am-3pm with French pop classics and petanque, and they've kindly given me two tickets to give to you (two courses + a glass of bubbly or vice versa). Leave a comment by 6pm today and I'll choose two people this evening: extra points if you share your favorite vacant lot in Berlin. Oh, be warned that little ones (under 18s) can't attend, so no boozy brunch with tots in tow!

Clicquot Rolling Diner, Invalidenstraße 50-51 (behind the Hamburger Bahnhof), Berlin-Mitte (map)
Movie night Saturday 16 July from 7pm, Sunday brunch 17 July 11am-3pm, World cup screening 7:30pm on (cancelled b/c of bad weather forecast - check Clicquot Rolling Diner to be sure the other events are happening before you leave)

Update: Dorota & Sascha, the tickets are yours! Drop me an email at hello [at] berlinreified.com with your full name and I'll put you on the list. I love the vacant lot recommendations though, so do keep those coming.

On the way out

Tiles like these are such a commonplace here that I often forget to notice them.

In the park last night

And there's our summer back.

Dial M for Museum (Buchstabenmuseum & .HBC)

Isn't it pleasing to get on an escalator in a down-market shopping center and find a sleek museum at the top? Design students revamped the Buchstabenmuseum (the Museum of Letters) a couple of weeks ago: see the process documented here. Max, Anna and I went to the opening last weekend. It's all charcoal walls and humming neon tubes in the front rooms. In the back, I liked the exploded-out R best, showing the layers of screws, steel and glass that combine to make a glowing letter.

There is a poetry to following a visit to the Buchstabenmuseum with dinner at .HBC. The beautiful room was empty when we entered. The restaurant's enormous windows let in every last ray of light to be extracted from the cloud-creased sky. For whatever reason, I had been a little hesitant about the food, but then the three of us labored over the menu for ages, wanting to order everything. A forkful of grilled yellow watermelon detonated into layers of flavor. Were those Sichuan peppercorns studding the sweet fruit in place of seeds? Whoever had decided to so generously zest the lemon onto the accompanying goat cheese Nockerln and then add a pile of samphire had it exactly right. Same went for the judicious splash of white wine that left Max's Pfifferling risotto sparkling. I didn't understand why the truffle shaved over my mezzaluna were so dry and devoid of flavor, but the pasta itself was bursting with buttery herb-rich goodness.

After a series of back-and-forths with the endearingly goofy waitresses, we got our dessert. Kakaoerde sounded gimmicky but I loved dragging spoonfuls of dense mousse through the rubble of sesame seeds, nuts and chocolate; the pool of violet jelly at the bottom of the bowl was a little lurid and a little medicinal but I liked the way it left my tongue tingling. The four-course menu may have have gone up by €5 since .HBC opened last year, but I think €30 is still a pretty good deal.

When we went down the concrete stairs, it was raining, and a passing hen party asked us the way to Hackescher Markt. When I got home, I looked up Weingut Willems: that's how memorable a sip of their 2008 Riesling Spätlese was.

Buchstabenmuseum, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 13, Berlin-Mitte (map)
Open Thu-Sat 1pm-3pm

.HBC, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 9, Berlin-Mitte (map)
Open Tue-Sat from 7pm
Tel. 030 2434 2920

Lieblingsschuh (Handmade shoes)

This is one of my favorite shop windows in the neighborhood.

The sign on the window says "Dear Customers, Our family has expanded and we're on a baby break. Feel free to phone or email if you have a question or would like to place an order."

Lieblingsschuh means "favorite shoe". I'd never manage to buy a pair (the handmade shoes start at a thousand euros) but I used to love peeking in while passing and watching Nadine Klein work.

Lieblingsschuh, Schönfließer Straße 1, Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg (map)
Closed for now
Tel. (030) 4473 7644

Cherries & berries here and there

Oh, this is the season. If I've been quiet here, it's because I've been outdoors: picnics, playgrounds, coffee on the sidewalk and cherry-picking on museum grounds. Even as the days contract this summer feels eternal. I'm sitting on the balcony as I write; it's been light since 4am.

Kristina and I sat on the pavement drinking coffee when her neighbor walked by with cherries from their Kleingarten and gave us a handful.

At the Haus am Waldsee we were just leaving when David, eagle-eyed, noticed a tree full of fruit. We gorged ourselves on cherries for twenty minutes, S straining at the tips of her toes to reach the fruit herself ("no pick me up!") before we went home.

My gooseberry fool was just what you would want it to be, fragrant and floral with a tang. Top and tail a punnet of gooseberries, then simmer with a splash of elderflower cordial until soft (about 10 minutes). Let cool, then top with a generous pool of cream. No pureeing, no whipping, just the nubbly pulp and the cream sweetening the sour.