Go Eat Read

So much to catch up on!

GO: A weekend in the countryside, a Szechuan feast, a chance to go somewhere. / Apfeltraum in summer is lush and lovely. I am excited to visit under the indigo skies of a winter afternoon: their Christmas market this Saturday will feature wreath-weaving, candlemaking, trumpets, and organic pizzas baked in a mobile clay oven. / The other night we spent the evening wandering the creaky hallways of the Hotel Bogota before reparing for dinner at Jules Verne and drinks at Diener. Oh, Charlottenburg! The hotel, a bit of a legend, will take its last guests this Friday night. On Sunday from noon to 8pm, visitors can pay their last respects and submit bids to purchase the old-fashioned coat stands, Oriental rugs, bedsteads and more; coffee, champagne, and cake will be served.

EAT: At Al Contadino I ate the loveliest plate of fregola sarda as part of an evening celebrating Sardinian cuisine. Each pearl of pasta was swollen with salty broth, redolent of the sea, and I'm eager to try my own version. / Coffee in your postbox, perfect for those who lack a neighborhood roaster. / If I were in London, I would be at Lovage.

READ: What happy news to see my friends at Slow Travel Berlin have released their very first book. It's chock-full of worthwhile places to seek out in Berlin and bursting with quiet pride in their adopted city. / The local stories told on Best Wishes (one from me here) will expand from Berlin to the Bay and beyond. Be in touch with founder Jessica Jungbauer to start your own chapter.