Kulinarisches in Schöneberg & das RollinRestaurant aus Sicht des Gastes

Vor zwei Jahren bin ich mit Michael durch Kambodscha gereist und habe eines Abends eine Weltenbummlerin in Phnom Penh an der Bar des Foreign Correspondents Club kennengelernt, aus welchem der inzwischen nicht mehr ganz für voll zu nehmende Peter Scholl-Latour seine Berichte in die Heimat schickte, als die Roten Khmer an die Macht kamen.

Rony und ich waren uns auf Anhieb sehr einig, dass egal wo man sich auf der Welt herumtreibt, ein anständiger Gin & tonic der Luxus ist, den man sich genehmigen muss, wenn die Rucksackstriemen sich in die Schultern gefrässt haben und die Füße einen nicht weiter als bis an die nächste Bar bringen. Solche grundsätzlichen Ansichten schweißen zusammen.

Nach Ihrer Rückkehr ins heimische Tel Aviv heuerte sie beim Reisemagazin Metropolis als Redakteurin an und wurde verantwortlich für die alle zwei Monate erscheinenden Magazine zu Reisezielen, die im Wesentlichen von Einheimischen geschrieben werden.

Für die Berlin-Ausgabe durfte ich den kulinarischen Part übernehmen und entschied mich gegen die beliebteste Currywurst und den neuesten Geheimtipp in Sachen Döner Kebap. Vielmehr wurde es der Zug durch meine Nachbarschaft in Schöneberg. Der Artikel ist nun im Magazin auf hebräisch erschienen und da die meisten der Leser dieses Blogs sich noch nicht geoutet haben fliessend von rechts nach links lesen zu können findet ihr den Beitrag unterhalb des Originals, so wie ich ihn auf englisch abgegeben habe.

Nicht zu vergessen ist ein weiterer Beitrag, den schon oben erwähnter Michael über das RollinRestaurant geschrieben hat.

Viel Spaß beim Lesen von:

Any Given Saturday In Schöneberg, Paul Fritze
The Art Of The Unexpected, Michael Treutler

Any Given Saturday in Schöneberghttp://www.scribd.com/embeds/59779478/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-25w613p5qrell039r3lm

Any given Saturday in Schöneberg

by Paul Fritze, 05/16/2011

Schöneberg is not as stylish as Mitte, not as beautiful as Prenzlauer Berg and never managed to build up a legend like Kreuzberg, the best known part of the city. The first things, that come to even Berliners mind,when being asked about Schöneberg is the homosexual scene around Nollendorfplatz and some people would also recall the farmers market at Winterfeldplatz next to St. Matthias church.

The one place, that made its mark in the history-books all around the world is the town hall of Schöneberg. John F. Kenndy claimed him being a Berliner in his famous speech from 1963 from the balcony of the building. If, at all, today the town hall is a place for fans of architecture, for everyone else its just a sandstone building with a clock attached to the 70m high tower.

Those might be reasons that Schöneberg, which is located south of the center of Berlin, is being explored a lot more with a fingertip on a map by visitors, than by walking the streets themselves to breath and feel the city. It won‘t be long until that changes, because thats what happens: Good things attract people and there are many of those in Schöneberg.

Amongst them is the culinary life of an area, which spreads from the Akazien- thru Goltzstrasse, the Winterfeldplatz with its farmers market all the way to Nollendorfplatz. There are dozens of shops, restaurants and bars to explore on a trip. There are people, who are doing extraordinary work for their customers and I talked to a few of them.

If you want to spend your Saturday, there is no better starting point than Arno Schmeichels Doubleeye .Arno is an honest soul with a contagious laugh and doesn‘t really care about appreciation for what he does. He just wants to make great coffee.

He opened his coffee-shop on Akazienstrasse 10 years ago and runs his place with a huge amount of serenity on the outside, being driven by new findings and potential to make things even better on the inside. Not too long ago a company for water-filtering-systems came to build a system just for his needs. Making the water on its way from the wall to the machine just right for the coffee he wants to serve – the product can‘t be anything else but perfect.

The beauty about Arnos perfectionism is one simple thing: Me, being a customer, doesn‘t feel that on first sight and he doesn‘t expect me to know. But the result is simply an outstanding cup of coffee, served by a few unperturbed Baristi, who are happy when I am.

The numerous championships Arno took part in all over the world, not by forgetting to win one or the other, are only mentioned after asking over and over again. He liked the involved travelling and the exchange with other worldclass Baristi, but he doesn‘t care about the awards, that are almost hidden in a board behind the entrance door.

Great coffee for his customers is a lot more important. He buys green beans and roasts them himselve to also create own blends. Coffeebeans are also grinded freshly everytime an order comes from a customer. The grinder is being adjusted up to 4 times per day to react on different temperatures and humidity in the small shop.

We are putting our nose down into some of his roastings and the variety of heady aromas can be recognized. From chocolate to a fragrance that reminds me of peas. Whatever Arno does with his water, beans, grinder and machine: His coffee is simply stunning.

With another papercup of Arnos Cappucino you can walk down Akazien- and Goltzstrasse, stop to do some foodshopping in one of the numerous italian places, some of the wineshops, pick a restaurant for the evening or simply enjoy your coffee, feeling as a part of the city.

Reaching the end of the Goltzstrasse, not crossing on the other side, where you can already see the farmersmarket which spreads his branches around St. Matthias church, take a few minutes to stop at Winterfeldt Schokoladen on the right hand side. The shop used to be an old pharmacy and is protected as being historical valueable. The inside is simply beautiful with all its darkbrown cabinets climbing all the way up to the ceiling. Each board filled with all kinds of chocolate from everywhere in the world.

Michael Schieben moved the shop to the place and worked with a befriended swiss architect to get all the licenses to rebuild a few things. Not changing anything of the old structure, but moving a door, strengthen the wooden floor and adding some boards was necessary to run the place appropriatly.

Michael got infected with the chocolate virus by a friend years ago, when he moved from Trier to Berlin. Asking him for a highlight of his chocolate-career, the ususally quiet and relaxed man doesn‘t let me ask the whole question and points to a board, while saying: „Domori.“

While opening a small pack of the beautifully boxed sweets from Italy, Michael explains, that Domori was one of the first companies to create transparency for the customer. Adding information about the beans and the sugar, which has been used to make the chocolate. Let me say this: Whatever they do put into the chocolate to make it as they do, they shouldn‘t change their recipe.

Grab a few pieces of chocolate for the next few days on the road – it‘s so worth it.

Stepping out of chocolate heaven the Winterfeldtmarkt is in sight. It is a farmers market with all kinds of things to buy. The rule where to buy things is simple: The smaller the booth, the more likely it is a farmer, who sells his own products. Other than exploring the market on your own, there are three things you don‘t want to miss:

1. Grilled trout: charcoal grilled mackerels, trouts and a few other fish by Jürgen Fürguth. A former engineer from Bavaria who now serves his fish on Berlin markets. Ask for horseraddish on the side. Its delicious.

2. Melted cheese: There are at least three booths who offer melted cheese on a baguette. The surface of a cheeseloaf is being heated up until soft, before its scratched off to put on the baguette. They usually add some spices and chives on top.

3. Tiramisu: An italian couple is selling all kinds of dolce and coffee in the very center of the market. Accompanied by some italian music from underneath the coffeemachine. A great place to enjoy one of their breathtaking Tiramisu. Prepare to wait in line.

There are dozens of places around the market to spend the rest of the day, have a sundowner and also
dinner.

If you haven‘t left Schöneberg for dinner, make sure to not miss out on a bar that is still looking for a place that can hold up against the quality of drinks being served. The Stagger Lee is in Nollendorfstrasse 27 – a five minute walk from the market.

Stepping into the Stagger Lee does truely mean entering another world in two ways. One being the interior of the bar. Dark and red wallpapers, heavy furniture, a swinging door, an old piano and a register that looks like Billy the Kid just stole it and gave it to Jakob Etzold – co-founder and bartender with a passion for Sergio Leone movies and drinks from the time.

Just like Arno, Jakob loves details in everything. He went as far as not using crossheaded screws, but slotted-heads only, when using it in the bar to make things look real and not just put together. Telling him about the water-filter-system, that Arno puts into his shop he nods and says: „Yes, that is how it should be.“ Not a spark of surprise about the passionate approach for a perfect serve. The two have a lot in common.

Asking Jakob if he is more a host or a bartender he laughs at me: „First and foremost I am the guy cleaning up all the time. I am also the facility manager, the concierge, the host and yes, I also make drinks.“ All the jobs he and his barteam are managing to do at the same time create a very simple thing: A great place where one wants to stay for just another drink.

Those served at Stagger Lee have no equal. If, like in the restaurant-business, stars would be given to bars, the Stagger Lee is one of the places that would earn one of those immediately. Jakob serves whiskey-drinks like their own delicious version of an Old Fashioned. Whoever is in charge of drinks on any given night is also happy to find out with you, what your next drink should be – they rarely miss the right choice.

A friend once told me the Mint Julep Jakob served her was the best drink she ever had and I myself just can‘t decide which glas I like the most. It has always been outstanding. Let me correct what I wrote earlier: Even if you have left Schöneberg for dinner, make sure to come back for drinks at the Stagger Lee.

Michaels wunderbarer Beitrag zum RollinRestaurant: 

The art of the unexpected

by Michael Treutler, 05/16/2011

The Food-Blogger event „RollinRestaurant“ invites it‘s guests to places they don‘t know, to eat food they have not ordered, together with people they have never seen before.

Berlin inhabits a thriving „pop up culture“. Spontaneous events that take place in locations that are designed for a distinctively different usage during the day.  One of these venues is the „RollinRestaurant“.  A high quality 3-course-dinner, which happens on a week‘s notice in locations that are unlikely to be „highjacked“ as a restaurant.  Getting one of the strictly limited tickets is a matter of living online, and being flexible, because the registration is first come, first serve, without knowing what to expect, except that it will be a dinner, on a specific date, „somewhere in Berlin“. 20 tickets for 2 people, one of each couple has to be non-German. 40 people, not one seat more.  Announcements are given through two food blogs only, one German, one English language. The actual location is not revealed longer than a day before the venue actually takes place, the actual menu not before the guests have it on the table in front of them.

In May 2011 the flagship store of one of Germany‘s major cell phone networks at Berlin‘s elegant boulevard Unter den Linden is the place where it happens.  The store is brightly illuminated, and fully alive of 40 chatting, smiling, flourishing people, who are placed at one long, elegant white dinner table.  Most of the guests have never seen each other before, and received an eMail disclosing the place to be, just 24 hours before.  But there is plenty to talk about for people sharing a passion for food, a taste for the international, and the appetite for the unexpected. 

Tourists and locals are floating along Unter den Linden in this warm spring night in May 2011, and curiously stop and glance through the window at the cheery crowd, which is discussing the first course they just finished. Meanwhile, just a glass door away from the lively buzz on the main table, the atmosphere changes into the concentrated silence of a neurologic surgery.  The light in the storage room is dimmed, the atmosphere concentrated, but not fierce, as the three chefs prepare the main course of the night, to cater to their 40 guests on time.  Frozen scallops get sliced into carpaccio, quail eggs get pealed.  Each plate gets decorated in smooth, fluent movements, thoughtfully arranged.  „Done!“, bold Paul breaks the silence, and the three chefs, bold Paul, blond Paul and Björn the Swede swing open the glass door to serve the next course to their guests, who eagerly await the next surprise on their plate.

The three chefs have learned to cook efficiently, and under the wildest circumstances, because they never have a kitchen at the places they choose for their events.  „We managed to serve 40 plates of medium cooked „on the spot“ veal the last time, only having access to two hotplates“ blond Paul proudly grins. This time they have no hotplates at all, so they had to come up with a cold 3-course menu, that would still live up to their own expectations of highest quality food.  „I don‘t want people to eat what they could have got at the restaurant next door“ explains Björn.

The quality experience is what drives the blogging chefs, along with a thrive for hosting people and the excitement of the unlikely locations. They love the challenge of places that are not designed to be a restaurant, and still provide a food quality that serves highest standards.  For bold Paul food challenge is rooted in his family‘s honor. „Christmas at our place is not about gifts, it is about who cooks best for the rest of the Family“, he tells the story how he became interested in cooking.

For blond Paul food is the glue to any great social event. He‘s all about the hosting part of it, „I love nothing more than seeing people I invited enjoying good food, good drinks, good talks. That‘s why I started cooking.“

They all breeze a passion for food, each from a slightly different angle. It‘s all about the high class food, it‘ all about the people, it‘s all about the challenge.  For the RollinRestaurant this makes a great composure, assuring that each detail for the menu is challenged for quality, each location is spotted for it‘s extraordinary atmosphere, and each dinner has a theme, such as this night‘s ,bring someone with a foreign passport‘, to assure an interesting crew of guests that has a lot to talk about. 

This mixture has also worked this night in May, because the guests are giving standing ovations after the final course is served.  Time for the three to finally sit down, and socialize a bit with the unknown guests they gathered this night.  „Where will be the next?“ is the most common question.  „We don‘t tell yet“ is the standard answer. Paul, Björn and Paul, who are all online-marketers in their day jobs, certainly know how to create and maintain an aura of the unexpected.  Google „RollinRestaurant“ when you come to Berlin the next time. Maybe you are lucky and it is just about time to register. 

P.S.: Die links habe ich in beide Artikel nachträglich und nur für diesen Beitrag eingefügt.