Adrie Reinders

Who says that having great chefs prepare excellent multi-course dinners for you needs a restaurant? I’m not sure if you can already call it a trend, but in Berlin, there is more than one chef preferring to celebrate dinners in a more exclusive and intimate manner. Namely there are my friends Oli, Jens and Mirko (the latter is not a cook but does the organizing). Oli used to have a restaurant in Prenzlauer Berg that was quite well-known at the time. When he decided to give it up, there were the usual options – start a new place, be hired somewhere else, do catering…

Instead, he decided to do what was initially a freelance thing. I met him at a friend’s wedding where he and his staff of people (sous-chef, service personnel…) cooked for a party of about 40 people. If you’d like to know more about that truly memorable occasion, look over here.

By the beginning of 2009, Oli and his friends decided to do this “cooking for friends” thing on a more regular basis. Once a month they’d invite people for a dinner party at changing locations in Berlin and called it “Monatskochen” (monthly cooking). In March, for example, they rented a film studio in a huge palace-like factory complex from the 1900s. Maybe 80 people attended, among them myself and some other friends who are into finer dining. An excellent, EXCELLENT 5 course set menu was served for the price of 29€ excluding drinks.

Meanwhile, the guys have found a home base for their cooking activities. They call it the “außerhaus Studio”. “Außerhaus” literally means “out of home” – it’s what you say when you want to dine out as opposed to cooking at home. The studio is not a restaurant, though it boasts a large kitchen. It’s the place where they work and prepare stuff for catering jobs and the like.To celebrate the opening of the studio, the July Monatskochen took place right there on long tables in white linen.

Now how do you join? Well – basically, everyone is invited to come. All you have to do is check out their Facebook profile, sign up for an event, or otherwise be in contact with them – they have a mailing list too. However, this means that there is a certain exclusivity to it. There is no fixed location, there are no fixed dates. Most people become members of this Circle of the Initiated by being brought by friends. This, in turn, creates a very fun, cozy and friendly atmosphere at the events, because everyone is somehow connected either to the chefs or to a friend of the chefs, many are regulars, there are never more than 70 or 80 people attending, and they all have one thing in common: their love for great food.

Speaking of which – here’s the menu of the last Monatskochen 2 weeks ago:

Green bean salad wrapped in marinated savoy cabbage with spiced thyme cherries
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Clear chanterelle soup with chervil ice cream
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Knuckle of pork or brook trout roulade, stuffed with mashed peas or tomatos and rucola, accompanied by caraway cabbage salad, salt potatoes, and a sauerkraut white wine creme sauce
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“Berliner Luft” dessert creme with lime melissa and iced raspberries

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As you can see, Oli and the guys base many of their dishes on hearty continental and German cuisine and then start experimenting. Another favourite of mine that they sometimes offer as an entrée is trout caviar on cinnamon-seasoned, chunky apple puree on spiced toast. There, you have the salted caviar meet the sweet-and-sour, intense taste of apples on a hearty piece of bread, which really creates an explosion of tastes in your mouth. This picture to the left  is how it looks.

So finally, I won’t give you any address or phone number here. If this is something you might like to join, check out this group here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buxbaum-Sartorius-Partners

- and act accordingly

Today, my old friend Jan and I had some business to attend to. In my other life as an entrepreneur, business consultant and copywriter I’ve come to the point where I need my own homepage. Jan on his side is one of the best screen designers I know, so we decided to meet for an impromptu design briefing today. Since we generally do as much business as possible over breakfast, lunch or dinner here in Berlin, it was his turn to come up with a suitably refined location for a 11:30 late breakfast.

At 11:30 sharp I heard the horn of his ‘78 Mini Cooper outside my door. And off we went to a place he had announced as a “true hidden gem”. As it turned out, he has been breakfasting there often over the past two years. As it further turned out, “hidden” is quite accurate when it comes to this gem. We drove down to Kreuzberg and then some. Where Görlitzer Straße meets the Landwehrkanal: that’s where you find Salon Sucré.

At first sight, I was both amused and reassured. This would not be Berlin if Salon Sucré was merely a bistrot, a cafe or restaurant. No: it’s all that AND a hairdresser. The place is run by a French patissier, Eric, and his Brazilian girlfriend Katia, who’s a hairdresser. Today, though, the salon was closed and she was helping to wait tables. Very endearing, all that, and Jan as a regular was warmly welcomed.

A closer look at the food on display revealed that Eric specializes in what the art of French baking has to offer. On the downside, this means that for breakfast you won’t get any eggs or toast or cereal or yoghurt. On the plus side, you will get croissants with any conceivable stuffing. I took three: one filled with marinated salmon, one with French cheese, and one with French ham and Dijon mustard. Jan took a croissant and a paté with tomatoes. Thus supplied, we sat down at one of the small tables outside, enjoyed the tranquility on this remote end of Görlitzer Strasse, sipped our Café au lait and lazily went to business.

Business, however, didn’t stop me from noticing that these were the best croissants I have ever had. The filling was tasty and well-spiced – you easily notice that this was miles from the prefab stuff you get at LeCroBag. The croissants exuded homemadedness – juicy and firm at the same time. Beautiful!

After a while, Eric came out with a bottle of crémant rosé and two glasses, which he waved in front of our eyes invitingly. As he poured us two glasses, he explained that this was to say sorry for the fact that they’d be closing Salon Sucré down for summer, so that Jan would have to look for another place to have breakfast until September 17th. Eric did that in his truly colorful German – it doesn’t sound fake at all when he talks half German, half French, frequently ending his sentences with “et voilá, Monsieur!”. When we came in to pay our bills, he calculated out loud: “Un Euró quatre-vingt, trois Euró quatre-ving dix, sept Euró… ca fait neun Euro achtzig, bitte. Merci beaucoup!”

On this occasion a word about the pricing. The deliciously stuffed croissants come at 1,60 € a piece. After three of them, it’s you who is deliciously stuffed. Need I say more?

As we paid, both Jan and I identified some French pastries that we wanted to take home for the afternoon. I chose a blueberry pastry that had already caught my eye as we had arrived. Now before writing this text here, I just finished the last bit of it, and Dear God, it was a piece of heaven! Blueberries of a size and sweetness that clearly designate them as Polish produce (I will have to write about the merits of Polish food another time), a mild and tasty crème and the perfect shortcrust. If there ever was the quintessential Sunday Afternoon Pastry, I found it!

And so can you – unfortunately not before Sept 17th, though. And only Thursday to Sunday, unless you want to have your hair cut – the salon is open Wednesday to Saturday.

What a sweet place!

Salon Sucré

Restaurant Momo,
MOMO Restaurant, Bar & Lounge
- www.momo-amsterdam.com
Hobbemastraat 1, Amsterdam, Amsterdam – 020 6717474

Having heard various unofficial (gossip) reviews, good and bad, about this restaurant – which any new, trendy restaurant seems to have to face – it was finally my turn to have a meal at MOMO’s.

On entering the space, it was the fairly extreme white decor that catches your attention. Although done tastefully, it doesn’t offer the “wow” factor since many trendy restaurants and bars around the world seem to aim for the same kind of style. Comfort though was excellent. Our waiter, Tommy, did a great job serving us – he was professional and friendly and took the time to explain various items even though the restaurant was packed.

The food at MOMO’s is based on the “sharing” concept and the menu combines Eastern and Western food – whenever a dish is ready it is served immediately so that diners can share the dish before moving on to the next one. I ordered crispy (Peking) duck – which was delicious and definitely highly recommended. I also ordered some sushi which were OK. As a main I had filet of beef, very tender, served with fresh asparagus – an excellent choice. Unfortunately, I once again had to forego dessert since I am still on my lifestyle change… but I am sure to return and try it another time. I do like a cappucino though, even though I know the Italians would faint hearing that, but who cares – I like it after my meal. But unfortunately that was the only bad piece of news at MOMO’s – no great cappucinos.

Overall – I had a wonderful dinner and would definitely recommend you visiting.

Comfort: 8
Service: 8.5
Food: 8.5
Price/Quality: 8.5

The Place to go for Brunch in Chicago

Oak Tree restaurant & bakery, 900 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL

Located at the top floor of the Bloomingdale Centre, you will find the perfect place for brunch – Oak Tree. It is a place to sit down and rest your weary feet before, during or after your shopping. All food is freshly made and offers a wide choice for everyone such as great Salads and wonderful bread. Unfortunately the latter doesn’t fit into my (renewed) lifestyle change diet.
I have eaten here a few times and every time it’s been a good choice. The decor is tasteful and comfortable, service quick, professional and friendly.

Today I had a cup of Turkey Chili Soup followed by an egg white omelet – all in order to balance out the damage I did yesterday

In short, the Oak Tree is a nice place to go during your weekend with friends and catch up on things over a good lunch.

Comfort: 8,5
Service: 7,5
Food: 8,5
Price/Quality: 8

A Treat

The very nicest thing about a lifestyle change is the day at the end of the first period when you can eat whatever you like for one whole day. It leaves you fantasizing for days in advance what you will eat that day and in which order and where. Today was MY day – after a solid workout and an equally solid bowl of oatmeal to start the day, it was off to lunch at Marge’s Still, with a nice lunch of baked brie and baguette. It definitely met my expectations – see picture below.

Second on my list was a nice thin crust pizza, at Roma’s. I ordered a quatro formaggio, which unfortunately was found wanting – a bit low on taste and high on the chewing-gum factor. I only ate half of it which was rather a shame. Right next door to Roma’s is the Stone Creamery, where I had a well-deserved vanilla icecream, double scoop in a waver cone. It was outstanding! Every lick was worth the calories inhaled

As the proverbial icing on the cake, I bought some fudge in the FudgePot across the road. I had been there before, in my prior life, and knew it wouldn’t let me down. I ended up opting for the caramel, and some white chocolate which I furtively carried off home and am eating as we speak. Makes it rather hard to concentrate on the writing though.

All in all, this wasn’t an easy day – I am totally full and it feels as if I gained masses of weight. It is just as well that the next time is only in another month. And just maybe I need to think about learning to eat better full stop – one thing you do appreciate when you are on a lifestyle change is that you only want to eat food that is really excellent, rather then just any rubbish.

Marge s Still, 1758 N Sedgwick Chicago
Trattoria Roma, 1535 North Wells Chicago
Fudge Pot, 1532 N Wells St Chicago
Cold Stone s Creamery, 1533 N Wells St, Chicago

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Nan, 1350 Spring Street, Atlanta, Georgia – www.nanfinedining.com

During my stay in Atlanta, the concierge at the W hotel recommended the Nan, when I asked her what the best Thai restaurant in Atlanta was in her opinion. I have to say, that it is almost odd to find a gorgeous place like Nan amidst the concrete blocks that make up the city of Atlanta. The warm atmosphere of Thailand, between the highrise buildings and highroads of a city.

The restaurant was founded by chef Nan, who was taught her cooking skills by her mother in Thailand. She left her country at the age of nineteen and came to America, where she worked in various Thai restaurants before opening up her own restaurant in Manhattan, Tamarind. Nan moved to Atlanta with her family a number of years ago where she launched Nan fine dining, which has become a landmark in Atlanta.

Although in a rather large open space,  it has been beautifully decorated and as it has been separaed into a range of carefully secluded smaller areas inside the one large space, it gives you an air of comfort and intimacy. Service is as I recognize from Thailand, very friendly, professional with a hint of deference. I had Beef and Chicken Satay as an appetizer, and as a main course Kung Mung Kron or in plain English, baked lobster with lemongrass sea scallops. It melted in my mouth, the delicate flavours never overpowering one another. As I am still on my diet, this meal proved a highlight during my week and did not clash with my new lifestyle. I did not have any desserts, but the choice offered seemed delicious.

Comfort: 8
Service: 8,5
Food: 9
Price/Quality: 8

Absolutely highly recommended for anyone visiting Atlanta.

W Hotel, 188 14th Street, Atlanta

By now, many people know that the W hotel Mid Town Atlanta is my absolute favorite hotel. It is not just the concept,  but a concept wouldn’t be anything without the staff putting it into practice. I have never experienced staff like at the W Midtown -  they make you feel so very welcome when you arrive at the door, recognising you and remembering your name. And of course, most of all the special welcome I get from Milen.

This time I had 3 days to enjoy every aspect of the W, the outside terrace, The Spice market, (see below for pictures), the Gym, everything. Service is absolutely top of the bill. The W Concierge is doing a great job for you if you need reservations, there is the Accura car service and drivers like Sunil and his colleagues.

The room is fantastic, well maintained, spacious and relaxing. A genuine home away from home.

Food: 8.5
Service: 9
prize/quality: 9

The perfect place to have your business meetings in Atlanta

Traditional American Kitchen

Hugo’s Frog Bar, 1024 North Rush Street, Chicago

On my way to buys some new shoes, I saw Hugo’s Frog Bar. It looked great on the outside, with some seating outdoors (too cold for me despite the heaters) and has a nice comfortable interior. The whole restaurant breathes a traditional atmosphere, with a nautical/fishing theme. The waiter that served me, was not very alert – he forgot what I ordered and it took forever for him to stop by and see whether I needed anything. The menu is large enough without overwhelming you – always a good sign.

As a starter I opted for the oysters which were of good quality, as a main course I settled for the spit-roast chicken, with roasted peppers both of which were excellent. The chicken had that nice juicy flavour and tender meat that makes it just right.

Interior fairly traditional – not too fancy but decent and comfortable.

Food: 8.5
Comfort: 8
Service: 7
Price/Quality: 8.5

A good enviroment for a business lunch or dinner.

Great Food … with a view

Perennial, 1800 N Lincoln Avenue, Chicago

This is not the first time I have written about this restaurant in one of my blogs, but there is a good reason to do it again. The first time I visited Perennial was in the middle of winter and I had to trudge through a foot of snow to get there – yesterday it was 75 degrees, the lovely terrace was open and filled with people enjoying a spectacular view of Lincoln Park. And last but not least, since I am on a temporary change in my food pattern (no carbs, no sweets, no dairy) I had to find a place that offered me at least some choices

The restaurant was a little noisy due to a large group behind our table but was excellent otherwise as it was on the previous occasion. Very comfortable seating and professional and friendly service.

The food was delicious. As a starter I opted for the 6 oysters, which tasted very fresh and plump and as a main course I had the Halibut which was very well prepared, seared to a lightly crunchy texture and which came served on a bed of mixed vegetables. Unfortunately I cannot tell you about the deserts as they don’t fit into my new lifestyle and my companions were kind enough not to tease me with any either.

Food: 8.5
Comfort: 8
Service: 8.5
Price/Equality: 8.5

If you want to sit outside whilst enjoying great food, Perennial is not to be missed.

A must go

Restaurant Serge, Utrechtsestraat 141 Amsterdam, www.restaurantserge.nl

There is a new restaurant in the Utrechtsestraat in Amsterdam, opened very recently. When I walked by the other day I bumped into Serge, the very first bar manager at Jimmy Woo and later manager at another of Casper’s ventures. Serge told me he had recently opened this restaurant, his own and it looked great when I popped my head in briefly during our chat.

This Saturday I grabbed the opportunity to make it’s acquaintance further, when I had to choose a place for a business meeting. It’s always fraught with danger to choose something where you have not eaten before when doing so for a business discussion, but I know Serge and trusted that he would not let me down. And he didn’t. The restaurant was very nicely decorated – an old style building done in such a way that it did not lose it’s character. It has a kind of mezzanine floor, where you can sit looking down into the main part of the restaurant.

The food was really exceptional – spicy fish cakes as a starter, and steak tartare as a main course. Both done very well – modern but without too many frills. The service was excellent, comfort good – noise level acceptable. All in all a good place to get in a good mood.

Food: 8.5
Comfort: 8
Service: 8.5
Price/Quality: 9

Recommended for a nice evening out – you will feel at home and have a wonderful meal at the same time.