American Food in Berlin

Last year everything in Berlin was so new I didn't often miss the food I ate before I moved here that I couldn't get here.  Sure, when I went back to the US there were things I would need to get (bagels with egg and pork roll, pizza, and Mexican food) but I was able to cook enough things that we were normal to us that it didn't matter that much while we were here.

During these dark days of winter we can go for a week with grey clouds and no real sun (rather reminiscent of South Bend, Indiana) and the sun rises when I am almost at work and sets before I leave, so I have been feeling the pull of old comfort foods more.  Luckily we've found some things to help, but we've also seen some sad misses.

This past week has been a real example of what I mean.  Last Saturday I wanted pancakes for breakfast.  This is actually something I eat rather rarely in general and even more so since we've lived here.  Usually if we want pancakes we plan ahead when we go grocery shopping to buy buttermilk and then we make them (no box pancake mix here unless you want to spend a near fortune on it).  This time I remembered that Atlantic on Bergmannstrasse has an American breakfast that consists of pancakes, maple syrup, and fruit.  I had not tried it before because it seemed silly to order an American breakfast when we're eating out.  I was quite excited as I waited for my pancakes to arrive.  When they came what I saw was something like a very thick crepe with powdered sugar sprinkled on top and the thinnest syrup ever.  It tasted a bit like funnel cake or like 5 crepes stacked on top of one another maybe. So don't get me wrong; they were good.  But they were not pancakes.

On the other hand we had recently found that the Colombian restaurant near Gneisenaustrasse sells canned tomatillos and poblanos, along with a variety of other packaged South American/Mexican food items, and their homemade hot pepper salsa.  So when I was looking at what to do with a pork tenderloin we had and came across a recipe for Tequila Pork with Tomatillo Guacamole I decided that was the winner.  We haven't been able to find tomatillos really before this so I had been ruling out all such recipes.  Since it is a giant can, I decided to also make tomatillo salsa.  And the grocery store helped out by actually having cilantro, which is by no means a sure thing.  So we planned 3 Mexican dishes for the week to use up the salsa and pork and while it wasn't authentic Mexican, it was pretty good Tex/Mex for Berlin.  Of course, there are two places in Berlin where you can get decent Mexican, Santa Maria and Ta Cabron, but the options are limited, and it was good to cook it at home like we used to.

This week I also had Cherry Coke.  I had not been able to find it at the grocery store, and it definitely isn't served at any of the good burger places where I would want it to be, but then I found it at the grocery store in the train station on our way back from some trip or other.  I didn't care that I had to carry the bottle across town, I needed it.  Then I saved it until this week when I decided it was time.  I know that Cherry Coke doesn't really pair well with Mexican food, but they both remind me of home and I didn't really care.  I also found last week that they now sell Cherry Coke at our grocery store so I can buy another bottle to save for the next time I need it.

This weekend I picked up bread and made myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  So I guess I am still in need of some American comfort foods.

While I don't often need an American food fix, it is nice to know that it is possible.  There is a NY style bagel place Barcomi's (where the bagels are decent, but not really like those from NY), a new place that sells pulled pork or brisket sandwiches (which are good despite being American/German fusion), and a new American diner that I have yet to try.  Cooking at home also helps as long as you are careful to pick dishes where you can get the ingredients you need. 

Now that the sun has started to rise earlier and set later every day and we have begun to see it shine more often from behind the clouds and we even had a week of false-hope spring, I imagine the need for comfort foods will decrease, but it was nice to have them while I wanted them.