About Us

The calendar said December 30, the weather said '5 more days of snow mixed with rain and temps in the low 30s.' The memo said USAID would close at noon on Friday and re-open on Wednesday morning in recognition of New Years Day and a local holiday on January 2. Whee - 4-1/2 days off. The web said 'Spend NYE in Berlin!' We were hooked. Cold, snowy, beautiful Berlin. Schoen!

We arrived Friday evening amid much cold & snow. For 3 days we strolled the WeinachtMarkets, gobbled up the street food, visited the churches, shopped, dined, and walked, walked, walked. The New Years fireworks were the biggest we've ever seen -- fully 45 minutes of 'grand finale' from 20 locations around the city all at once, including from the Brandenburg Gate. Thrilling Bedlam!

Th e Restaurant 'Aleksander" in our Hotel President - an absolute gormet festival, and finding it was a complete accident! We had checked in to the Hotel President late and stumbled into their restaurant at 10:30pm, tired and hungry. Then came the surprises. This hotel restaurant specialized in seasonal vegetables and game. That first night we had Truffled Creme of Parsnip Soup followed by a Roast of Reindeer for two. The latter was a 10-inch section of back rib with a blackened and garlicky loin on each side, served pink and tender. We immediately signed up for their New Year's Eve feast and got the last 2 seats. This was the New Year's Eve Menu: Amuse Bouche, Mousse of Halibut & Crawfish on Red Cabbage & Apple Compote, Espuma of Whjte Onions with Poached Goose Liver, Loup de Mer of Calamaretti w/Artichoke & Parsley Jus, Carpaccio of Mallard Breast w/Red Cabbage Essence, and ending it all was "Espuma of Pralines in a Tree Cake coat with Inserted Orange and Gin Tonic Lemon Parfait. Ooohhh! Not a sign of a Schnitzel anywhere. And it was affordable! .