Augustiner am Gendarmenmarkt (Berlin)

I went to Berlin recently and it was my first time in Germany (finally)! The weather was a bit chilly and perfect for lots of eating and wandering throughout the city. I'm not the type of traveler who plans to visit every notable landmark and sight; instead, I try to go for a blend of touristy activities and local life. Also, obviously, eating good food is a big part of travel for me.

Although Berlin has many different cuisines and restaurants, I wanted to have the traditional German and Austrian food experience. So, I ended up eating a lot of meat and potatoes (probably 3-4 times the amount I eat in a given week). But, I was in Germany! First up, in the Mitte area, is Augustiner am Gendarmenmarkt, where I ate twice:


Crispy knuckle of pork. Holy smokes. It was no ordinary feat eating this hunk of meat, which was encased in a layer of skin with hot steaming pork inside. The most memorable dish of my trip.


Yes. This. Potato soup Berlin style with Wiener sausage. I adore (seemingly) simple dishes that hit that rare level of perfection and this soup was one of those cases.


I had to try some spätzle! Hearty comfort food. I'm sure it goes well with pork, but at that point, I had met my limit of meat consumption and wanted something "lighter." In the form of a huge plate of spätzle.

I was looking for old school German food and found it in spades at Augustiner. I saw tourists at nearby tables, but it seemed like there were some locals as well. As you may have guessed, it's the kind of place that is excellent at fortifying you to face the cold evening air, which came in handy.

Augustiner am Gendarmenmarkt
Charlottenstraße 55
10117 Berlin
Phone: 030/20 45 40 20

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Milk Jar Cookies

I have found my favorite oatmeal raisin cookie in LA at Milk Jar Cookies. It is undeniably good and everything I want in an oatmeal raisin cookie: slightly crunchy on top, chewy in the middle and lots of raisins. It's memorable and for someone who doesn't give cookies a lot of thought on a daily basis, that is certainly something.

Milk Jar Cookies
5466 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323-634-9800