Food and Film: The Meal
by Mary Nyiri

After the film, my colleague Shelly Schoeneshoefer and I were shown to a beautifully set table for two. The service was fast, friendly and bilingual. Our appetizer was a bit unusual in flavor when each dollop was tasted separately, but once combined was absolutely delicious. For the main course, I have never tasted such a delicate flavor of beef with a crispy tortilla and herbed white beans. This was definitely not Tex-Mex! And, finally ,dessert did not disappoint with rich chocolate and a Berlinale bear made of caramelized sugar that was too cute to eat – almost! All the wine, water and juice were included and we never had to ask for a refill. The red wine was appropriately from Mendoza: a 2007 blend of malbec, cabernet sauvignon and merlot which assaulted my palate with the full-bodied ripeness of a glass of plump ruby-red grapes glistening from the cool morning dew, sprinkled with just a hint of cinnamon and enhanced with crushed mulberry bush twigs – as you can see I am not a sommelier! Check out the real sommelier at www.charliewines.com. Sonja Frühsammer has a lovely restaurant in Berlin. Details available under www.fruehsammers-restaurant.de. Tickets for dinner and a movie sell out quickly so if you are interested, check when tickets go on sale and be prepared to be patient if you order online.