Berlin reborn

>> German eatery reopens after five-year hiatus

by SPANKY HOROWITZ

As I walked past the corner of Fairmount and St-Urbain last month, I thought I'd lost my mind, or maybe I'd been in some sort of time-warp, because a restaurant that had closed its doors over five years ago had suddenly unclosed its doors.

It seems that Marcus Juennemann, one of the owners of the original Berlin from 1984-1994, decided to turn to the past to see his future: he reopened the restaurant that he and his family had run until most of his clan returned home to Germany.

Marcus has teamed up with some new partners, including Jack and Peter Koulikis, a pair of brothers whom he has known since his teens. As the new chef, Peter is complementing his formal culinary education with a few tricks from Marcus' mother, an alumnus of the original Berlin and a native of Germany.

The decor is elegant, mixed with pieces of art symbolizing the fall of the Berlin Wall. The pages of the menu are decorated with photos of the Berlin Wall, each menu featuring different photos, giving the customer some thought-provoking eye-candy while deciding between the haehnchenschnitzel and the hubertusschnitzel.

I started my feast with a half-disc of Camembert that was breaded and fried, served with a side of cranberry sauce ($4.75). I spent the '80s eating appetizers of bland, pre-frozen cheese-sticks, so I had forgotten how good this dish could be. I followed this mouth-watering starter with leberknoedelsuppe ($4), a clear beef broth featuring two large liver dumplings. The broth was rich and salty, a perfect vehicle for the dumplings, which were not as livery as I had thought they would be, but delicious nevertheless.

A friend who was displaying symptoms of an impending flu tried the Serbische bohnensuppe (Spicy Serbian soup, $3.50), a thick tomato-based stew laden with red kidney beans, white kidney beans and onions. It was too spicy for my friend, who described the heat as "not a mouth or tongue burn, but sort of a back of the throat burn." I'm sure my friend's sinuses were cleared out, but the menu should warn customers of the kick that this dish delivers.

Every main dish on the menu includes a salad followed by a complimentary palate-cleansing shot of apple Schnapps, which went very well with our boot-shaped steins full of Groelsch, one of several German beers available on tap.

My favourite German food is schnitzel, and Berlin has several varieties: Wienerschnitzel (plain), rahmschnitzel (with cream sauce), hubertusschnitzel (with mushroom sauce), ligeunerschnitzel (topped with spicy sauteed vegetables) and haehnchenschnitzel (chicken). Each variation is available in veal, pork or chicken, regardless of the topping, with the price fluctuating between $10 and $13. I was assured of the freshness of the food by the sound of the meat-tenderizer pounding the filet of veal into a large, flat schnitzel only moments after ordering it. The meat was breaded and cooked to perfection, served with home-fries and carrots.

Other noteworthy dishes include the gebratene ente (half a roasted duck, $12.50), sausage plate (three types, $10.25), beef roll (stuffed with bacon, mustard, onions and pickles, $12.50) and German-style goulasch with spaetzle (pork or vegetarian stew with hand-rolled egg pasta, $10.25). In my attempt at thoroughness, I've tried most of these dishes already, and I must say they are all superb. My only complaint would be the blandness of the homemade desserts, but due to the generosity of the meals, you'll probably never make it that far anyway.

Hats off to Marcus and his team, with a special nod to Eric, the waiter who has raised the bar for all waiters with his superb and ever-attentive service. :

Berlin

Address: 101 Fairmount W.

Phone: 270-3000

Hours: 11:30am-11pm

Best features: Superb yet affordable German cuisine, complemented by outstanding service and free apple Schnapps

Alcohol: Yes (with several German beers on tap)

Fish and seafood: Nothing other than clam sauce

Vegetarian friendly: Yes

Wheelchair access: Yes

Credit cards: Yes

Price: $10-23 per person, before taxes, drinks or tip

Rating: *** out of ****