Maria in Winter

This is what a Mexican restaurant in Berlin looks like off-season. One night not long ago I went in and one of the owners was about to close up. He said, “Is it a lot colder out there than before? ’Cause it seems like there are fewer people on the street.”

“It’s pretty cold.”

But their business isn’t just about the weather. I went in Friday, when the Maria Bonita guys were busy across town opening a whole new restaurant in Kreuzberg called Maria Peligro. And the place shown above was hopping. I said to the waitress, “You’re opening a new restaurant, and now this place is crowded?” She just said “Yeeeaah!” and sort of danced behind the register. I never figured out why so many people were in the (five-month-) old restaurant when the new one had all the attention. But there was music, tequila, fresh tacos, jubilation. It’s one way to get through winter, I guess.

     posted 18 January 2010 by Michael Scott Moore

  1. Is there a particular season for Mexican food in Berlin? Chicago season for Mexican food last 365 days a year… mmm so tasty.

    — Pam Grossman    Jan 19, 06:21 pm    #

  2. Well, maybe there isn’t enough real Mexican food in Berlin to talk about a season. But in the summer at Maria Bonita, people like to sit outside, which at least makes sense.

    — Mike    Jan 19, 09:29 pm    #

  3. This is fantastic news! Mexican food was pretty much the only thing I missed about CA when in Berlin.

    — desyl    Jan 20, 04:51 am    #

  4. Hey, how about including some good old snow-in-Berlin pix on your blog? I’d like to see what I have to look forward to in two weeks. Or has it all melted in the last few days?

    — Katchita    Jan 20, 09:04 am    #

  5. How’s the food? I can never recommend Mexican food in Berlin, but I always hold out hope. Does this one get your enthusiastic thumbs up?

    — Tammi L Coles    Jan 20, 02:22 pm    #

  6. Yep, the food’s great.

    — Mike    Jan 20, 02:29 pm    #