Hibernation

Taking a break for a bit. Back some time in Jan.

One Two Three Four (courses)

Wein Cantina.
Nice place. We were there last night (group of colleagues and I) to celebrate with a team dinner. Some of the nicest food I have had in a while and some great company. Isn't it nice when you can honestly say that you like your co-workers? And that many, in fact, are your friends in "real life?". I, for one, say that is a sign of a successful workplace/job.

Anyway, so were were spoiled a bit last night with 3 official courses and to start also an amuse bouche. You see here: 1) the amuse bouche - a vitello tonato with a sprig of Japanese shiso leaf, 2) a really divine salmon tartar with some sort of lemon butter dressing....3) duck breast on barley with thyme jus, and 4) a molten chocolate cake with a maracuja (passion fruit) sorbet. I think my favorite was the first course - the salmon tartar. I was tempted to ask for the recipe...maybe I can "taste it out...." somehow....I have some ideas.

L&I

Big bummer tonight. Supposed to have a dinner here tonight which was canceled last minute (was supposed to be a nice celebration with clients) because too many couldn't make it. I've heard about this place again and again. They serve a 4-course menu every night, which is a surprise. You sit down, tell them if there is anything you don't eat, and then get served. The chef is Austrian, and has a reputation for cooking with only seasonal ingredients. He even shops (at least it is said) at the Viktualienmarkt around the corner from the restaurant.




I hear we'll make it up next month sometime, so certainly hoping that is true. I first heard about the place some years back, from the woman who cut my hair (at that time). Her boyfriend was the chef. :-)

Groupilarious

Some months back I signed up for the daily email from Groupon - both in Munich and in the bay area - just to see what kinds of deals would come through. FYI: Groupon is the company with a pretty cool new(er) business model. It's a "group buying" concept - the idea is that a business can offer a deal to a large group of people just because it is a large group of people buying it - the company is profiting because so many people are buying. When the minimum number of people sign up for the offer, the deal is "on" and everyone who participates get the thing/service (e.g., 50% discount on a meal in a restaurant). I have yet to actually take part in a Groupon deal. But I like the idea and even though most of the daily email has ended up in my email trash can without a second glance, occasionally I click and consider.

Long story short, I was getting sick of the emails. Got around 3 or 4 per day and I never purchased, so I thought...ok, let's give it a rest and unsubscribe.

But these guys are really THE MASTERS.
Look what happens when you click "unsubscribe."


Ok, no big deal. I am unsubscribing. Little guilt. Oh, but look, I can "PUNISH DEREK." Jeez. Obviously a joke. But let's click to see what happens.

Ah. Derek gets a talking to and some hot coffee poured on him. Not nice.

I quickly signed up for the newsletter/daily deal again. :-)))) (So I could write the blog....I unsubscribed a second time. Ooops.)

That time of year...

At 4 pm on a Friday a month before Christmas....and it's getting dark already outside. Motivation to work slowly dissipates. Here in Munich, we've been blanketed in snow already - pretty early in the year for us. But I hear most of Europe is getting slammed with snow. Just down the road from our building there is a little Christmas market...that sells nice hot Glüwein...that was too tempting for all of us an hour ago. So we packed ourselves into our jackets and hats and mufflers and gloves and took a time out drinking a mug of the steaming wine....and now back to work. For...an hour max...