Art And Schnitzel

(sounds like what I should name two dogs, doesn't it?)

Last night the ladyfriend and I went out to Kreuzberg to finally have some schnitzel and to check out the Künstlerhaus Bethanien opening.  The Künstlerhaus Bethanien is an international artist-in-residence program (and is where the Canada Council houses their Berlin residency), so we were looking forward to checking out the scene.  I mean, we are here to do some work as well, and art is part of that.

But first, schnitzel.  We had yet to go out for "German" food (unless you counted the Currywurst we had on our first day) and decided it was time.  After a little bit of research we settled on Jolesch, a restaurant conveniently located in Kreuzberg.  We both ordered our schnitzel "Wiener Art," which means in the style of traditional schnitzel but using pork rather than veal.  I'm not so into veal (I try to limit the amounts of "cruel food" I eat, and I currently reserve that for foie gras - don't judge!).

The restaurant was cozy and charming, and the waitstaff was attentive.  The schnitzel was quite yummy; the pork was even "apfelschwein," which means it was humanely raised on ecologically managed lands  (can you get that in veal?).  But get this, the ladyfriend said the schnitzel I make in Hamilton (also using organic, locally-raised pork) was even better.  Oh yeah, she's a keeper!

The opening was well-attended, and while I didn't set out to write a review, here is what I'll say.  The work in general did not particularly move me - intellectually, emotionally, or psychologically - although there were two small fur sculptures by Jasper Sebastian Stürup that were nicely unsettling.  We also spoke with Michael Lee whose video "Gone Solo" piqued our interest because it reminded us of work we'd recently seen at MKG127, our gallery in Toronto.  It just happens that I am a bit fussy about concept, execution, and aesthetics.  You shouldn't be surprised.

Quick update on Penelope.  It is clear that I, like so many desperate for a bicycle/relationship, ignored some serious shortcomings.  However, we've worked things out.  I took her to a local bike shop, BikeMarketCity, where the mechanic not only took care of the new tube and tire I needed, he did not shame me for having a bike fraught with issues.  In fact, he said it was "perfect for Berlin," which means no one would want to steal it.

Finally, after prodding (aka complaining) from the ladyfriend, I've changed the comment procedure.  There's no pop-up window anymore (comments are embedded), and you don't have to prove you're not a robot.  The ladyfriend believes this is what has kept comments to a minimum on this blog (yes, I care).  We have a small wager on this, which I'm secretly hoping to lose.