There was a little restaurant on Zionskirchstrasse in Berlin where I used to go for great comfort food. Hoping to revisit this place, I rounded the corner only to discover that a different restaurant is now located in the space: Roberta kocht!. The menu looked appealing (plenty of traditional offerings), so I went inside.

It's a small room with only a few tables. Upon entering, I realized I was the only guest. Roberta (I'm assuming that's her name) invited me to come up and take a place near the kitchen. We had a nice conversation as she was whipping up some amazing Swabian style vittles.  

Meanwhile, a few more guests arrived.

Everything on the menu looked really tasty, and I couldn't decide. I asked her what she recommended, and without hesitation she replied "die Maultaschen!" The best way I can describe it is as Swabian lasagna. There's no tomato sauce but it's put together in a similar way - layers of homemade pasta/dumplings filled with vegetables, meat, and spices.

A little while later, after a pleasant chat about Berlin and the neighborhood, she placed something in front of me that may be one of the most beautiful meals I've ever seen.

Schwäbische Maultaschen served with lentils and warm potato salad.

It was a huge portion, but I don't get this kind of meal every day, so I parked myself there until I had finished the entire plate. Fortunately, I had a nice long walk home afterwards.