Berlin Currywurst...is the BEST!

So, I've mentioned this, but I am obsessed with food. I love the Food Network, I love Top Chef, and one time I watched Julie and Julia on silent and just drooled at the TV screen. But what I love even more than just eating food, is going to a new restaurant. I will try pretty much anything and go pretty much anywhere; I am a culinary whore. I will happily spend my rent on Osteria Mozza or overindulge on free pickled cucumbers at the latenight Silverlake taco truck (I maintain it is the taco truck owner's own fault that I stole all his pickled cucumbers, as he leaves the container right out in front with little plastic bags for smuggling right beside them). When I moved to Silverlake I was SO effing amped to try every eatery in the area. However, I think I also mentioned that I am easily intimidated by places that appear to be too cool for me (to be fair to my new neighborhood, I thought the La Brea Target was too cool for me for like 6 months before I forced myself to go in). That is why it's important for every person new to Silverlake to have at least one "hip" friend already living there who actually enjoys eating/doing activities. I have such a friend and when Berlin Currywurst opened on the corner of Sunset and Hyperion, we both knew we had to go eat there together.

Noelia (I know, even her name is interesting) is one of my favorite human beings and besides being a smart, sweet and funny lady, she looks cool as shit (guys, she has BANGS and always wears intriguing tights), so I felt totally confident going into Currywurst. It is TINY inside. Like. I took up half of the restaurant. But nonetheless, Currywurst is very clean and simple and cute; a little cafe with chairs and tables and wood benches outside that are perfect for people-watching.

But I think I have to back up for a second and address this restaurant's name. Currywurst. At first, I just thought "well this is a Goddamn terrible name for a place where people consume food." The name just sort of conjures up images of poop and not even good poop, the WORST poop. However, I hope you all feel stupid and bad about yourselves like I did when I found out where Berlin Currywurst got its name, because it actually makes total sense.

This very handsome and slender Indian fellow introduced himself to Noelia and me from behind the counter when we walked in (but whose name escapes me now because when I meet slender handsome fellows with nerd glasses, I am so focused on saying my own name correctly that their names always go in one ear and out of the other. This is selfish and bad, I know). This dude was living in Germany when he met an even more gorgeous German lady. They decided to wed I suppose, and then move to Silverlake to open up a street-food shop that combined Indian and German flavors. Hence, Currywurst (See? It's totally precious NOT gross) . Okay, Noelia just IMed me their names: Lena and Hardeep Manak. So Lena and Hardeep are both at Currywurst, running the place and being generally friendly and beautiful.

Hardeep walked us through our order. So basically, you get a plate of sausage in sauce with some bread for dipping or sandwich-making. They also have fries; GET THEM. The fries are really wonderful and salty and thickish cut and you can dip them in mayonnaise (seriously, one of the best things about this place is that it is completely acceptable to dip EVERYTHING in mayo). They also have ketchup, don't worry. Anyway, the sausage. There are five levels of spiciness, 1 being not spicy and 5 setting your mouth ablaze. Hardeep said most people order in the 2-3 range, but of course Noey got a 1 because although she is hip and cool and loves trying new cuisines she is a PUSSY about spiciness (sorry Nole, I love you still). I got a 3 (maybe it was a 2, but 3 sounds better and this my damn blog), and I got the Paprikawurst because Hardeep recommended it. I can't remember what Noelia got, but I THINK she did the traditional Bratwurst to get a fundamental sense of the place (she is very practical). They also have a vegetarian option and different kinds of meat so there's something for everyone.  The two of us sat outside on the bench facing the road so that we could stare at people and actually a very strange music video shoot starring a 16-year-old Kesha wannabe was going on in the parking lot across the street.

Pretty Lena brought out our food pretty quickly. Okay so this is what it looks like:

http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/yJ7BNJ4kHCjNq7PAk8dueA?select=OPyGAfHkzoB54mxLhy1MOw

Not so hot right? But I tell you, it is CRAZY delicious. Also, it's like the perfect amount of food so even though I ate sausage, I didn't have to take a nap immediately following (we actually got gelato at Pazzo next door and it rocked my socks off...but that's for another entry...except they have BROWN BUTTER cinnamon gelato, just saying).  Noelia and I gossiped and chatted and ate and laughed and then something AWESOME happened. Someone I KNEW came into Currywurst. I cannot tell you how smug and hip I felt...but I just did.  I have to give this guy a shout out (at least to you, Mom) because he came to Currywurst by himself to get some food and read The Age of Innocence.  I swear to God I almost got up and kissed Ryan "Mori" Moriarty fully on the mouth with my Paprikawurst breath when he showed me that he was reading that novel. I think he is available ladies; go for it.  Oh yeah, the breath thing could be an issue so if you think you're going to make out post-wurst, go for the simple chicken sausage or something. So Mori, Noelia and I chatted for a bit and then Noelia and I went to go work out (or eat gelato, whatever) while Mori continued his afternoon with Edith Wharton.

Anyway, Berlin Currywurst, I love you.  Please go check it out, because I want Lena and Hardeep to stick around for a long time so I can slowly and secretly seduce them into being my friends.