With her lunch joint Stella, the Detroiter-turned-Berliner has built up a name as the queen of comforting yet creative sandwiches and salads. When Fracassa is not chopping up a storm in her Neukölln kitchen, here’s where she likes to eat:
“A place I could go to every week is Tabibito for sushi. It’s been on Karl-Marx-Straße for a long, long time. They have great fresh fish, beautiful starters. When I lived nearby on Boddinstraße 20 years ago, hardly anybody was ever there; that’s totally changed. For a nice mid-range dinner, Babbo Bar on Donaustraße is great. It’s not a bar, it’s an excellent Italian restaurant; the chef used to work at Sale e Tabacchi in Mitte, and people come back for the nettle gnocchi with sage butter. It’s so delicious.”
“For a cheap eat, Azzam is still the best thing in my neighbourhood, the fatteh from there is my favourite. For classic German food, I love Kindl Stuben. It’s consistent and affordable, and they have great schnitzel and spätzle. It’s a bar too, with the best drink prices, and plenty of atmosphere since it’s on Sonnenallee. For cocktails, I visit Paolo Pinkel in Neukölln. Their St Germain spritz is so delicious, it’s very refreshing, and the food element is formidable, with the three kitchens. And it’s a funky, young crowd.”
“For wine and cheese, you have to go to Käserei Camidi in Schillerkiez, they’re so wonderful. You can just go and chill, they have beautiful cheese, salami and saucisson, and really nice bread. They put a lot of care into talking to you and asking what cheese you’re interested in and come out with a customised cheese platter. In winter, they do a wonderful cheese fondue, too.”
“A place I’d go across town for is Entrecôte, off Friedrichstraße. It’s a very old school with great service and classic French bistro dishes. It’s an older professional crowd that reminds me of being in New York a little bit. My favourite café has to be Companion Coffee. They are my neighbours on Weserstraße, I love them. I’m not a coffee snob but I just love their coffee. Their baked goods and focaccia are also great.”
“When I want pizza, I go to Villa di Wow in Kreuzberg. It’s not a New York slice but it goes in that direction. I’m not into some Italian pizzas, because I don’t like too much crust. I get the Boogeyman with spicy salami, arugula, and mozzarella instead of gorgonzola.”
- Try some of Suzy’s own creations at Stella, Weserstr. 58, Neukölln, details.
