Foto

(Cologne 2)

Happily reunited with my partner in promo-crime, Mr. Beaulieu - we set off to Roadrunner before noon the next day to bust out all our press obligations. Corey and I do all the press trips together (we’ve done 3 now) and as I’ve mentioned in previous installments of (insert title of whatever I should call this food-episode-blog-thing here) this time around - the energy is a whole new animal. All the press seems really stoked on “In Waves.” Typically when we come through for a promo-tour, it’s a good energy - but not like this… so maybe I will be able to keep eating my way around the planet thanks to Trivium.

The day had all great press, and when we were nearing completion - I had Kai ask his buddy over at the local Foto Gregor to see if they carried the camera that JPD recommended to me: they did. So I had Larissa drive as I did my last few phone-interviews outside of the store; when I finished - I headed in for my new axe.

What’s funny about photographers, guitarists, foodies, chefs, music-enthusiasts, bloggers, artists, and basically anything involved a person with an opinion… every one is a frickin’ expert. I mentioned the camera to the reception man (a fit, German photog type, with a football-fashion-mullet) and he snickered something cocky about how the Panasonic Lumix GF2 with 20mm external lens was nothing special. He told me what is actually better of a camera; including what other peripherals I would need instead to pull off something better. I chuckled… because I’ve met this guy tens of thousands of times previously in my life… black metal elitists, uber-faux-hipster-wannabe’s, guitar snobs (who actually play really crappy knock-off pawn-shop-vintages), food-jerks whose tastebuds are obviously a gift from God himself… so I said “No no no. Thank you very much - but I trust the recommendation from my photographer friend - thanks for the recommendation.” He rolled his eyes again at my choice (did this guy want the commission today from the sale or not?) and went back to grab it.

Needless to say - it took a while to get what I wanted. I’ve seen what JP can do with it - and I trust JP with everything camera related. I dig his style; it influences my musical style - so there. Got the camera - and ran as fast as I could. 

I decided to wait until the next day to attempt to use the camera - JPD would later email me some settings to test out.

(forewarning - I do not know how to add umlauts or foreign lettering that makes the word correct. apologies in advance Germans…)

Haus Unkelbach was our dinner spot. A traditional Koln-style German restaurant with a biergarten outside. They served ReissdorfKolsch beer exclusively; and amazingly - in Koln (Cologne) - they keep bringing you new mini-glasses of beer. They don’t stop until you put the coaster over a glass - and naturally, we didn’t put our coasters up for a while. 

We opted to sit outside in the biergarten - Myself, Corey, Larissa, Kai, and Theresa (RR De) all sat and started being fed the endless mini-Reissdorfs. Japanese beer is my favorite beer in the world; however, German beer is a very very close second. I recently discovered that I am a quarter German - so that probably explains my preferences of beer. 

Our starters were KolscherKaviar: a delicious boiled blood sausage with salad (the Germans at the table all chuckled over the fact that the vegetables are always there - but no one eats them); Dutzend Rostbratwurstchen was too good - 6 traditionally prepared German sausages (The Koln style is mesmerizing) with lightly whipped mashed potatoes and a heap of very sour sauerkraut. The sauerkraut was as good as it gets. 

I find that I get along best with people who love food. I think people that can appreciate the down home, Grandma-style traditionals, street meats, hole-in-the-walls, and nicer places alike: are the people I can easily be with for a multi-houred food-excursion. Eating with good people is like drinking with people… you seem to mainly talk about other times you’ve gotten drunk (or in this case - gotten massively full). 

SchweineruckensteakBraumeister Art was a beastly-slab of pork steak, adorned with fried onions and (!!!) a runny fried-egg. It was accompanied by bratkartoffen (fried potatoes), which - is one of my favorite German staples. RheinisherSauerbraten was the kind of dish, I was told - that was an ultra-traditional classic german dish. This was the kind of meal you had at Mom’s, at Grandma’s, in house-holds surrounded by loved ones on cold winters. It was two big pieces of beef and those little balls of dough (not unlike spaetzel); the sauce was blackish purple: made of raisins, probably reduced beef fat, I’m assuming wine, and some other bits. Magical. It came with a mushy, fantastic apple sauce puree. 

I’m the kind who always wants desert… I looked around and saw every one was far beyond their limit - so cocktails for desert it was! 

We grabbed a cab half way to the Capri Lounge, then opted to walk off some of that beer we kept drinking (we had a lot).

It was back to the impossibly fantastic Capri Lounge. I was a person who used to not get cocktails. I understood the simple 2 ingredient mixed-drink - but frankly didn’t care. Capri Lounge converted me. 

The chef/owner/mixologist recognized us all from yesterday and was pretty stoked to have us back. I asked him for anything he recommends. A Last Word was just what the doctor ordered. It was similar to the Crown of Ginger Limonade from the night previous, but it had far less ingredients. More like a gourmet Mojito or something… lots of fantastic citrus and freshness. Gin was the main component - and mixed well with all our Reissdorf Kolsches. I remember at one point just holding the lime garnish for a while and smelling it - even the rind was a treat to be near. 

The bartender brought some bar snacks - Theresa, from Eastern Germany shared that those little puff balls back home - are called “Elephant Snot.” We all got a good laugh from that one. 

A few Crown of Gingers, some tastes of everyone else’s delectable goodness - and it was time to call it a night.