The past two weeks have been incredibly busy for me at work. I've had a hard time finding time to blog, and meals have tended to be quick, on-the-go affairs. Still, when it was my turn to cook last Friday I decided to take a break with some friends and enjoy a nicer form of takeout: authentic, sit-down Italian pizza.

I'm not sure where or how we got the recommendation for L.A. Signorina, but we frequently pass it on our walks through Marienplatz. The restaurant sits just on the northeast corner of the square, giving it a great location for people-watching. In the summertime, the restaurant has a good many patio tables for outdoor dining. However, the weather has still been a bit chilly at night, and so we decided to opt for an inside table for this particular meal...

There's an Italian restaurant tucked away behind the old Wilhelmspalais in our area. We pass it all the time on our walks with Leo, and it looks lovely, mainly because of the large summer patio with tables set up under a canopy of oak trees. The restaurant is usually packed on warm days for this reason. And since yesterday was one of the first days that the temperature hit 80-degrees, my friend and I decided to try La Piazza for our dinner out. 

We arrived early, around 5pm, to start with a cocktail. At this point in the evening there were only one or two other tables filled, so the patio was largely empty. We were quickly approached by a young waiter and ordered two Hugos from him, who, when he saw Leo with me, started talking about his labrador. Then he made sure to bring Leo his own doggie bowl of water. I love this about Germany, and I tend to like the restaurants that we visit that remember to treat Leo, too. 

Despite my love of cooking, when I got home from a long week away this afternoon the last thing I wanted to do was go to the grocery store and make up something for dinner. So Matt and I headed out with Leo (our beagle) into the Bohnenviertel (the "bean quarter" next to our apartment) to get some food. Shabu Shabu has been a long-time favorite of ours for their delicious Asian food (post to come soon), but since their patio was closed, we opted for another local favorite: La Bruschetta. 

You won't find La Bruschetta in any guidebook, and you may even have trouble finding the location. It's just down a side street off of Charlottenplatz. There's no website for the restaurant, and the sign is barely visible next to the loud advertisement for the Chinese restaurant that dominates the sidewalk. We found the location quite by accident ourselves when we were walking with Leo one day.