Ask me where to find a satisfying bouillabaisse, a good risotto or a well-made Ethiopian injera, and I could give you weeks' worth of suggestions.
German food is a different story.
So few are its purveyors in the area that the cuisine now passes for exotic, in the way we used to think of sushi or tapas as foreign objects. A recent tour of German dining rooms reminded me why the handful that exist don't draw bigger crowds. In the lesser places, the dumplings are the size and weight of baseballs, the desserts Alpine in size and achingly sweet. But the better kitchens, I'm pleased to report, prove that what's substantial can also be sublime. Old Europe on a Friday night feels like Oktoberfest even in springtime, what with the tables pushed together to seat groups of beer-drinking friends and a pianist pounding out cheerful tunes.