We spoke with Café Berlin's owner Clytie Roberts-Glage—pictured here with her husband and co-owner Rico Glage—about German food, romance, and what makes her neighborhood restaurant so special.

On her favorite foods

Café Berlin's menu reflects a happy marriage of tradition and creativity. "We take a lot of German ingredients and German dishes, and tweak those to make them more fun," Roberts-Glage says. Here are some of her favorites:

• From the regular menu: Rinderroulade—braised topped round beef stuffed with bacon and served with red cabbage, dumplings, and more. "It almost tastes like barbecue."
• From the seasonal menu: Wildschwiene Wurst and Rippchen—wild boar sausage and ribs with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts

On beer

Café Berlin rotates its beer selections regularly, which means beer lovers, including Clytie herself, can always try new German brews. "I love when we can get some more obscure German beers," she says. Here's one of her current favorites:

• Uergie Doppelsticke—a strong alt-style ale that comes from the Uerige brewery in Dusseldorf., which only brews it twice per year.

On meeting her husband at Café Berlin

"I was a customer here for a number of years," Clytie says. Then, she went to work for the restaurant's original owners, and the rest was fate. "When I started working here, that's when I met my husband." Rico Glage, who also worked at the cafe, had only been in the United States for three months when he met Clytie. The two started dating, got engaged, and were married—all while working at Café Berlin.

On buying the restaurant

"It was always the plan to have a restaurant." With a phone call, that plan was fulfilled. Upon retirement, Café Berlin's original owners called Clytie and Rico to ask if the wanted to buy the restaurant. They answered yes, and the two took over in 2013. It was a decision rooted in tradition. Clytie's parents had at one point owned four bars, a restaurant, and a catering business. Likewise, Rico's mother was a chef in Germany.

On what the restaurant means to the community

"It's a neighborhood tradition." Many customers have been coming ever since Café Berlin first opened its doors. That's not to say they haven't picked up some new faces over the years. Clytie notes that members of Congress and even former presidential candidates all eat at the restaurant. The restaurant is also a favorite stop for German tour buses, and is an ideal place to celebrate Oktoberfest.

On the decor

Clytie describes the restaurant's ambiance as "A German farmhouse with white linens." Indeed, Café Berlin—which occupies the ground floor of three joined townhouses—feels much like a friend's classy home. Shades of charcoal grey and khaki offset dark pine, while warm temperatures bring even more seating options, including a gorgeous outdoor patio.

To read more on Café Berlin and its owners, check out this article from the Capital Community News.