I like the idea of the Gastronomische Absprache on Monday afternoons. I guess the Aeberlausitzer -dialect for Oberlausitz?- Toeppl would be frequently empty with all the tables "reserviert" and a sign asking "ON SPEC" customers to wait until a space could be found. Great memories... And here is an actual picture of the queue to get in, perhaps for a Gastronomische ABsprache. I guess this also concerned alcohol, as this establishment pride itself on the (intermittent) supply of Black Beers from Loebau. www.deutschefotothek.de/obj80576420.html#|home and here are some DDR intellectuals inside www.deutschefotothek.de/obj80374910.html#|home (click on magnification) According to this West German directory of DDR hospitality, only the GDR has a worse gastronomic reputation than that of Great Britain!