Goedemorgen! (Good morning!)
During our entire trip, the summertime in the Netherlands gave 75-degree weather with plenty of sunshine, puffy white clouds, and only a single 1-minute sprinkling of rain. I overheard an American woman say, "If this is summer, it is heaven!" I agree!
Watch this video to know what NYC was like during that time of year. Turn the sound on...
Unlike the wretched, humid, scorching heat in NYC, we never needed air-conditioning in our room. In fact, we pre-selected a room without air-conditioning because our research proved that it is not needed in the Netherlands. Instead, we slept with the windows open, every night, and we loved the refreshing breezes! (You cannot do that in New York between May and September). We loved it! :-) Lewis and I walked for miles and never got sweaty. The underground Metro stations were cool and pleasant. Heavenly.
You might think that winters in the Netherlands are consequently colder than New York's, but that is not true. Despite a higher northern latitude, they are much less severe. Use this link to see the mild winters that occur in Amsterdam:
Netherlanders enjoy year-round mild weather!
Enjoy this video of Amsterdam's vibe; you'll hear the tinkling of bicycle bells in the background...
Down the street from our hotel, we lunched at an unfussy café called Box Social. The waiters were expats from the continent of Australia. Nearly all of the food is made in-house. It uses sustainably-made local products, and it also avoids plastic straws. (Throughout the city, many places participate in a Netherlandish campaign called IAmStrawless to stop one-time-use plastic straws). The customers and Aussie servers were friendly. As a society, the Dutch (Nederlanders) are open-minded and congenial. Every time we went somewhere, we got a cheery greeting.
Just like using the word Ciao, they use the word Dag to say Hi and Bye. In casual eateries, you might here servers cheerily say, "Kom binnen! Ga zitten!" (Come in! Take a seat!)
Many eateries are gezellig, which means cozy. Lewis and I love that. In Dutch, gezelligheid means "coziness in a positive atmosphere"... similar to the Danish attitude of hygge. A room and a person can be gezellig.
*To see when we experienced the Japanese version, called ikigai, please use this link:
Lewis ordered a Korean fried chicken sandwich, and I tried the waiter's suggestion of an organic bacon cheeseburger. Americans are stereotyped with burgers, so maybe that was his intention. Ha ha! Mine came with patat, which are thicker than French Fries and topped with homemade mayonnaise and their own ketchup. We drank freshly-squeezed watermelon/lime juice. When something is yummy, you call it lekker! That was!
Restaurant bills often lack a place to add gratuities. "Service" is included in the price. Dutch people do their jobs well because it's the right thing to do... not for extra tips. However, at certain eateries and bars, Lewis and I gave additional amounts, as a Thank You.
We crossed the street and boarded the next northbound tram. (Trams passed restaurants and shops so silently that they never rattled the windows, nor did we hear them through open doors/windows. It was very pleasant!)
Enjoy these short videos of the changing landscape, as we arrived in the City Center (turn the sound on and enjoy my background music in the last two). Unlike trains and buses in NY, the trams are so quiet that you don't hear them until they get near you. That's impressive.
The city is easy to navigate, thanks to its "canal rings". Begun during the Renaissance in the 1530s, the fortified city's first canals served as defensive moats.
As the city expanded, more concentric rings were dug... fanning out like ripples in a pond. You know where you are by whichever "canal ring" you're at. Amsterdam has 2,500 bridges (500 in the City Center), making it easy to cross the city. Many are bike/pedestrian only. Amsterdam achieved "city rights" in 1300, allowing it to build walls, charge tolls, mint city coinage, levy taxes, and have official weighing stations. After the city's medieval walls came down, some of the towers remained. Those towers—along with church steeples, spires, carillon towers, and clocktowers—are excellent landmarks to let you know where you are.
*[Seen in 3 pictures above, we walked through Munttoren (Mint Tower) exactly as its 38 carillon bells chimed. The song was beautiful. The oldest bells are from 1651. They chime every 15 minutes, and the carillonneur changes the songs twice a year. The tower began in 1480 as a City Gate...
In 1620, it was rebuilt into its current form].
Such easy navigation is a benefit of a low skyline...
...and you enjoy more sunlight.
A handful of historic windmills remain in the city. We saw the tallest one in the Netherlands. At 26.6 meters, De Gooyer was built in 1725—replacing one from the 1600s—and was relocated to its current site in 1814. It is one of the city's 7,562 national monuments.
On the topic of windmills, they appear on every police uniform in New York City. There are 36,000 uniformed officers.
That derives from the Seal of New York City, which honors its Dutch roots from 1654.
Thus, whenever we see the Mayor of NYC speak from his official podium, we see a Dutch windmill.
*To see when we saw a Dutch-made windmill as part of a world-famous Prussian palace, please use this link:
Amsterdammers enjoy many pedestrian-only streets that curve through vibrant areas of historic architecture.
We got accustomed to the City Center's narrow alleys—which might look forbidding in Manhattan—but are quite normal/safe. Known as steegjes, many remain from the medieval cityscape.
We also used the public urinals. Honestly, they were clean, odorless, and convenient!
We got accustomed to the City Center's narrow alleys—which might look forbidding in Manhattan—but are quite normal/safe. Known as steegjes, many remain from the medieval cityscape.
We also used the public urinals. Honestly, they were clean, odorless, and convenient!
There is a colorful Chinatown, which is MUCH CLEANER than the ones in Boston, Chicago, and New York City. NYC's Chinatown looks like this...
Yuck!
Look at my photograph above. Consider that elderly woman sitting on the side of the road, peddling vegetables... with road dust, exhaust, and litter blowing over her. NYC is like a third-world country.
Compare that tolerated filth in NYC to these images of Amsterdam's respectable Chinatown...
Seen in the three images above, that store opened in 1959. It sells housewares, cooking tools, ingredients, incense, and prepared foods. It's situated on Geldersekade: a canal from the 1400s. Seen below are more images of the vicinity.
Located in the "heart of the city", the Fo Guan Shan Buddhist Temple is impressive. In 1994, Venerable Master Hsing Yun approved its construction. In 2000, Queen Beatrix officiated its grand opening. Lewis was impressed that the event garnered a royal presence.
Its main hall has a shrine for the compassionate bodhisattva named Kwan Yin. There is also a Jade Buddha shrine, meditation hall, ancestral worship hall, classrooms, meeting room, library, dining hall, and monastic bedrooms for its staff. The monks uphold an astonishingly busy calendar of events, which are open to all religions. Indicative of Dutch open-mindedness, a significant amount of Caucasians attend and intermix with Asians.
The temple sits on Zeedijk: a curvy street meaning Sea Dike, which it was built on in the late 1200s. It is one of the oldest streets in the port-city. In 1544, it had the city's first street lighting. Every third Monday of August, the area hosts Hartjesdag: a costumed feast holiday for harvest-time.
In addition to Chinese, the area hosts other Asian cultures: Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Malaysian. (Throughout the city, you find those cuisines, as well as Korean, Indonesian, Filipino, Mongolian, and Singaporean). Every year, the neighborhood hosts a sparkly Lunar New Year and a lively Autumn Moon Festival.
At Hoi Tin Bakery, Lewis spoke Cantonese and bought us a Hong Kong-style pineapple cake, a preserved egg tart, and a savory meat pie.
Everything was freshly-baked, and prices were affordable. Most eateries are cashless—even coffeeshops. Also, wherever you pay with plastic, employees never take your card away from you. For security, they bring wireless payment machines to you, so your card number never leaves your sight.
That technology ought to occur everywhere in America, where credit card scams and fraud continue to be rampant and unstopped. But it doesn't because businesses are too cheap to invest in it. Meanwhile, Americans naively allow strangers to walk away with their credit cards.
We prefer Europe's smartness.
Nearby is the Red Light District and a more rowdy crowd...
... including hordes of mindless tourists at Dam Square, munching on hot-dogs while ignoring Dutch cuisine—like the people who sit in Times Square squandering their hours. Despite the €140 fine for littering, that area had the most litter, pigeons, panhandlers, and spilled food. That vibe continued south in a single line to the Museum Quarter. With slovenly tourists confined to that sliver of the city, the rest of the metropolitan area was wonderfully enjoyable.
Seen below is the royal palace of the city.
Perhaps, since it was Pride Week, the city hospitably tolerated tourists temporarily littering outside the King's Paleis Amsterdam. But you cannot insult him due to lèse-majesté. For insulting the King or his relatives, an offender may receive up to five years' imprisonment, plus a fine. 18 prosecutions were made between 2000 and 2012; half were convicted. Thankfully, Lewis and I never litter, nor would we ever insult a guardian of the Realm.
Seen below, Dam Square is named for the dam that was constructed on the Amstel River in 1270.
The river and its dam gave the city its name. Colloquially, it is known as De Dam.
The palace dominates the scene. Begun in 1648, the Baroque Palladian mega-structure was originally City Hall—the largest secular building in Europe. Along with the Leaning Tower of Pisa, China's terra-cotta warriors, and Cambodia's Angkor Wat temple, it was considered an Eighth Wonder of the World. Its carillon (preserved since the 1600s) gives concerts that include all types of music—from the Beatles and Aretha Franklin to Charles Aznavour and Bach. Twice a year, the melodies are changed for the tunes that announce the hour, quarter-past, half-hour, and quarter-to.
Overlooking the city, its statue of Peace faces one way... representing the end of the Eighty Years War of Independence from Spain.
On the other side of the carillon clocktower, a statue of Atlas faces another way, while holding a globe. The statue signifies how the Dutch are imminent global navigators/traders.
The building's history is similar to Florence's City Hall, which was a government building before becoming a palace. *To see our trip to Florence, please click this link:
When Napoleon conquered the Netherlands, he gave Amsterdam's City Hall to his brother, Louis, to use as the King of Holland. (Louis lowered the infant mortality rate, and he instituted the first nationwide language, Royal Library, and Academy of Science. While his estranged wife ran back to Versailles, he took the government on a tour of the land, to meet the populous and cultivate things. He moved the Rijksmuseum to Amsterdam, filled sandbags during the 1809 flood, and attended rescue efforts at the Leiden explosion). After defeating the French, the Dutch established their own monarchy, which uses the palace. (As soon as the exiled Prince of Orange returned to Dutch soil, he went to the Paleis op de Dam to be proclaimed as the princely Sovereign. Two years later, he was inaugurated as the first King of the Netherlands). It remains at the King's disposal when he and the Netherlandish Royal Family are in-town, but their main palace is in The Hague. This is the King's coat of arms, which is the coat of arms of the nation.
The ground floor of the royal palace—with the grandest chambers—is viewable for €10 tours. We will do that during another visit.
*To see when we visited Buckingham Palace and sipped tea in the Queen's garden, please use this link:
Dam Square is usually tidy. It is the site of events and ceremonies like Christmas and Remembrance Day (where the entire city remains still for 2 minutes). When a monarch abdicates for retirement, that ceremony and the inauguration of their heir occurs there.
It is the sixth year of his reign, and His Majesty, King Willem-Alexander, is beloved for his approachability, resourcefulness, and focus on technology. Every year, his birthday is celebrated as a national holiday named King's Day, and festivals occur in hundreds of communities.
He and Royal Family belong to the House of Orange-Nassau. Relatedly, I was born in Nassau County in New York State. It is named after the Dutch Royal House of Orange-Nassau. The colors of the county's flag are emblematic of the Dutch dynastic ones: orange and blue.
The flag features the lion from the House of Nassau, seen below.
Each Nassau County police car is painted with historic colors of the Dutch flag. But most residents don't know why. Now, you know.
We savored the beauty of the Netherlands' constitutional capital: equal parts of serenity and good energy.
Streets on either side of canals take the names of the canals; address numbers ascend on both sides.
We admired how the Dutch don't need railings along their waterfronts. Children and adults are intelligent enough not to fall over the edge, so they avoid marring the landscape with unsightly rails.
In many places—such as bollards, signposts, flags, and gable stones (gevelsteens)—you'll see the city's heraldic emblem: XXX.
Those triple X’s are symbolic of St. Andrew’s Crosses. Born in 5 BC, Andrew was one of Jesus’ dearest apostles. He resurrected two men, expelled a demon, reassembled a dismembered child, summoned lightening to coerce city-dwellers to build a church, and was crucified on an X-shaped saltire.
The city's coat of arms gets its crown—not from the Dutch monarch—but from Amsterdam’s loans to Maximilian I, the Holy Roman Emperor in 1489. To reward the city, he granted it the right to include his personal imperial crown in its logo, and that crown evolved into the Hapsburg Imperial Crown of Austria.
To learn about it, please use this link:
Such insignia made the city even more mooi (beautiful).
Amsterdam is one of the leafiest cities in Europe, with trees on nearly every street.
Seen below, we admired De Waag Weighing House of 1617, which was built on a medieval City Gate from the 1480s. It is repurposed as a lively candlelit restaurant.
Amsterdam is one of the leafiest cities in Europe, with trees on nearly every street.
Above is Huis aan de Drie Grachten (House on Three Canals). It was built in 1610 (while a gay man was crowned as France's King Louis XIII). Its three external sides face three different canals. During WWII, a bookstore occupied it and clandestinely published “forbidden” works that the Nazis destroyed during their “book burnings”. A secret compartment behind its fireplace hid Jews who fled from the Nazis (similar to the Anne Frank house in the city). That area was the city's southern border until 1425.
Seen above, the Sofitel Grand Hotel was festooned for Pride. Some of its buildings began as monasteries in 1411. A byway named Prinsenhofssteeg hints at its transition to a Prince's Hall for visiting royalty. From 1656 until 1795, it was the Admiralty headquarters. From 1926 until 1988, it was City Hall. A bell in the tower was forged by Pieter Seest in 1758. He oversaw the city's foundry, which supplied canons to the Dutch East India Company, whose historic headquarters, Oost-Indisch Huis, is nearby (seen below).
*[Founded in 1602, the Dutch East India Company (a.k.a. VOC) was humanity's first multinational corporation and the first to sell shares via the world's first stock market. By 1669, it was the richest private company in history, with 150 merchant ships, 40 warships, 50,000 employees, a private army of 10,000, and dividends of 40% on the original investment!]
*[Founded in 1602, the Dutch East India Company (a.k.a. VOC) was humanity's first multinational corporation and the first to sell shares via the world's first stock market. By 1669, it was the richest private company in history, with 150 merchant ships, 40 warships, 50,000 employees, a private army of 10,000, and dividends of 40% on the original investment!]
The city is gorgeous from large and small details.
Seen below, we admired De Waag Weighing House of 1617, which was built on a medieval City Gate from the 1480s. It is repurposed as a lively candlelit restaurant.
Here is a rendering of it in a 1544 map by an Amsterdammer named Cornelis Anthonisz...
Street names in its locality indicate the bygone borderline: Old Wall, Curved Wall, Wall Bridge, Crooked Boom Ditch, and Kloveniersburgwal (a wall named for the civic guard named Kloveniers who used klover guns... just like musketeers used muskets). Others include Koningsstraat (King's Street), Keizersstraat (Emperor's Street), Ridderstaat (Knight's Street), and Jonkerstraat (Squire's Street). Those names are unusual because they were created when the Netherlands was still a republic, in the 1590s. Perhaps the city-planners had a premonition.
Through the centuries, the square at De Waag was preserved as a place for open-air markets. Nieuwmarkt occurs there daily, and an organic market materializes on Saturdays.
Lewis observed that many of the streetlamps have "crowns" atop them—to remind you that you're in a kingdom. However, those are Maximilian's crowns.
Each kroonlantaarn is based on an 1883 model...
...but contains high-tech illumination that uses 40% less energy than typical lights. 3,000 of the original poles are still used.
Lewis and I found it astonishing that the entire city was built on wooden stilts in the marshy soil. Even His Majesty's urban palace is on thousands of wooden piles... just like the Taj Mahal that we saw in India. (To see that trip, please go here: https://halfwindsorfullthrottle.blogspot.com/2018/10/our-trip-to-india-part-1.html )
It explains why some of the older buildings are leaning.
Some were built to lean forward deliberately, so that things hoisted up on the roof hooks would not damage the building.
Nearly all buildings have hooks. Since Amsterdam began as a mercantile warehouse for the world, homeowners rented storage space—a precursor to Airbnb. Stairwells were narrow, so it was easier to bring things inside by a pulley system. As we saw, those roof hooks are still used.
Speaking of homes, another nifty "way of life" exists on houseboats. The city has 2,500 of them. Lewis really liked the idea. Notice the "green" grass roof on the second one, providing insulation, beauty, and biodiversity!
Another "floating" establishment is the flower market named Bloemenmarkt, full of glass-enclosed flower-bulb stalls. It is on the Singel: the city's first ring-like canal that was a defensive moat from 1480 to 1585.
On a lark to explore the city, we took a different Metro line to its northern terminus: Noorderpark in the Amsterdam-Noord District. At our starting point, we loved the sleek subterranean station. Nothing as sleek or new as that exists in NYC.
Between the escalators was a display of historic artifacts.
North of the harbor, the route emerged and continued between the highway lanes.
Unlike New York, such routes have noise-canceling walls and glass-enclosed stations, to shield nearby homeowners.
At the terminus, we were told about a nearby a petting zoo: sheep, pigs, donkeys, rabbits, chickens, geese, cats, and a honeybee apiary. The region also includes Elzenhagen, an alcove populated by young people of diverse backgrounds. With a modest beeping, the train's lights turned from green to red, the doors closed, and we smoothly accelerated south.
We got off in De Pijp (The Pipe) neighborhood. Also known as the Latin Quarter, it's in the Amsterdam-Zuid District. It is very handsome and has its own petting zoo: goats, ponies, Chilean degus, Guinea pigs, African Guinea fowl, Flemish rabbits, ducks, pheasants, Chinese silkies, tortoises, peacocks, and an aviary of songbirds. Closer to the Amstel River, the Royal Asscher Diamond Company is famous for being entrusted to cut/reshape the world's largest gem-quality diamond! In 1908, the Cullinan Diamond was cleaved to provide huge gemstones for the royal scepter and imperial state crown of England, worn by King Edward VII. The brilliant process took 8 months, with three jewelers working 14 hours per day.
We got off in De Pijp (The Pipe) neighborhood. Also known as the Latin Quarter, it's in the Amsterdam-Zuid District. It is very handsome and has its own petting zoo: goats, ponies, Chilean degus, Guinea pigs, African Guinea fowl, Flemish rabbits, ducks, pheasants, Chinese silkies, tortoises, peacocks, and an aviary of songbirds. Closer to the Amstel River, the Royal Asscher Diamond Company is famous for being entrusted to cut/reshape the world's largest gem-quality diamond! In 1908, the Cullinan Diamond was cleaved to provide huge gemstones for the royal scepter and imperial state crown of England, worn by King Edward VII. The brilliant process took 8 months, with three jewelers working 14 hours per day.
We savored the area's gezellig streets.
That area hosts Europe's largest open-air market. Named after a Dutch Golden Age painter, Albert Cuyp Market is only closed on Sundays. With 260 stalls, the traffic-free street is long and bustling. Dutch specialties are sold alongside products from places like Suriname, Morocco, Asia, and the Caribbean.
Notice the fair prices: above and below.
We popped into Coffee & Coconuts, within an reclaimed Art Deco movie theatre. The three-level space is definitely worth a visit!
In the center of the neighborhood is Sarphatipark, modeled on English landscapes.
We spent the afternoon meandering many winding streets, making our way slowly towards our dinner reservations. As the Dutch say, "Het was mijn verjaardag!" For my birthday, Lewis took me to the Michelin-starred Vinkeles Restaurant in the 5-star Dylan Hotel, on Keizersgracht (Emperor's Canal, named for Maximilian). Earning a Michelin Star is a huge achievement; we were excited to dine there! Luckily, we arrived the day before the restaurant closed for the month of August (Netherlanders get 5-6 weeks of vacation). The reservationist assured him that we had a great table in the center of the room, with views of the historic interior and the courtyard gardens. As the expression goes, "De zomervakantie is begonnen!"
Amsterdam has 23 one-Michelin-star eateries, 4 two-star eateries, 18 Bib Gourmand eateries, and 64 Michelin Plate eateries. Many have their stars for decades! (and are critiqued by the Michelin Guide every 18 months). The team at Vinkeles maintained their star since 2009!
The hotel's gate remains from Amsterdam's first theatre in 1637 (for the Nederduytsche Academie, established 1617). It was created by the same architect who designed the City Hall: Jacob van Campen. The gate's inscription says "The world is a stage, and everyone gets their part". The theatre was demolished in 1664 for a bigger one, which burned down in 1774. The restaurant is named after an Amsterdammer who was a celebrated illustrator: Reinier Vinkeles. Below is his 1760 drawing of the gate when it was the theatre's entrance!
The swanky hotel (a holder of Green Globe certification!) occupies a former churchly Alms House, circa 1758, that baked bread for the poor. That sense of helpfulness continues. Hotel guests can use handcrafted bicycles made by Roetz, from recycled parts. The bikes are built by ex-convicts and people returning to the job market.
Entering from the street-facing forecourt, we asked the Front Desk hostess if we could have coffee outside... to perk ourselves up before dinner and adjust to the time zone.
With great hospitality, she walked us through the plank-floored sitting room (seen below with another gas fireplace) to an inner open-air garden courtyard.
After relaxing for a half-hour, we progressed inside to the hotel's Bar Brasserie OCCO. It was designed by Studio Linse, which also did part of the city's Koninklijk Concertgebouw (Royal Concert Hall) and Rijksmuseum. It is named for Lucas Pompejus Occo, one of the Regents who was instrumental in the Alms House, as well as the city's history. His family's coat of arms (seen here)...
...is still visible on the ceiling in the hotel.
The level of service at the brasserie was correct without being stuffy. That's good.
The room is handsome: rustic brick flooring, Nordic barstools, vertical slats of marble on the bar, ceiling beams, and retro lighting—with sconces that resemble bartender jiggers.
A waitress took our order: Mezcal cocktails, North Sea crab puffs, and Duck liver with Sakura leaf.
We gobbled the duck liver. We love that flavor, whether as liver & onions at a Jewish deli, or foie gras, or French recipes of calf's liver, or Chinese stew of liver & kidneys.
The bar filled up quickly. For Gay Pride, a group of men reunited from San Fransisco, Stockholm, and Dublin. Some were married, whilst others were "single and ready to mingle".
Closer to eight o'clock, we asked to be seated at our table. Both "check transfers" were effortless. We loved the candlelit dinning room; our table gave views of the Alms House's historic brick oven, as well as the illuminated courtyard. In my photo below, notice how pretty the napkins were folded!
Closer to eight o'clock, we asked to be seated at our table. Both "check transfers" were effortless. We loved the candlelit dinning room; our table gave views of the Alms House's historic brick oven, as well as the illuminated courtyard. In my photo below, notice how pretty the napkins were folded!
Do you notice the absence of salt & pepper shakers? Both spices were offered to us "freshly-ground" from spice mills. To learn something significant about S&P, please click this link:
Table manners in the Netherlands involve holding the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right.
We do that, too, but most Americans obstinately retain the inconvenient method of shifting the fork between the left and right hands.
America might be the only country that still does that (and resists the universally-accepted metric system). We recommend eating the convenient way.
Firstly, the dining room captain cordially acknowledged my birthday. He already knew from Lewis' online selection that we were dining on the 10-course Chef's Tasting Menu. The smiley sommelier, Natasja Noorlander, guided us to choose a German Gewürztraminer to help us segue through the wide-ranging menu. She attended a university in Belgium and studied Biochemistry... and she studied Hotels.
To say "Cheers" in Dutch is "Proost".
*Speaking of wine... did you know that the famous Bordeaux wine region of France owes a large part of its world-famous success to the Dutch? Until the 1600s, the area was mostly unused marshland. The Dutch—who enjoyed the wines from that Médoc district—arrived and had the expertise to drain the swamp. That improved the land forever, and those processes are still used. They also invented the method of burning sulfur in the wine-aging barrels to improve aging. From then until the start of the 1800s, Dutch merchants were indispensable to export and distribute those French wines across Europe.
Made in-house, the bread and creamy butter were triumphs!
Our amuse bouche was meringue-covered duck. In addition to six waiters and the captain, we were served personally by the Chef de Cuisine (of 11 years), Jurgen van der Zalm!
He and Executive Chef Dennis Kuipers (of 13 years), devise wonderfully seasonal menus. Here is our menu; our extra courses are not listed.
Europe's best Dover Sole swim in Dutch coastal waters and are considered luxuriously long, firm, and flavorful. Summer is the best time to catch them (at night). We loved their flavor.
Seen below is one of their signatures recipes, using Bresse poultry from France (known for its global excellence).
None of the 24,000 restaurants in Manhattan use candlesticks, but Europe is enamored with them... and rightly so. At home, Lewis and I use them and always enjoy watching them melt down, as our meals progress. At Vinkeles, they replace tabletop candles, as needed. Nothing beats the element of candlelight.
Warm from the oven, the Kitchen bestowed a birthday gift: a hand-inscribed box, and a delectable apple-crumb pie inside! I LOVE apple pie, so it was the perfect surprise gift!
Thank you! (Dankjewel!)
Our amuse bouche was meringue-covered duck. In addition to six waiters and the captain, we were served personally by the Chef de Cuisine (of 11 years), Jurgen van der Zalm!
He and Executive Chef Dennis Kuipers (of 13 years), devise wonderfully seasonal menus. Here is our menu; our extra courses are not listed.
Europe's best Dover Sole swim in Dutch coastal waters and are considered luxuriously long, firm, and flavorful. Summer is the best time to catch them (at night). We loved their flavor.
Seen below is one of their signatures recipes, using Bresse poultry from France (known for its global excellence).
Seeing me eyeballing the cheese board, the captain graciously offered us a cheese (kaas) course, as part of our dessert. Wearing black gloves and a wielding a blade, a server named Jouke helped us pick Dutch-made choices: a bleu, a Noord-Hollandse Gouda (that earned the kingdom's Protected Designation of Origin criteria), an aged sheep's milk, a gooey cow's milk, and an herbed goat's milk. Each was crafted in biodynamic ways. Dry-aged sausages and nougat accompanied them. Working there for 8 years, Jouke curates the cheeses—something that the Netherlands is famous for.
None of the 24,000 restaurants in Manhattan use candlesticks, but Europe is enamored with them... and rightly so. At home, Lewis and I use them and always enjoy watching them melt down, as our meals progress. At Vinkeles, they replace tabletop candles, as needed. Nothing beats the element of candlelight.
Warm from the oven, the Kitchen bestowed a birthday gift: a hand-inscribed box, and a delectable apple-crumb pie inside! I LOVE apple pie, so it was the perfect surprise gift!
Thank you! (Dankjewel!)
*Note: in 2023, Vinkeles earned TWO Michelin Stars, and we know that the award was well-deserved! By then, Jurgen was the Executive Chef. Congrats to them!
Eschewing the doorman's offer of a taxi, we strolled a couple of blocks and waited for the #19 tram to whoosh us away.
Situated in the middle of the tram, the cheerful clerk advised us which transfer point allowed us to take the #14 tram to our hotel.
We waited mere moments for that tram; it was practically seamless... whereas late-nights in NYC are fraught with transportation closures, sudden re-routes, and problems. Amsterdam gave me a beautiful birthday celebration, perhaps the best in my life. :-)
Eschewing the doorman's offer of a taxi, we strolled a couple of blocks and waited for the #19 tram to whoosh us away.
Situated in the middle of the tram, the cheerful clerk advised us which transfer point allowed us to take the #14 tram to our hotel.
We waited mere moments for that tram; it was practically seamless... whereas late-nights in NYC are fraught with transportation closures, sudden re-routes, and problems. Amsterdam gave me a beautiful birthday celebration, perhaps the best in my life. :-)
More greatness continued!
Goedenavond!
*To read about another amazing dinner with Northwestern European flair, please click here:
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