This past weekend Dan and I slipped away to Amsterdam. I am still not used to the fact that I can hop on a plane and be in Amsterdam in less than an hour. I am so lucky to be living in Europe and to have opportunities like this one!
We had many of the traditional Dutch dishes including pancakes, herring sandwiches, french fries with mayonnaise, and waffles. The pancakes were like unfolded crepes--delicious!
The herring was good, but I only wanted a bite or two. I loved the pickles and onions that are traditionally served with it, but the fish itself was a bit too slimy for me.
We searched for a while to find both the fries and the waffles, but they were worth the wait. The fries were the best I've ever had. They were so crispy and salty and the mayo was tangy and creamy. It was heavenly. I could have eaten my own weight in this stuff.
The waffles were much better in Belgium though. I think we'll have to plan another trip there soon :)
Our first night we stumbled upon a great little Dutch restaurant in the Leidseplien neighborhood where we were staying. I had a Heineken just to say I had one in Amsterdam.
Dinner the next night was in an upscale vegetarian restaurant called Betty's. The menu changes weekly based on what's in season, and there's only one option. The owner, a vegetarian himself, has been in the business for 25 years. Eight years after buying this restaurant, he decided to turn it into an all vegetarian place. Apparently he's doing pretty well because the restaurant was full and he was turning people away.
This week's menu was a crispy polenta cake with ratatouille and marscapone. Side dishes included minted potatoes and peas; eggplant dip; "street salad" (chickpeas and couscous wrapped in lettuce); fresh watermelon; dried cherries and pomegranate seeds. YUM!
One of our lunches was an all-you-can-eat sushi place. It was so amazing! I miss sushi so much. I totally gorged myself on salmon. Ha!
Up until this trip, we've been flying out of Manchester airport which is around 1.5 hours away. This is the first time we flew out of Leeds-Bradford and my life will never be the same. It is SO convenient! The airport is only 30 minutes away by bus, and the bus stop is literally across the street from my house. Amazing!
Amsterdam is such a great city. The public transportation is fantastic, but the city is very walkable too. Though the weather didn't cooperate at all, we still made the most of our trip. Coming as a surprise to no one, we ate our way through the city.
We had many of the traditional Dutch dishes including pancakes, herring sandwiches, french fries with mayonnaise, and waffles. The pancakes were like unfolded crepes--delicious!
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| Savory Dutch pancake |
The herring was good, but I only wanted a bite or two. I loved the pickles and onions that are traditionally served with it, but the fish itself was a bit too slimy for me.
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| Traditional herring sandwich |
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| More herring |
The waffles were much better in Belgium though. I think we'll have to plan another trip there soon :)
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| Cute Dutch restaurant in Leidseplein |
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| Having a Heineken in Amsterdam |
Dinner the next night was in an upscale vegetarian restaurant called Betty's. The menu changes weekly based on what's in season, and there's only one option. The owner, a vegetarian himself, has been in the business for 25 years. Eight years after buying this restaurant, he decided to turn it into an all vegetarian place. Apparently he's doing pretty well because the restaurant was full and he was turning people away.
This week's menu was a crispy polenta cake with ratatouille and marscapone. Side dishes included minted potatoes and peas; eggplant dip; "street salad" (chickpeas and couscous wrapped in lettuce); fresh watermelon; dried cherries and pomegranate seeds. YUM!
We even found a Kosher restaurant in Amsterdam! It wasn't anything to write home blog about, but I was really happy to have a steak.
Probably the best meal we had was at Restaurant Greetje. I booked it based on tripadvisor reviews, and I'm happy I did. It was delicious! I had the fillet of weever--a first for me. The skin was really crispy and the mashed potatoes were fantastic. We also split the homemade croquettes which were out of this world! I didn't know what to expect, but they were just amazing. Seriously check this place out if you're in Amsterdam.
And that was basically our trip to Amsterdam...just kidding. We stopped stuffing our faces for long enough to actually see some sights. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our long weekend in Amsterdam!
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