January 2009 - Page 2 of 4

2009 Inauguration at Felix Meritis

On Sunday I gave you some ideas on where to watch Obama’s inauguration in Amsterdam. As planned, we headed to the “Yes, We Watch” party at Felix Meritis on Keizersgracht. And we had great fun!

We got there at 17:15. 45 minutes before Obama would take his oath and plenty early. Or so we thought! Felix Meritis was packed already. Outside, it was hard to find a space for the bikes. Inside, there was standing room only by the big screen. And it took me a good ten minutes to order beers.

There was much anticipation and the crowd was rather rowdy – at least for such a ceremonial event. There were boos when George W. entered and loud cheers when Obama arrived. An early highlight was Aretha Franklin – legendary also in Amsterdam’s literary circles. Obama raising his hand to take the oath provoked a collective roar by the large crowd, which then attentively followed his speech.

Best Amsterdam Restaurants

This is an old version of our Best Amsterdam Restaurants list. We’ve left this page up because of the many great comments below. Please go to the current list of Best Amsterdam Restaurants for up to date recommendations.

Everyone has their own list of best restaurants. Here are my favorites in Amsterdam! Created over years of exploring the Amsterdam restaurant scene. Trying out new restaurants, analyzing the experience, returning to the good ones, and exchanging thoughts and ideas with other Amsterdam foodies. Then venturing out to distant places, coming back to Amsterdam, comparing new culinary experiences with the best of Dutch grub. Adding names to the list and removing others.

The result is Amsterdam’s top four restaurants: Balthazar’s Keuken, De Kas, Marius, and De Witte Uyl – in alphabetical order. They share a modern French or International menu, the use of purely organic ingredients and an incredible drive and passion for food. Yet each restaurant has its own distinct personality – a bohemian buzz at Balthazar’s Keuken in the heart of the Jordaan, the incredibly hip but remote greenhouse setting of De Kas, Marius’ individualism and provincial style near the IJ, and De Witte Uyl’s way of thinking globally and acting locally in cosmopolitan Pijp.

Balthazar’s Keuken

Balthazar’s Keuken is a small and crowded restaurant located in a former blacksmith’s workshop in the heart of the Jordaan. The staff tries hard to make all guests feel at home and the setting is certainly intimate, if slightly crammed. The food is a set three course menu. The first course usually is a mixed appetizers platter, presented on a sort of elevated stand as the large plate hardly fits the table. The crowd is mixed, from tourists to locals and from young to old. There is a bohemian feel to the restaurant that is designed around an open kitchen with an ominous “no access” sign.

www.balthazarskeuken.nl
Elandsgracht 108
1016 VA Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 420 21 14

De Kas

De Kas is a large restaurant and nursery, located in a former greenhouse on the outskirts of Amsterdam. The concept is based on serving only food produced on associated farms around Amsterdam. There is an annex with an herb garden that you can visit in between courses. The food is a healthy and organic 3 course fixed menu, prepared meticulously and presented with lots of attention to detail by the attentive service. The inside spacious and hip, as is the crowd. The wine list is extensive.

www.restaurantdekas.nl
Kamerlingh Onneslaan 3
1097 DE Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 462 45 62

Marius

Update October 11th, 2010: After a brief sabbatical, Marius has reopened in the same location as of late September 2010.

Marius is a small restaurant with a provincial style decor and located somewhat off the beaten path. A Chez Panisse trained chef runs Marius with a small staff, serving a semi-set four course chef’s menu that changes daily but leaves some options. The kitchen is organic, modern French. The mood is fun and upbeat, dominated by the chef’s laid back attitude and the guests high spirits from being rewarded by the food for having made it all the way over to Marius.

No web site
Barentszstraat 243
1013 NM Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 422 78 80

De Witte Uyl

De Witte Uyl is different. From the 1920s interior in which no two chairs are the same to the unusual menu from which guests pick two main courses but no starters. Knowledgeable hostess Annemieke is the glue that ties it all together. De Witte Uyl has a seasonal menu that changes four times a year and often is inspired by recent trips of the owners to far away places. The dishes are a combination of tradition and inspiration, prepared form the finest but also most ecologically sustainable ingredients. The wine list is extensive and Annemieke makes great recommendations. The chocolate board – hunks of chocolate that you will attack with an ice pick – is legendary.

www.witteuyl.com
Frans Halsstraat 26
1072 BR Amsterdam
Tel: +31 (0)20 670 04 58

Watch Obama’s Inauguration in Amsterdam

On Tuesday January 20th, 2009 at 12:00 EDT Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States.

Wondering where Amsterdammers who want to watch the event should head on Tuesday at 6pm? Here are a few options.

My plan is to follow the inauguration festivities at cultural center Felix Meritis on Keizersgracht. Doors will open at 4pm for a “Yes, We Watch” party. The event will be shown live on a big screen and there are no reservations necessary. I would expect an interesting mix of people from the culturally literate regulars to canal belt expats looking for a venue last minute.

Then there is an inauguration special party and show at improvisation theater Boom Chicago on Leidseplein. It’s a much bigger event starting with a live screening from 5:30 pm, then dinner, a re-run of the “Bye-Bye Bush” comedy and finally a big band playing from 10pm onwards.

Association Democrats Abroad is organizing another big inauguration event in the Hard Rock Cafe on Max Euwe Plein. This event requires tickets and might be sold out.

If you would rather stay home and watch CNN, here is a minute-by-minute schedule with all details of Obama’s inauguration.

UPDATE: Just found out about another live screening event. The American Book Center’s Treehouse organizes a celebration with give-aways, live music and bubbles.

More Ripasso at vindict.nl

My overview of Ripasso wines in Amsterdam is missing an interesting lower price Ripasso. For only € 7,75 you can find a bottle of Cantina Valpantena Falasco Ripasso at Dutch online wine retailer Vindict.

I discovered the Ripasso – and the online retailer – at a wine tasting last night. The tasting was a private event that Vindict organized for us. Vindict served us nine wines. First four whites and then five reds, ordered from light to full bodied. I was not so impressed with the selection of white wines, a rather average choice of Sancerre, Chardonnay and Chablis.

The red wines were more interesting! We got to taste the Falasco Ripasso alongside the regular Valpolicella from the same producer. The difference is amazing. The Ripasso has so much more body and is much more balanced than the Valpolicella. Then we tried a Lebanese wine. The Clos St. Thomas – Les Emirs not only looks a lot but also tastes a lot like a Bordeaux. And also the German Spätburgunder from wine maker Salwey was surprisingly good. Unfortunately it was also expensive at more than € 30 and is apparently so special that you will not be able to order it online.

Overall, the wine tasting was fun and informative. The sommelier gave as a lot of technical information about grape varieties, regions and wine making techniques. The same is true for the Vindict web site which presents color, intensity, nose, aroma, smell, flavors, taste, body, alcohol, sweetness, acidity and tannin. The well organized wine product sheets are a good way of discovering new wines that have similar characteristics than your favorites! And although I have not had a chance to try it out, I was pleased to find out that delivery options include evening service.

Culatello

It was time for a trip to Feduzzi to get some of their own import Parma Ham, Parmesan and fresh pasta. When I ordered the Parma Ham, they suggested I try their newest offering – Culatello. It’s amazing! Like the fillet of Parma Ham.

I did some quick research and it turns out that Culatello is so prestigious that it only recently made it out of Italy. At least commercially. It’s the highlight of cold cut platters at NYC’s top Italian Babbo – even earning ingredient of the month honors.

As with many great foods, the production process does not lend anyone to believe that the end result is edible, let alone a delicacy. Making Culatello apparently involves tucking the meat in a pig’s bladder and letting it age for 12 months in a humid, dirt-floored cellar.

Only the small back side of the pig’s thigh is used, significantly less than for regular prosciutto. The result is magnificent – an intense, slightly salty flavor with an incredibly smooth, almost creamy texture.

At Feduzzi, sometimes criticized for high prices, Culatello costs € 37,50 per kilogram. Actually less than the rather average Albert Heijn Excellent Prosciutto di Parma Ham, which costs € 47,87.

Thai Bird on Zeedijk – Amsterdam

Speaking of bird, bird, birds… I have been meaning to post about the Thai Bird for a while! It’s one of my favorite places to eat in Amsterdam.

The Thai Bird is actually two places, located across from each other on Zeedijk near the Chinese temple. One is the Thai Bird Snack Bar, which dates back to the eighties when the Zeedijk still was dangerous and to be avoided. Undeterred, consistently good food at low prices lead to success and later to the opening of the much larger restaurant by the same owners.

The Zeedijk is the street that connects Amsterdam’s Nieuwmarkt with the Central Station. You can still feel that it must have been an important artery during the glory days. Bordering on the red light district, it was in disgraceful state in the early eighties, rife with criminality. It has made a roaring return since and today is a lively mix of Chinese shops and restaurants and traditional Dutch brown cafes serving Pils, Bitterballen and Jenever.

Both the restaurant and the snack bar are about food, not looks. The snack bar is small, usually crammed with people and simple but clean. The restaurant is large, meandering up and down and left and right behind its small entrance. Don’t be turned off by the appearance. Do walk in and enjoy the excellent food, which is authentic, fresh and always well executed.

Also don’t let yourself be turned off by the crowds. There is usually a line of people waiting at the entrance of the restaurant, especially on weekends. But somehow it seems to clear more quickly than you would think. The snack bar is the same. It always looks packed, but somehow the staff finds a way to squeeze in a few extra people.

Go to the restaurant if you are with a group. Otherwise go for the snack bar and try to sit on one of the high bar stools behind the large window and enjoy the steady flow of tourists and freaks!

Thai Bird Snack Bar, Zeedijk 77. Thai Bird Restaurant, Zeedijk 72-74. http://www.thai-bird.nl/.