Author: dutchgrub

Spring, Sunshine, Terrace and Weihenstephaner

Last weekend we got a first glimpse of spring. Friday was a beautiful day – sunshine and close to 20 degrees.

Like many – I really mean a lot… – Amsterdammers, we headed for one of the terraces. Since we went after work and the sun is still low this early in the year, location was important. So we headed to Cafe Hesp on Weesperzijde. Cafe Hesp has a large terrace right on the east bank of the Amstel river that gets sunshine until late in the day.

Another big plus is that Hesp has Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier on tap! On the downside you will have to walk all the way across the street and into the cafe and pick up your own beer. An endeavor that takes time given the masses of fellow spring worshipers with the same objective.

Later that night, long after the sun had set, we discovered another source of Weihenstephan. Cafe Gollem on Daniel Stalpertstraat in de Pijp taps excellent half liters of the fresh, yeasty and slightly sweet German wheat beer.

The weather will be nice again the coming days. So my suggestion would be to start the evening with Weihenstephan on the terrace at Hesp, then cycle over to de Pijp for a thin crust pizza outside at Da Portare Via and then end the night with more German wheat beer at Gollem.

weihenstephaner-stashAnd just in case all this talk about Weihenstephan makes you impatient, they have a little quiz up and are giving away a stash of Weihenstephan kit.

La Rive Best Michelin Restaurant According to Restaurantweek

Restaurantweek guests rated the participating restaurants. Honors of highest rated Michelin restaurant went to one-star La Rive.

La Rive is situated in the gorgeous Amstelhotel. I’m sure it’s great quality and impeccable service. But I’m not inspired by the menu, which is very traditional. Cod with cauliflower, sea bass with pumpkin, and entrecôte with mushrooms. And the prices are definitely Michelin star worthy – € 75 for the entrecôte made me look twice…

Da Portare Via – Thin Crust Pizza from Wood Fire Oven

Da Portare Via is a no frills pizzeria that makes fabulous thin crust pizza in a wood fire oven.

Da Portare Via Amsterdam - Terrace and Entrance
Da Portare Via Amsterdam - Terrace and Entrance

Da Portare Via serves pizza in two locations. The shop on Leliegracht in the Jordaan only makes pizza to go – quite in line with the restaurant’s name which is Italian for “to go”. I like going to the other location on Frans Halsstraat 63 in De Pijp. There you can either take your pizza away or enjoy it on one of the long wooden tables in the restaurant or outside on the sidewalk.

The setting of Da Portare Via is no frills. The furniture is simple wooden tables and benches. The purpose of the typical red and white checkered table cloths is being easy to wipe off rather than being decorative. You order your pizza at the counter, pick up beer, wine and other drinks from the fridge and pay up front. And it’s usually busy with people waiting for their pizza. It all makes for a friendly, laid back atmosphere where it’s easy to have a conversation with other guests.

The pizza is top notch. Its thin crust, baked in a wood fired oven is crunchy and plain. And it’s packed with large amounts of super fresh ingredients.

da-portare-via-menu
Da Portare Via Amsterdam - Menu

What I like most are the interesting combinations. I love the pizza “Don Floert”, topped with tomato, Parma ham, rucola, ricotta and Parmesan cheese. It’s fully covered in thinly sliced Parma ham with a mountain of rucola and big humps of smooth and slightly sweet ricotta. And I also highly recommend the pizza “Tartufi con Coppa di Parma” with with tomato, mascarpone, black truffle, Coppa di Parma, rucola, and Parmesan cheese.

Da Portare Via is great for a school night out with friends for a quick pizza and hanging out and chatting over a good glass of wine around a long table!

Spring Menu 2 – De Witte Uyl

De Witte Uyl is one of my favorite restaurants in Amsterdam. The unusual menu, personal and friendly service and extensive wine list make it well worth a trip. They change their menu is line with the season, which is always a great reason to go back.

A few bright sunny days in mid March – before the cold and rain returned to Amsterdam – was enough inspiration for the team at De Witte Uyl to lure us with their spring menu.

As usual there are twelve dishes including wontons with crab, ginger and mascarpone and goat’s sausages with sweet potatoes and lemon grass. Yummy!

Spring Menu 1 – Burgermeester

Burgermeester is a fantastic no-frills burger place that serves super fresh and inventive burgers in two locations in Amsterdam. I have repeatedly recommended Burgermeester as a perfect lunch venue.

On my last visit a few days ago, I checked out their new spring 2009 menu. In addition to the classic “Master Beef Burger” with tarragon mayonnaise and the “Lamb Burger” with locally produced meat, the Burgermeester crew is now offering some refreshing spring flavors. During the spring season they offer a “Devilish Chicken Burger” with cucumber-salsa and harissa-mayonnaise and an “Albacore Tuna Burger”. The burger of the month currently is an Asian beef burger with bean sprouts, mint and cilantro.

Spring 2009 Menu at Burgermeester Amsterdam
Spring 2009 Menu at Burgermeester Amsterdam