take away Archives

Burger Bar Amsterdam – Another Great Option for Burgers

I’ve written a few times about Burgermeester, the self-proclaimed master of burgers in Amsterdam. Their formula of high-quality burgers in a no frills setting has just been copied quite successfully by the Burger Bar. The Burger Bar has two shops in Amsterdam, one near the Dam and one just off Rembrandtplein.

Both Burgermeester and the Burger Bar focus on quality meat, fresh ingredients and burgers made fresh on the spot. Where Burgermeester excels at a menu of inventive burgers, the Burger Bar lets you pick and choose your own burger. You can pick from three types of bread, a number of extras such as cheese, onions or mushrooms, as well as twelve sauces. Trying to fully cater to everybody’s preferences, you can even choose the type of meat! There’s the standard Irish beef, the superb black Angus and a 100% Kobe Wagyu option.

It’s rare to see quality food and take-away in the touristy areas around the Dam and Rembrantplein and the Burger Bar is a great option when you’re around there looking for a quick lunch or snack. I thoroughly enjoyed my black Angus burger with cheese and mushrooms on an Italian roll! I’ll try the Wagyu burger next time.

Burger Bar Amsterdam
www.burger-bar.nl

Reguliersbreestraat 9
1017 CL Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20-3305968
Open daily: 11:00 – 03:00, Friday, Saturday: 11:00 – 04:00
Public transport: Tram 4, 9, 14, 16, 24, 25 to Muntplein.

Kolksteeg 2
1012 PT Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20-6249049
Open daily: 11:00 – 03:00
Public transport: Any tram, bus or train to Central Station

Tomatillo Amsterdam – Tex-Mex To Go

I have mentioned before how hard it is to find good Mexican food in Amsterdam and recommended Los Pilones as one of the only authentic options. So I immediately made a mental note when I read about Tomatillo on vegetarian duck.

Tomatillo is located on Overtoom, has a small dining room but mostly does take away. The menu has all the staples like burritos, fajitas and tacos. Most are available with different kinds of meat including steak, chicken and pork. There are also some vegetarian options such as a vegetarian tostada. Service is friendly and you can call in ahead and have your food ready for pick up. They don’t do deliveries.

The first time I tried Tomatillo I went for a fajita with pork, always one of my favorites. It was very good with plenty of pork, lettuce, beans all rolled up in a tasty soft tortilla. The burrito, filled with rice and meat is also very good. I liked the tacos that I tried on another occasion less as the tortilla was hard and had no flavor.

What’s most remarkable, as unlikely as it may sound to many readers, is that Tomatillo is one of the few places in Amsterdam that serves proper corn chips. Simple chips with a sauce, rather than greasy Doritos with some sort of cheese or paprika coating.

I’ve been back several times as Tomatillo has become my go to place for Mexican take out!

tomatillo amsterdam

Tomatillo – www.tomatillo.nl
Overtoom 261
1054 HW Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20 6833086

The Man Who Cuts The Meat – Amsterdam

The Man Who Cuts The Meat is the caterer in residence of recently opened hipster hangout Bar Brandstof.

Who is The Man? For a start you have to love the branding! The name, a web site in black reminiscent of Chicago in the 20s, an image of a man with a big chef’s knife carried like a gun ready to be pulled and lots of stories of a certain Mario the butcher are very intriguing. And there is substance, too, gained through 15 years experience as a chef at places like ‘t Jagershuis in Ouderkerk, Vermeer in Amsterdam or Zafferano’s in London. Having started his own business, The Man is now available as a caterer for breakfast, lunch, dinner, party or other occasions.

And every Sunday The Man cuts the meat at Bar Brandstof, a new bar on Marnixstraat that is trying hard to serve good food without being a restaurant. On Sundays, The Man serves a set three-course menu for € 22,50. The menu consists of a mixed starters platter, a main and dessert. And The Man promises to please vegetarians by preparing a customized menu with the same dedication.

the man who cuts the meat amsterdam

We went a few weeks ago and had a great time. Bar Brandstof manages to be cool in a friendly, laid back way. Dinner in the back of the bar was comfortable while the bar was brimming with life. And the mixed starters platter fit the set-up perfectly, several small tapas style snacks, served on a black rugged slate board, ideal with a cool brew. The snacks were a mix of different cuisines including Spanish serrano ham, Japanese tuna and wasabi, and Idonesian Pangsit.

For the main course we had tenderloin, which was nice and tender and presented with a fine red wine sauce seemed a lot more sophisticated than the carnivorous talk of knifes and butchers had made me expect. The Man then made a personal appearance to serve the dessert, a chocolate cake with rum and ginger. While serving sweets and chocolate again seemed to rather contradict the meat cutter image, the tattoos and skulls on the menu reassured us that we had come to the right place.

All in all a great dinner and the perfect way to have some good fun and food when the weekend winds down.

Update October 11th, 2010: We just received an email from “The Man Formerly Known As The Man Who Cuts the Meat”. Chris got an offer to move to Saigon, Vietnam and closed his Amsterdam catering business. His latest project is called Flow. Be sure to check it out when you’re in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Man Who Cuts The Meat – www.themanwhocutsthemeat.com
At Bar Brandstof
Marnixstraat 341
1016 TD Amsterdam
Tel: +31-6-54343555

Pizza di Pino Amsterdam

Pino’s wine store near Hoofddorpplein is quickly turning into a complete source of Italian drink, food and lifestyle.

Pino opened his store on Haarlemmermeerstraat about a year ago. He started by offering a great selection of Italian wines, built through many years as a wine supplier to many great Italian restaurants in the Netherlands, and then also made available directly to consumers.

I was very happy when Pino added freshly prepared take-away pasta to his selection, providing quality meals at a very affordable € 5,= per person. Next to good food, there was always a great story to be shared and some excellent wine to be tasted and I quickly became a regular. Little did I know that things would get even better.

Two weeks ago I went for pasta and ended up with an amazing burrata, imported directly from Italy by Pino along with tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella and all the other ingredients he needs for his pasta. Since burrata must be fresh, it’s not available every day. But make sure you ask for it when you stop by!

Last Friday, Pino added two pizza ovens to the kitchen and hired a pizzaiolo to work alongside the pasta chef. Which means you can now also enjoy freshly made take away pizza. Starting at € 6,50 there is a number of standard pizzas like margarita and funghi, as well as more interesting varieties like San Daniele with cured ham or Buffalina.

I’m very happy about this and as you can see from the photo, Pino is very proud of his pizza ovens and peel!

pizza di pino amsterdam

Broodje Bert – Large, Messy Sandwiches

broodje bert amsterdam - outside Broodje Bert is a small sandwich shop on a corner of the Singel between the Negen Straatjes and Kalverstraat. The appearance is distinctly Dutch. The location, the typical Amsterdam canal house, the small shop with the large windows and the name Broodje Bert all suggest thin slices of cheese on fluffy white buns. But step inside and you will immediately get a Mediterranean feel. There’s a great buzz, smell of fresh bread and herbs, and the friendly smile of the owner that makes the slight chaos appear to be part of some grand design.

I went to Broodje Bert to get sandwiches for me and the others at the office. The logistics were a little difficult as Bert has no web site or menu online otherwise. He also only does take away and no delivery. So I cycled over, took a picture of the menu and sent it back to the office. Thank god for the mobile interwebs! I placed the order and had a good time with the others in the store, pretty much all of which seemed to be regulars knowing exactly what they wanted. You can also sit inside, at a small counter behind the large window and look out at the many bikes crisscrossing by.

The sandwiches were large, messy and good. Broodje Bert is known for its grilled chicken sandwich which I tried. It’s a large, thin slice of chicken breast, grilled briefly, with lots of marinade. It’s blackened from the marinade going up in flames when turned over on the grill. The sandwich is garnished with lots of crunchy lettuce, corn and other greens, and drenched in lots of yummy garlic sauce. The healthy ham sandwich and the BLT with freshly sliced, crispy bacon also looked very good! And the burger with lamb meat on Turkish bread seemed very popular with the regulars.

broodje bert amsterdam - sandwiches

Broodje Bert is located on Singel 321, Amsterdam and open daily from 9am to 5pm.

Great Deal Italian Take Away – Pasta di Pino

Update: Vino di Pino had to close around mid July 2011. Apparently a disagreement with the landlord forced him to leave the location on Haarlemmermeerstraat. Pino is currently looking for a new location where he can reopen shop.

The area around Hoofddorpplein has a great new Italian take away option. Italian wine store Vino di Pino started offering pasta dishes a few weeks ago and has been cooking up a storm since then!

The pasta is prepared fresh in the kitchen of the store and very good. It started out with a daily dish and has grown into a full-fledged menu with several starters, pasta dishes and desserts. The menu changes with daily specials and classics like lasagna, parmigiana alle melanzane or penne all’arrabbiata. There were some great truffle specials and recently also main courses like osso buco.

The food is very good and a great deal at € 5,= per portion. What’s really special is the warm and friendly atmosphere that owner Pino creates. He welcomes all regulars and new visitors with a big smile and a fun story. After explaining the menu and specials of the day, Pino quickly moves the conversation to other topics, taking a personal interest in his customers, talking about recent developments in the neighborhood or showing videos of the latest local food and wine events that Pino is organizing with some of the other cafe and shop owners on Hoofddorpplein. While chatting, Pino loves to break out a bottle of wine from the store and offer a taste to shorten the wait for the take away food.

I’ve been a frequent visitor recently, enjoying great take away pasta at an attractive price and catching up with Pino and other neighbors over a glass of wine. As an additional benefit you can purchase the wine at 50% off for the second bottle.

pasta take away vino di pino