Eten & Drinken

That's "Food & Drink" for you non-Nederlanders.

Recently, I took an extended Labor Day vacation and jet-set off to Amsterdam for a long weekend. I had been to Amsterdam once before as part of a 24 hr layover traveling from Boston to Tanzania. During that trip I had a whirlwind tour of Amsterdam and squeezed in the Anne Frank House, a canal tour and some really good Thai food. For this trip, I had a whopping 72 hrs to explore the city, including sampling the food. Although still short, it was a blast!

Here are some Dutch tidbits I picked up on this trip:

• Tosti's. Mmm, tosti! This is a grilled/pressed sandwich with meats, cheeses and or veggies. It's served on dense, flat Turkish bread and is closest to an American definition of "panini." Very delicious. They're rather common, but I was surprised that more places weren't open later serving them -- they seemed to be a good call for those with "coffee shop" munchies.
• Panini. Here in the US, the panini means a gourmet sandwich, served on grilled flat bread and warmed/melted contents (cheese, meats, veggies). Best I can tell, in Amsterdam, this simply means "sandwich" -- white or multi-grain bread with some meat or cheese, served cold or at room temperature. Not that impressive. You have been forewarned.
• Coffee. Coffee is ubiquitous here and locals and tourists alike cram the outdoor cafes from late morning through early evening to drink a cup and chat. Oftentimes, coffee is served in glass mugs, something I hadn't seen much of in other European countries.
• Mint Tea. I didn't sample this, but it was on every menu I saw and frequently appeared on nearby tables. It looked beautiful -- light amber-colored water with mint leaves floating in suspension. Will have to try on the next trip!
• Dam good beer. Amstel, Heineken and Grolsch are the top players, in that order -- judged unscientifically based on the number of signs outside cafes. Bars open early, but I was surprised to see that they closed relatively early (or at least the outside portions) as well.

More on specific Amsterdam restaurants in the next post!