Stroopwafels at Metropolitan Deli, Amsterdam

By roaddog in Amsterdam, Food, Netherlands 0 Comment
Metropolitan Deli

Metropolitan Deli in Warmoestraat

A stroopwafel is a made like a waffle, but is thin and sweet, almost like a cookie. It has two thin waffles surrounding a caramel filling. If you’re a visitor to the Netherlands, you’ll find packaged Stroopwafels everywhere. Like any processed food, they’ll quell a snacking urge but probably leave you unsatisfied. If you want to experience just how amazing this simple confection can be, you’ll need to find a fresh one.

If you’re wandering Amsterdam’s Old Centre on a layover, you’ll likely find yourself in Warmoesstraat. The stroopwafels here, compared to the packaged variety, are like night and day. Hot and fresh from the iron, they’re flexible, gaining a bit of crispiness as they cool. The rich caramel filling is expertly executed. On a cool, damp Northern European morning, a fresh stroopwafel and an espresso make a welcome warming breakfast.

Aside from the stroopwafels, Metropolitan carries a variety of dutch sweets and unusual ice cream flavors.  There isn’t much in the way of seating, but for a walking snack, that won’t matter much.

You can find Metropolitan Deli in number 135 Warmoestraat, between Sint Annenstraat and Zwartlakensteeg.

Metropolitan Deli
Warmoesstraat 135
1012JB Amsterdam
www.metropolitandeli.nl

Google Maps walking directions (opens in new window)

 

Vleminckx Sausmeesters, Amsterdam, NL

By roaddog in Amsterdam, Food, Netherlands 0 Comment
Vleminckx frites

Frites with Belgian Mayo and Pickels

Prior to my last trip through Amsterdam, I was tipped off to Vleminckx Sausmeesters, a shop whose product was described to me as the best fries in Amsterdam and perhaps the world.  With such extreme claims, I needed to investigate.

Finding Vleminckx can be difficult if you’re not familiar with Amsterdam.  As a public service, I’ve included a link to a Google map at the end of this article.  Walking here from Centraal Station takes fifteen to twenty minutes, depending on how often you stop along the way.

Once the shop was in sight, it was clear that their frites are popular.  There was a six person deep line on a rainy Saturday.  The fries are indeed very good.  They are crisp on the outside with a creamy interior.  As good as they are, I’ve had fries before that were at least as good.  I think what makes these frites so popular is the sauces.  This stands to reason since the name of the shop is Dutch for “Flemish Sauce Masters.”

The sauces I ordered were Belgian mayo and Pickels.  The mayo was fresh and very tangy.  The pickels, also very fresh, included tiny onions and diced cucumbers pickled in a fashion similar to a British piccalilli, giving the vegetables a sharp, mustardy tang while retaining their crunch.

A Google search for “Vleminckx” will turn up several reviews praising these frites.  As such, you can expect to encounter a tourist crowd.  Even still, I recommend risking interactions with the khaki shorts and camera strap set to enjoy these excellent sauces atop a cone of very good Frites.  Bring some Euro; Vleminckx accepts cash only.

Voetboogstraat 33
1012 XK Amsterdam, Netherlands
Google Map

Char No. 4, Brooklyn, NY

By roaddog in Food, New York City 0 Comment

The baconiest bacon ever.

While doing some business in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn, I quite accidentally stumbled across this restaurant that specializes in some of my favorite things.  Char No. 4 sits behind an unassuming storefront on Smith Street.  Once inside, the wood and leather interior foreshadows the experience to come.  The restaurant’s website describes Char No. 4 as “a whiskey bar and restaurant inspired by a passion for bourbon.”  While I enjoyed my meal, I counted no fewer than 157 different varieties of whiskey, with a clear emphasis on bourbon and other American forms, on display behind the bar.  In addition to theses whiskies, the staff also infuse bourbons with various flavors, including habanero peppers.  When I spoke with the bartender, who was very enthusiastic about his craft, he mentioned the barrel-aged cocktails they have on offer including Manhattans and mint juleps.

As my visit was an early one on a weekend, the brunch menu was being served.  I selected a chipotle bloody Mary and biscuits benedict.  Oddly enough, I had managed to make it this far in life without ever having a bloody mary, so while I don’t have anything to compare it to, I can say that the flavors were clean and distinct.  The smoky spiciness of the chipotle effectively disguised any alcohol flavors, and the drink was pleasant and refreshing.  The fresh, crunchy, house-made pickle was a nice touch.  I think the folks at Char may have ruined me for all other bloody Marys.  The benedict was a moist, buttery biscuit topped with ham smoked in-house, perfectly poached eggs, and a flavorful bacon gravy.  Everything tasted wonderful, although I left half of the biscuit behind.  While it was very tasty, it was also very dense.  I was offered some of their house-made hot sauce, which I immediately accepted.  The sauce is full of fruity pepper flavors with a heat that lingers in the back of the throat but doesn’t overload the taste buds.

Since I gave up part of my biscuit, I figured that it couldn’t hurt to try the house-cured thick-cut bacon.  Two roughly quarter-inch thick strips are served with a side of maple syrup.  Those who know me know I love bacon.  This was the most bacon-y tasting bacon I have ever had.  I cannot recommend it enough.  It is smoky, salty, sweet and sinfully fatty.

Finally, I sampled the cheese curds.  Having spent a lot of time in Wisconsin, I have come to appreciate the beauty of a good cheese curd, and these would stand up to the curds I’ve had in the badger state.  They’re not quite, but almost squeaky on the teeth.  At this point, I wished I could keep going and sample more of the gorgeous products the kitchen at Char No. 4 produces, but I could hear a little cardiologist in the back of my head clicking her tongue at me.  I’ll definitely have to come back another day.

Char No. 4 can be found at:

196 Smith Street
Brooklyn, New York 11201

…which is just a block away from the Bergen Street subway station (F and G trains).

http://charno4.com/

Zum Schneider – Bavaria on the Lower East Side

By roaddog in Food, New York City 0 Comment

Photo courtesy of richardgreene.com

Zum Schneider has been a favorite of mine for quite a while.  It was only after I’d been to Bavaria that I realized just what a treasure this little corner of the Lower East Side really is.  If you’re looking for a little piece of Bavaria in New York City, you’ll find it here.

There are very few places in New York where you can get a Maß, which is a liter of good Bavarian beer and  pronounced “mass.”  It’s one of only a handful of places in the five boroughs of New York City where you’ll find proper weißwurst, served in the correct Bavarian style – heated in water and served with spicy & sweet mustard and a soft pretzel.  On busy nights, the dining room has the atmosphere of an Oktoberfest beer tent.  I’ve been to a few other German restaurants in NYC and none of them can hold a candle to Zum Schneider.  I’ve tried most of the menu, and I have yet to have a meal that is anything short of amazing.

One of my favorite dishes, and a frequent special, is the Schweinshaxe or “pork knuckle.”  The outside is crispy, and the meat inside is tender, juicy, and falls apart for your fork.  For a lover of pork, the Schweinshaxe is a must.  The sausage platter is another excellent choice.  Grilled sausages are served over sauerkraut with a side of mashed potatoes garnished with radish slices and grape tomatoes and two kinds of mustard – one is coarse & mild, the other fine & sharp.

The service is quick & friendly and the staff puts up with my terrible German pronunciation and generally makes an extra effort to make you feel welcome. With the communal table style, you can make new friends with every meal.

The apple strudel is excellent, but at least as of my last visit, they don’t serve coffee.  Maybe it’s just that I’m not German, but I’m not a fan of having my sweets with beer.  This is truly the only negative comment I can come up with about this wonderful restaurant.  If you like beer, German food, or are a fan of swine flesh, go to Zum Schneider.  You’ll be glad you did.

Zum Schneider is located at:

107 Ave C (corner of East 7th Street)
New York, NY 10009
http://www.zumschneider.com/

 

Tolbert’s Restaurant, Grapevine, TX

By roaddog in Dallas, Food 0 Comment
Tolbert's Chili

It looks great!

A bit of web searching and chatting with locals led me to Tolbert’s Restaurant in Grapevine, Texas – a city just off the north end of DFW’s runway 13R-31L.  The buzz was that Tolbert’s had amazing, award-winning chili.  That’s enough to get me into the car, so off I went.

Arriving in Grapevine was a bit strange.  As my GPS ticked down the distance to within a half mile, I was still passing pawn shops, payday loan establishments and run-down fast food joints.  I mentally prepared myself to enter a rough roadhouse.  Once I made the last turn from Texas State Highway 114 onto Grapevine’s Main Street, the difference was like night and day.  Main Street is a busy entertainment district with several restaurants, shops, local businesses and a movie theater that shows classic films and children’s programming.  On the night I drove past, they were playing The Odd Couple (1968).  The restaurants were bustling, and all thoughts of rough-hewn tables, spilled beer and rowdy patrons left me.

To say the place was busy was an understatement.  I was lucky to get a seat at the bar.  As I reviewed the menu, I noted from fragments of overheard conversation and from looking around the room, that this was largely a local crowd.  A mix of date night couples and businessmen unwinding at the end of the week seemed to dominate the crowd.  On the stage in the back corner of the restaurant, a band was setting up their kit to play.  Seeing all of this, I felt I had made a good decision for my evening meal.  Having already had several steaks this week (it’s hard not to when in Texas), I opted instead to try a cup of the chili, some guacamole, and what Tolbert’s menu referred to as ‘donkey tails’.

The guacamole arrived quickly, accompanied by an ample basket of tortilla chips.  The chips were rustic and still warm.  If they’re not made in-house I would suspect they’re sourced very locally or Tolbert’s staff are masters of illusion.  In addition to the guacamole, I was given two bowls of salsa.  The first salsa I tried had a slight edge of heat, but was very watery.  The second bowl was just as watery, but didn’t provide very much at all in the way of flavor.  The guacamole, however, was good.  It had a faint heat at the end, but wasn’t anything unique or special.

To quote the menu, donkey tails are “two all-beef hot dogs stuffed with cheddar cheese, wrapped in flour tortillas, then lightly fried. served with Tolbert’s salsa and mustard sauce, and a shot of chili on the side.”  These, like the guacamole, were good, but nothing phenomenal.  They tasted pretty much as you’d expect them to taste, beefy & cheesy, and certainly not diet food.

Moving on to the main event, so to speak, I sampled the chili.  This cup of Texas red, garnished with chopped onions, shredded cheddar and a chile, looked just like I expect any good chili to look and my mouth literally started watering in anticipation.  I removed the chile from the top.  While I’ve been known to pop a pepper or two, I just didn’t want to assault my poor unsuspecting taste buds with a raw chile when they were expecting some beefy chili goodness.  When I put first cheese-dripping spoonful into my mouth, it felt as if I had just lit a dud of a firecracker.  Where was the flavor?  Where was the heat?  Rather than a spectacular explosion of beef and spices, I got a faint beefiness and some flat tomato flavor.  The raw chopped onions didn’t even wake up my mouth, which makes me suspect they were old.

Ultimately, I left Tolbert’s disappointed and feeling that the meal hadn’t been worth the time it took to get there.  Now, I’m not saying the food was bad.  It just failed to live up to it’s award-winning reputation.  The place seems to have a nice selection of standard Tex-Mex and American fare.  If I was staying at a hotel nearby, I wouldn’t shy away from stopping in for a bite, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit Tolbert’s a second time.

If you find yourself near Grapevine and want to try it out for yourself, you can find Tolbert’s at:

423 South Main Street
Grapevine, Texas 76051
817.421.4888
http://www.tolbertsrestaurant.com/ 

Hard Eight BBQ, Coppell, TX

By roaddog in Dallas, Food 0 Comment
Hard Eight BBQ

Meaty, Smoky Goodness

This was not my first visit to Hard Eight Pit Bar-B-Q.  I was tipped off to Hard Eight a year ago by a colleague in the Dallas area.  Since then, I’m always sure to visit whenever I’m in town.  Hard Eight is simply the best barbecue I have ever had.  When you enter Hard Eight, you pass by racks of hardwood logs and a fleet of immense smokers, finally ending up at the hot box from which you’re served your choice(s) of smoky, meaty goodness.

On this visit, I chose some brisket, spicy sausage, a chicken popper, and a serving of mac & cheese.  The brisket has that beautiful pink smoke ring that heralds barbecue greatness and it just falls apart in your mouth.  I’ve never had a juicer, more tender barbecue brisket.  The spicy sausage had a creamy texture and smoky flavor, with just enough spicy kick at the end to let you know it’s been there but without so much that you can’t taste the rest of your meal.  The chicken popper is a chunk of chicken breast and jalapeño wrapped in bacon and cooked in the smoker.  It was a nice and unusual combination, and it didn’t fail to please.  The only thing I didn’t enjoy was the mac & cheese, and this might be a regional difference.  Hard Eight’s mac & cheese consists of overcooked elbows swimming in a liquid cheese sauce that lacks any depth of flavor.

I wholeheartedly and strongly recommend Hard Eight BBQ to any lover of meat who may find themselves in Dallas or on a long layover at DFW (they’re just a few minutes north of the airport).

Hard Eight BBQ can be found here, and unlike many barbecue spots in and around Dallas, they’re open fairly late…

688 Freeport Parkway
Coppell, TX 75019
972-471-5462

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Hot Doug’s

By roaddog in Chicago, Food, USA 0 Comment
Duck fat fries, duck sausage with foie gras, Chicago dog

Hard to beat this.

I’ve seen and read many recommendations for Hot Doug’s in Chicago over the past few years.  Since my sister lives in Chicago and I have relatively frequent business there, it was only a matter of time before I made sure I got a chance to sample Doug’s encased meats.

The restaurant is fairly off the beaten path, being a good distance from the downtown and tourist areas of the city and in a largely industrial area.  Thanks to the quality of their products, TV appearances and numerous magazine writeups, the place is enjoying some well-deserved popularity.  I arrived at 12:30 PM on a Saturday and found the line wrapping around the block.  It took an hour and a half to get to the front of the line, but it was well worth it.

I ordered “the dog,” a standard Chicago-style hot dog, although Doug’s dog had grilled onions, but didn’t have the peppers I’ve become accustomed to on a Chicago dog.  The dog itself was high quality product grilled just right.   The bun was soft and tasty, coming apart just before the last bite.

With everything I’ve heard about the place, the main thing on my mind was duck.  In addition to “the dog” I had the foie gras and sauternes duck sausage, served with truffle aioli, foie gras mousse and fleur de sel.  The flavor of the duck was prominent and the sausage was well spiced.  I’m not usually a fan of foie gras, but here it added a welcome creaminess where the sausage might have otherwise been just slightly dry.

In addition to the dogs, I had the duck fat fries .  That is exactly what it sounds like.  French fries cooked in rendered duck fat.  The taste is like a normal fry but with a unique twist that I can’t quite describe. I ate the first several plain, but when I tried them with ketchup, the unique flavor still shined through.

The staff is very attentive and helpful.  The restaurant is clean, well maintained, and full of hot dog/sausage memorabilia and artwork.  Make sure to have a look at the restroom signage and the encased meats timeline.

I consider Hot Doug’s a must for a Chicago visit.  These encased meat purveyors are masters of their craft.

You can find Hot Doug’s here:
3324 North California, Chicago, IL 60618
Phone: (773) 279-9550
http://www.hotdougs.com/

Hilton Washington Dulles Airport Hotel

By roaddog in Hotels, USA, Washington D.C. 0 Comment
Hilton Dulles

A perfect bookend for this trip.

I have been working in the suburbs of Washington D.C. this week.  When I booked my trip, my usual hotel in the area was full, so I thought that the Hilton at Dulles would be a good alternative.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.

My Room

When I went to shower on the first morning of my stay, I found pubic hairs and rust stains in the bathtub.  As I hadn’t gotten moving as early as I’d have liked, I simply rinsed the tub with very hot water and hoped for the best.  The furniture, carpets and linens while appearing clean, were heavily worn and just in poor shape.

The Restaurant

The hotel has two restaurants.  The Old Ox Grille, seemingly the formal restaurant, remained closed for the duration of my stay.  The hotel’s bar and lounge was the only dinner option on the property.  The prices were comparable to a diner with the highest priced menu item around $20 and most entrées around $15.  I gave the bar three chances this week to serve me something worthwhile.  They failed.

On Monday, My waiter took ten minutes to acknowledge my presence while he conversed with the customer at the next table about getting training for a career change.  I would never begrudge someone the pursuit of a better life, but this waiter had a job to do, and could have easily had his conversation after taking my order.  When he finally did arrive at my table, I ordered a crab cake entrée.  I was quickly brought bread and a salad.  The salad contained the hard white parts of iceberg lettuce, topped with some aging diced tomato and cucumber, then covered in shredded cheddar cheese.  The entrée consisted of two two-inch crab cakes that I would swear had been frozen.  There was more cake than crab, and I found no less than three pieces of cartilage in them.  The cakes were swimming in mass-produced chipotle mayonnaise. The dish was topped off with undercooked asparagus spears with a somewhat astringent flavor and accompanied with a scoop of processed mashed potatoes. I expected better in an area famous for crab.

I had a big lunch on Wednesday and decided to go in for an appetizer and a couple of drinks.  I chose a fried shrimp and calamari plate and some Guinness.  I suppose I should have known better than to trust a hotel bar outside Ireland to pour a decent pint of Guinness.  What I got was so bitter, I wouldn’t have recognized it as Guinness.  The seafood did not taste or feel fresh and was both overcooked and soggy with grease to the point that the batter slid off. I sent the plate back.

Finally, on Friday night, I didn’t want to drive very far, and the only alternatives I could find nearby were fast food.  So I set my expectations low and ordered something that seemed simple and difficult to ruin.  I ordered strip steak with a baked potato and creamed spinach.  It was no surprise to find that even my lowered expectations weren’t met.  The steak was tough and full of gristle, with the silver skin still attached.  The accompanying béarnaise sauce tasted metallic.  The creamed spinach consisted of frozen spinach floating in cream with some raw garlic chips, and the baked potato was burned to the point that the skin was tough and leathery and the inside was dry.  Not wanting to risk the bad béarnaise, I chose to pepper my steak but found that the pepper mill on the table wasn’t working.  Being pretty hungry, I did eat the steak, but I couldn’t bring myself to eat the potato or spinach and sent them back.  The manager offered me a free dessert and ten percent off my bill, so they did at least make an effort to make good on the situation.  Unfortunately, the mass-produced pie I received had a burned crust.  At least they’re consistent.

Service

The employees I dealt with were cheerful and helpful, with one glaring exception. While I was having my bitter Guinness and soggy calamari, I was trying to get some work done on my laptop.  The hotel’s wi-fi service is on a 24-hour cycle.  My 24 hours ran out while I was at my table, and the login page in the bar was asking for a code rather than my name and room number.  I asked my server about this and was told I would have to go to the front desk to get a code, and then he walked away.  I had my work, food and beer spread out before me, and the front desk is no more than twenty feet from the door to the bar.  I was a bit annoyed that the server didn’t offer to get me a code.  Isn’t this a service industry?  Since the server wandered off and I didn’t want to leave my table unattended, I called the front desk from my cell phone, explained the situation and asked for a wi-fi code.  I was told that they would send an engineer. After an hour and fifteen minutes, I had finished my beer and done what work I could over my phone’s 3G connection, but I never saw an engineer.

Final Comments

On my final night, the fire alarm sounded and the hotel was evacuated, giving me the perfect photo to go along with this review. Thankfully, it seems there weren’t any significant damage or injuries as guests were let back into the hotel fifteen minutes after the fire department arrived.  The next morning, before I left for the airport, I found that the concierge lounge was serving stale croissants on the continental breakfast buffet.

Verdict

As you might guess, I cannot recommend this hotel.  I will not eat or sleep here again.  There are plenty of hotel options in the Herndon/Reston, VA area and I’ve had lovely experiences at some of them in the past.  I suspect this hotel gets away with having such low standards due to its proximity to Dulles airport.

I hope this review helps to prevent some terrible experiences.

Walkers Shortbread on Delta!

By roaddog in Airlines, Food 0 Comment
Walker's Shortbread on Delta

Buttery joy on a plane.

On one of my last Delta flights, I was greeted with one of my favorite things, Walkers shortbread cookies!  It’s such a small thing, but it’s a huge improvement over the less expensive, and in this writer’s opinion, inferior Biscoff cookies that have been the Delta staple up until now.

Clearly, individual tastes vary, but I’ve never found the Biscoff cookies worth eating.  Their consistency is like compressed sand, and I often choke on them if I happen to inhale while chewing one. On the other hand, Walkers shortbread is rich and buttery.  Given the choice between the two, I’d go for Walkers every time. As someone trying to maintain somewhat healthy eating habits, I can think of better things than Biscoff cookies to spend the 120 calories on; like the roughly 80* calories of the Walkers shortbread round, letting me save the rest.

A cursory browse of frequent flyer forums verified that this change has happened in the first class cabins of many Delta flights.  Reports from other Delta customers seem to indicate that Biscoff is still being served in the economy cabins and in Delta Sky Clubs.

That same investigation showed that Biscoff does have its supporters.  There is a vocal group of Biscoff lovers on some of the forums I’ve visited.  The student of human behavior in me wonders if those Biscoff supporters are suffering from peer pressures, irrational brand loyalties, or the simple human resistance to change similar to what killed off New Coke back in the 80s**.  In the New Coke scenario, blind taste tests showed that even some of the people clamoring for the return of the original formula actually preferred the new product.

Biscoff 2-packs retail fo $0.14.  A single Walker’s shortbread round has an estimated retail price of $0.42***.  At three times the price, this demonstrates a refreshing investment in customer satisfaction.

In related news, Sun Chips have been replaced with Goldfish crackers in the first class snack baskets.  I won’t offer an opinion on that change as I don’t particularly care for either item.

According to Delta’s First Class Dining webpage, both Walkers and Biscoff are listed as available on flights of an hour or more.  Sun Chips aren’t mentioned at all.

Do you have an opinion on either of these changes?  Please share in the comments.

* The calorie count for the shortbread round single pack served by Delta was extrapolated from the Walkers retail 2-pack.

** See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Coke for further information.

*** Prices listed in US Dollars and taken from the respective manufacturers’ websites on October 31, 2011.  The estimated Walkers single pack price represented above is one-half the price of a retail 2-pack.

New York Restaurant Week

By roaddog in Food, New York City, USA 0 Comment

We’re two days into New York Restaurant week, a great chance to try out many fine restaurants that you might have otherwise passed up.

The restaurant week deal is a $24.07 lunch or $35 dinner from a prix fixe menu.  The list of restaurants along with their Restaurant Week menus are all on the NYCgo website (link below).  As an added bonus, if you have an American Express card, you can sign up to receive a promotional bonus at the website.

Last night, I visited an old favorite – Brasserie Ruhlmann.  It’s a wonderful art deco space right in Rockefeller Plaza. I’ve never had a bad meal there, and last night was no exception.

This year, Restaurant week is really two weeks (July 11-24th), so I plan to revisit a few old favorites and try out a few new spots.

I hope this is helpful!

http://www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek (opens in new window)