Best Of: Amsterdam Edition

So, I got back from Amsterdam late Sunday night. I had some time on the train (6 hours, give or take) so I jotted down a framework for this post while it was still fresh in my mind.  Also, I'm playing around with picture placement. I thought it might be a nice change from having the same size (large) and position (center). What do you think? Which do you prefer? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Amsterdam is an absolutely beautiful city. It has picturesque streets, canals lined with small boats, and warm little cafes on every corner.  The level of English is amazing. You can literally speak English with just about anyone, and they have a perfect grasp of grammar and barely any accent. Which is a really good thing, because the native Dutch language definitely has to be one of the strangest languages I've heard. Is it German? English? Are they sick and hacking up some mucus mid-sentence? If you aren't a fan of the French "r", you are in for a treat:


So, with that to set the tone.. This is the "Best Of" from my recent trip to Amsterdam.  I actually really like this, so I will try to make it a tradition for every city I visit in the future.  Without further ado..



The "Best of" Amsterdam January 2014

Best Neighborhood: Jordaan

Wiki says:

The Jordaan is a district of the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Originally a working-class neighbourhood, the Jordaan has become one of the most expensive, upscale locations in the Netherlands. It is home to many art galleries, particularly for modern art, and is also dotted with speciality shops and restaurants. Markets are held regularly at Noordermarkt, the Westerstraat (the Lapjesmarkt textile market) and Lindengracht.
Rembrandt spent the last years of his life in the Jordaan, on the Rozengracht canal. He was buried in the Westerkerk church, at the corner of Rozengracht and Prinsengracht, just beyond the Jordaan. The Anne Frank House, where Anne Frank went into hiding during World War II, is located on the edge of the Jordaan, on the Prinsengracht canal.

Personally, I love Jordaan because it's so picturesque and tiny and pristine. Tiny streets and canals,  tiny (beautiful) buildings, and tiny cafes with amazing coffee, beers, and desserts. It's more residential and much less touristy, which means the streets are quiet and calm -- but it's just a short walk away from the busy center. There are far fewer cyclists, so you can walk without fear of hearing the dreaded bike bell two seconds before they run you over.  It reminds me of Sacramento St in Pac Heights/Laurel Heights in San Francisco.

Best Beer: la Chouffe

la Chouffe, actually a Belgian beer. But I tried it for the first time on this trip, so it's going on the blog.  La Chouffe is a blond Belgian beer, and at 8% it's a pretty strong one. It's got a 94% rating on beeradvocate.com, so I'm not the only fan. A review that sums it up much better than I could:

"The beer pours a cloudy apricot color, plenty of sediment floating around the glass with a big, billowy white head, soft and fluffy that has very nice retention and leaves an incredible amount of soapy lace behind. The aroma is inviting, lots of fruity yeast, sweet pale malt, lemongrass and some crisp spice character from both the hops and the coriander. The flavors follow really well, nice fruity yeast flavors, a touch of funkiness, berry and lemon pop nicely, pale grain that is smooth and soft, sweet but not too rustic, but with a earthy assertiveness. A bit of spiciness leads to a crisp finish that has just a faint hint of alcohol. The mouthfeel is superb, super lively carbonation, dances across the tongue while still coating the mouth nicely and gently and finishes easily with just a touch of carbonated zip.

Verdict: A benchmark for the style and a really wonderful beer to drink. It's not overly complex or inventive, but refined and executed impeccably. It's quite refreshing for the ABV and one of the more quaffable Belgian Pale Strong Ale's one can find."

I say: delish.

Best local food: broodje haring

I got my broodje haring (herring sandwich) from a street vendor near the Anne Frank house. From what I can gather from the internets, the raw fish is brined and then slapped on a soft bun with some pickles and raw onions. It looks disgustingly unappetizing. The raw fish is (unsurprisingly) grayish white and pink/red towards the center.  The skin is only partly removed, so patches of it are still clinging to the fish. Bones abound, and sometimes the tail is still on.  If you can get past its less than tasty looks, however, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The sandwich is served cold, which is good because otherwise the smell would probably be REALLY strong.  The fish tastes pretty mild but pairs well with the sweet pickles and sharp onions.  It was definitely a change from my normal street food in Berlin (doener) but a good one. I even bought some to make a sandwich to eat on the train ride home--in the compartment between cars, of course. There is always "that guy" who brings the smelliest food onto the train, turning the car into a huge Dutch oven for everyone else. No way was I gonna be that guy. 

Best Restaurant: Bazar

with my Italian friend whom I met in
San Fran but who is living in Ams now
Confusing? Yes. But cool.

Tucked down a street far from the hustle and bustle of the Red Light District and all its tourists, Bazar is a Middle Eastern restaurant that is perpetually busy. The restaurant is inside a former synogague, so it's huge. The second story is open to the first floor below, and everywhere you look is a riot of color -- from the large colored lamps to the mosaic walls to the dining section with colored Christmas lights, it's definitely not visually boring.  It might even be a bit much for a dining experience, but hey it's not my restaurant.

The service is actually horrendous.  I've been there twice and each time was really bad, even for European service. We called ahead for 7:45pm. They agreed that 7:30 would work -- and then wrote us down for 8:30. Innocent mistake or excuse to get us to have a drink by the bar? You be the judge. We found a spot at the bar, and despite having 3 bartenders working, it took us 15 minutes to even get someone to take our order. We stopped a waiter to order drinks during dinner. "Ok sure," he said, and walked away. Ten minutes later we stopped another server and asked about it. "Oh, he probably didn't even put it in the order," she said nonchalantly.  She brought our order -- a Coke, a bottled beer, and a red wine. Except somehow, "Coke" got transformed into "large beer."  She zoomed away before we could inform her of the mistake.

So, why did we eat there? The food is amazing.  The huge portions are cooked and spiced to perfection.  I ordered the Yogurtlu Adana (grilled minced beef and lamb kebab with lawash, yoghurt sauce with moesir, rice, grilled tomato, haydari and salad).

my dinner, plus an appetizer of dips (hummus, etc), dolmas, and bread that didn't last long enough for pictures

Christian posing but trying not to

Best Coffeeshop: The Doors

There are just some things that you HAVE to do in certain cities -- see Golden Gate in SF, have a beignet in New Orleans, Times Square in NYC..and a coffeeshop in Amsterdam.  When visiting a new place I am always terrified of picking a shitty (restaurant, hotel, museum, etc etc) so I had a list of researched, tried and true coffeeshops to visit. Knowing that Christian (my travel buddy for this particular trip) is a Captain Wing It, these were strategically chosen all around the city so that whenever when we needed a break from museums or the cold, we could pop into the nearest shop for a smoke. However, in additon to being Captain Wing It, Christian has a built-in "Plan Fucker-upper" and instinctively got the coffeeshop urge literally nowhere near any of my picks.

There were two shops within sight. At the risk of being too kitschy, I picked The Doors -- least we could probably hear some good music, I reasoned.  It was actually an awesome choice.

A barman stood behind a bar on the far wall. People were sitting at a bar along the left wall, but instead of drinking, they were smoking.  A barman was hanging out, serving them and smoking a cigarette.  A long bench ran along the length of the right wall with low tables, and booths were tucked in front of the two windows along the front of the shop.  Pictures of Jim Morrison lined the walls.  The customers were a mix of Dutch and English speakers, but they didn't seem like tourists.  It was almost cozy.

We snagged a table and ordered some prerolled joints. "Don't smoke all of it at once," the barman (or would it be weed man? ahaaa) cautioned us newbies.  "It's better to be kind of high than totally stoned."

It was really cool to chill, talk, smoke, and listen to 70s rock.  How funny that I was doing the same thing that my mom used to do -- just 40 years and 4000 miles away!

Afterwards we went for a walk.  Christian immediately ran into a parked bicycle just steps outside the door.  "Oh yeah, I get really dizzy. And I mix up my languages. And I say shit [stupid things]," he said.  "But the kickstand on the bike was down. That's why I tripped." Suuuuuure....

Best Bar: Bar Italia
Bar Italia is a spacious bar/restaurant combo. You enter one side and it's a packed bar/lounge.  Cross over the dance floor, go up a flight of stairs, and you are in a classy and quiet restaurant.

 It was absolutely packed when we got there after dinner at Bazar. We definitely did not manage to snag a table, but we did enjoy the DJ spinning popular dance/pop music while having a drink. The sad part was that no one was really dancing. I don't know if it was the crowd or just that it's Europe. I know that in France a lot of lounge/club/bar combos play dance music, but everyone who is there is too cool for school and just kind of bob around and talk to each other instead of shaking their booties on the dance floor.  Perhaps Bar Italia is the same.

Looking around I was struck by how good looking the Dutch are.  After so much time in Berlin with its scruffy unkempt look so in vogue, it was almost strange to see so many people who actually put effort into their appearance. Guys had longer hair, parted on the side and coiffed into place. Slim fitting jeans were paired with equally slim-fitting dress shirts and buttoned V neck cardicans. Girls were beautiful with long flowing hair and tasteful, classy yet casual dresses. Definitely not booty shaking, mini-wearing club girls. Some examples:

     

I pulled out my camera and tried to discreetly take a couple of pictures, but I was spotted. Not too hard to imagine considering it is an SLR and not very discreet at all. Can you see him? Hint: Look for the "peace" sign. 

What I imagine he was thinking: Oh look at that girl all in black with that fancy camera, she must be a professional party photographer! I'm gonna be in some sweet travel magazine or at the very least on an awesome party website!
What he was probably thinking: PICTUUUUURRRRRRE

Best Encounter: the Crazy Australians

Christian and I went separate ways on the last night we were there.  I was standing outside waiting to meet up with him again when a pair of guys walked by. One of them asked if I had a light. I lit his cigarette for him and we started chatting -- "Where are you from," etc etc, normal small talk. "We're from Australia," they said. 

"I LOVE AUSTRALIANS!" I all but yelled. I mean, who doesn't? With their quirky accents and fun, beach-infused attitudes, I have yet to meet an Australian I don't like.

One of them was definitely tipsy, and the other was the voice of reason.  "Oh my Gawd, you look like an Eskimo, can I just -- your fur looks so warm -- I just want to --" Tipsy started rubbing his head on the fur trim of my hood. "Oh my Gawd leave her alone, Jesus Christ," Reason said, rolling his eyes and pulling Tipsy away. "You freak."

"Look, you are so nice, can we put you in a cab or something?" they asked after talking for a few minutes.  "It's getting late, you should be back in your hotel room instead of out here in the cold."

A ton of empty cabs had driven by, looking hopefully for an easy fare from a (relatively) sober tourist. I didn't need the help but let Tipsy try to hail me a cab anyway. "I've got a great cab dance, just watch. I'll hail you one, no problem," he promised. He then ran into the street -- yes, into the middle of the street -- and started wildly flailing his arms, jumping around, doing kicks that would make the Rockettes proud, and gyrating his hips.  While hilarious, it was definitely having the opposite effect. Cabs were actually changing lanes to avoid this maniac in the middle of the street having a strange seizure.

After a couple of missed cabs, I looked at Reason. "Dude, your friend is scaring them away," I laughed. He shook his head. "Come on, man, let me do it," he said, pulling his friend onto the curb.  With only a reasonably raised hand and two seconds of time, a cab pulled up to the curb as if he'd summoned it, which I guess he had. 

"Take this lady where she needs to go. No funny business. We're watching you," Tipsy said. He gave the cabbie the evil eye.  "I mean it."  They started walking away.  I waved as the cab passed. Reason waved back, and Tipsy gave Cabbie the "I'm watching you" hand gesture a la Robert de Niro in Meet the Fockers:

While the whole encounter sounds kind of creepy (meeting two random men at night on the street, rubbing his face on my hood, etc etc), it was everything but.  It was actually quite hilarious. I'll never forget that crazy cab dance or how genuinely concerned for my safety they were. 

Definitely winners in the Best Encounter category.