I Travel. I Eat.

My trip to Amsterdam was somewhat unplanned. I would spend three days in Amsterdam before spending 5 days in Barcelona which was my primary reason for my late summer European adventure.

You see, I'm the kind of person that rarely will book a trip to a destination unless I've heard the food is amazing! Hence, my excitement for visiting Spain. Dutch food somehow never percolated its way to the top of my list. I didn't know much about it but I've rarely heard anyone return from Amsterdam saying, "oh my how I fell in love with the food". I have, however, heard rave reviews about the beer. With that in mind, I put checking out a microbrewery on my list of eats. As a wine lover, it was barely enough to spark excitement. However, for the cute canals, tulip fields, and architecture I was willing to overlook the lack of excitement for Dutch culinary treats. The addition of only $150 to my flight ticket for a stopover also made it much more compelling. I often try to stop over for a few days if the layover destination is of interest.

Dutch Fries

I arrived in Amsterdam late afternoon on a slightly overcast day and as usual after checking into my hotel went out to look for a bite. I was staying at a cute little boutique hotel in Amsterdam Centraal. Basic and no frills, it was perfectly situated for exploring. As I walked along the main canal I spotted a long line up of people infront of a shop called Manneken Pis. I've learnt through experience that where there is a long line up, the food is usually spectacular. As I slowly inched closer to the counter I saw that there was a choice of 22 different sauces that can be added to the thick cut fries. Made from whole russet potatoes harvested from Zeeland these fries are served piping hot in a paper cone. With so many different sauces as I arrived at the counter I asked the order taker what his favourite combination was. He told me that his go to was chili, ketchup, garlic, and truffle mayonaise. When I'm travelling I've found the best recommendations are always from locals!

As I sat on the bank of the river enjoying my fries I felt hopeful that I would discover little gems and that my initial impression of Dutch food was fortunately incorrect.