Preuvenemint Maastricht 2007

Preuvenemin

Maastricht

25th of August 2007

The ambiance, the city, the diversity, the people and not to forget the food ....  What a treat, should go every year to enjoy all of that. I remember this one very well. Walking to all these nice places to look where to start ran into friends from Amsterdam, just to end up with almost 10 people all from Amsterdam. Quite an evening it became. (Yoda said :-))

Still remember the Kingcrab and scampi's from Chateau Neercanne (Hans Snijders).

If the chance .. go, yes it's busy and you might to have to wait a while but it's more than worth it.

Loetje - Amsterdam

Cafe Loetje
Johan Vermeerstraat 52
1071 DT Amsterdam
tel : + 31 (0)20 6628173

Amsterdam, August 1st 2007

Cafe Loetje is a place that can be best described by the people themselves. That people for this amount of money can put this on a plate ... It's stunning. The taste is where it's all about, they understand that by Loetje ... unfortunately in Dutch, but just try you won't regret it ... Danique and I liked it ... :-) In summer they have a huge terrace very nice for a drink as well ..

What they say themselves,

Een bruin café voor een gezellig drankje en praatje aan de bar. Maar tegenwoordig vooral ook een gelegenheid met een grote serre voor een ouderwetse ossenhaasbiefstuk met jus (200 gram en de beste van heel Amsterdam en omstreken volgens kenners!) met bij voorbeeld frietjes en sla.

Eerlijke biefstuk die nog steeds door Loetje zelf wordt ingekocht en gekeurd, en dat kan hij als de beste; hij is immers van huis uit een vakslager.
Alle gerechten staan vermeld op een groot schoolbord en er kan naar eigen keuze een menu worden samengesteld uit voorgerechten, hoofdgerechten, al dan niet met friet en/of gemengde salade (met uitgebakken spekjes). Ook de kalfslever met spek en uitjes is een klassieker (waar vind je die nog zo lekker?). Visliefhebbers kunnen zich tegoed doen aan een heerlijke tonijnbiefstuk of aan knapperig gebakken sliptongetjes.

Verder hebben wij een aantrekkelijke wijnkaart met een gevarieerd aanbod uit de verschillende wijnlanden. Maar ook onze huiswijn is voortreffelijk en bovendien serveren wij een wijn van de maand. En dat alles voor zeer redelijke prijzen.

Café Loetje: geen pretenties, een vriendelijke en snelle bediening en altijd gezellig.

website : http://www.cafeloetje.nl

Klein Paardenburg

Amstelzijde 59
1184 TZ Ouderkerk aan de Amstel
tel.: +31 (0)20 - 496 13 35
info@kleinpaardenburg.nl

For a long time on the wish list since it's from a friends' friend. Always good so we had some extra good care and treatment from Dennis. Of course we went for the complete menu. I have to say that the individual prices for the separate courses are a bit high. After started with champagne we had :

Starter : Gaspasho cucumber and Dutch Shrimp
Blue Fin Tuna Salad
Wine Stimson Estate Cellare - Chardonnay 2004

2n dish: Langoustine Patanegra Filet with Langoustine sauce and red onion compot
Wine Sono Montenidoli 2006 - Toscane / Canaiulo

3th dish: Cod en papilotte with vegetable white winesaus

4th dish: Gooseliver (I still love this dish) with beetroot
Wine Red Banyul - Gerard Bertrand - Rivesaltes 1983

Main: Entrecote (slowly cooked) with Morilles, truffle potato and haricots verts
Wine Nero dÁvola - Lamura - Sicilia

Cheese: skipped, the extra dish was more than enough ...

Dessert: something chocolate something creme brulee ...

Coffee of course

It was a great menu and the foie was perfect. The dishes were very good not all superb. Dennis the host was terrific, good wine choices and a friendly atmosphere without being pretentious. Nice job with the restaurant and we look forward for the new cutlery... :-)

Website : http://www.kleinpaardenburg.nl

Fifteen - Amsterdam

Fifteen - Pakhuis Amsterdam - Jollemanhof 9 - 1019 GW Amsterdam

Fifteen is not just a restaurant. It handles the education of the Amsterdam youth till respectable chefs, passion for cooking and a love for the best ingredients. Every year they select a group of boys and girls and prepare them for a new future. It's not comparable to any other eduction. They learn them also practical and social skills that they need to be able to work with a great restaurant. In Fifteen they are crazy about cooking, only fresh and within the season. This might be biological but also direct from the farmer. This all is possible thanks to the contribution of the FRIENDS of Fifteen and the inspiration of Jamie Oliver. But most of all the people that visit the restaurant.

The Tasting Menu for today,

To get you started, Fifteen's amazing Antipasti
A selection of slow cooked. marinated and roasted seasonal vegetables, olives, thinly slices cured italian meats and mozzarella.

Primi
Hand picked marinated coquille St. Jacques with saffran spaghettini, sea aster and worm coraille foam

Secondo
Quail filled with summer truffle on borlotti beans, chanterelles and chicory preserved in balsamic vinegar with salsa verde.

Dolci
Trifle of raspberries of the full soil of Limburg with rhubarb marmalade, semolina shortbread and a farmhouse curdle of yoghurt cented with rose syrup.


Upon signing the contract we decided to take them to Fifteen, in this case it was the excellent choice to do, gave them a copy of the latest book of Jamie Oliver as well. A good night, good food, good company towards a terrific year !

website : http://www.fifteen.nl

Harrods - Breakfast

London, July 2nd - 2007

Only the outside is already magnificent.

Of course when visiting London a breakfast or lunch at Harrods is a must for foodie ... You'll pay premium prices but that's oke it's London. The food hall is still one of the nicest in London (as for me). So entering Harrods I disappear in the food section rather than the clothes, parfums and other stuff. And since we stayed in an apartment we needed to go out for breakfast ... :-)

Between the fresh fish, fresh meat and next to the Sushi we went to the Bar Charcuterie Ground Floor, Just for a simple breakfast. Croissants, muffins, hot chocolate, cappuccino and orange juices. And although the prices are high the quality served is also nothing to complain about.

Don't forget to pay a visit to La Maison du Chocolat in the corner on your way out ...

Revolution - LONDON - SOHO

Revolution - LONDON - SOHO

2 St. Annes Court Soho London
Tel: 0207 434 0330/63 Fax: 0207 434 0356

Sunday, July 1st 2007,

Revolution Soho is short walk from Soho Square, central to the shopping havens of Oxford and Carnaby Street and a stones throw from Old Compton Street. I was wondering why I was in this neighborhood. The comfy leather lounge sofas are ideal for a long lunch or a bit of respite from a day in the capital, according the website ... and they are actually right. Sit by the window and watch soho rush by or find an intimate corner for that cosy 1 to 1. While the eclectic music offering and expertly mixed drinks are perfect for a post work re tox or a big night out! So indeed it's all true. The waiting is terrible though, slow not very help full or friendly either. I think it's more a bar than restaurant and the Vodka is the number 1 drink here.

The food is a different story though. Their menu card (it was even that nice that I took a menu card...) shows their way of working and they do business with companies that know what quality is. All local people with knowledge, the fishmonger they know, the butcher as well, and they are quoted on the menu card. We had :

Some garlic bread to start off

Cheese Burger
Frito Misto Platter

Indeed quality wise no problemo, very good quality and very good portions for a very well price indeed. Very nice to go to after some long shopping, laid back in the big chairs, perfect ! For you restaurant lovers a perfect place for a quick bite in the afternoon ...

Website : http://www.revolution-bars.co.uk/

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Breakfast at Tiffany's, released in 1961 (December) in the Netherlands. In the leading part actress Audrey Hepburn. Won 2 Oscars for this movie. And of course there's one image that everybody will remember. I bought the above piece of art from : http://www.timeart.co.uk.


They have lovely pieces, check out there website. Buying in London is a lot cheaper than on the website...

Maison du Chocolat

La Maison du Chocolat

45-46 Picadilly - London - W1J 0DS

London, Saturday, June 30, 2007

Since its creation in 1977 by Robert Linxe, La Maison du Chocolat has passionately cultivated good taste and excellence, from chocolates, all handmade, to elegant refined presentations. That's what the website states. And in fact, that's true! If you love chocolate, don't pass this shop. Their TRUFFES are lovely and so damn good, the BOUCHEE (especially rocher lait) is divine. And they even have a chocolate bag ... (yeh yeh I got one too now). And it's from French origin. Even the manager is French (you can hear it on his accent) and he understood the question ...


website : http://www.lamaisonduchocolat.com/en/

REC Restaurants Ltd

REC Restaurants Ltd. - Le Truc Vert
42 north Audley Street - London - W1K 6ZR

London, Saturday, June 30, 2007

Breakfast, the most important meal of the day wasn't it ... some discussion with me may occur due to some personal preferences but it can't hurt trying ... I'm a big fan of Le Pain Quotidien (daily bread). And of course breakfast in Harrods is something you just have to do but what the other days. Strawling to the city center past a small place (French name) and looked very nice from the outsight. So time to have a look.

A combination for a place where you can have breakfast, lunch or diner. Even a good wine selection. And a very good presentation. It looks like a small house when entering, wooden floor, lot of things you would see in your own home.

Had the traditional English items like, Eggs (free range of course), Bacon, coffee, tea, orange juice. All well presented and well portioned and good of quality. Nice staff (Daniela especially!), friendly, quick and a lot people running around in this place. If you want just a simple croissant that's possible too. So much nicer than a hotel and between the local people, a real treat. Can recommend it to everybody!



Website : http://www.trucvert.co.uk/

L'Escargot - London / England

L'Escargot
48 Greek Street - London - W1D 4EF - 020 74397474


London, Friday, June 29, 2007

It stays a lovely city. For people who love food there's so much to see in this city. It seems that everything in this city seems to work it's amazing. For people like me it's a walhalla :-). L'Escargot is only one example, but a good one, one of the Marco Pierre White (the youngest chef and first Englishman ever to be rewarded 3 Michelin stars) restaurants. Very delicately hand-picked for me, it's so nice that people know how simple it is to please me ...

Started of with a kirr ...

Starters :
Escargot en coquille bordelaise
Tian of crab, shrimp avocado with citrus mayonaise
Sauted fish cake with a spinach mange tot and tarragon green beans

Main Course :
Seared diver caught scallops with an onion shellfish risotto
Roasted rumb of Elwy Vally Lamb with onion puree, crushed peas and croquette potatoes

Dessert:
Bitter chocolate tart with pistachio ice cream
Vanilla panacotta with poached strawberries and jus de fraise

accompanied by a Chateauneuf du Pape, Domaine de Beaurenard - 2003

and coffee with petit fours as final


It's a nice restaurant, bit traditional but the kitchen is good, worth every penny, it's not that expansive at all. It's not the cheapest but for what you get and the quality, perfect in balance. Next time we take one of his other restaurants.

website : http://www.lescargotrestaurant.co.uk/
website : http://www.whitestarline.org.uk/