Just came back from a congress/mini-vacation in The Netherlands (aka Holland), where I was blessed to enjoy some great international dining in Amsterdam, Den Haag (The Hague) and also in Brugge, Belgium. This is part 1 of my culinary adventures, enjoy!
Strange enough I had Italian twice during this trip, and I say “strange” because it would usually not be my first choice. When hearing Italian food, most people think about pasta or pizza. Well, I had none of that and the food was excellent! The location and service made it an even better experience and I have to say that Italian food became one of my favorites during this trip!
First we had lunch on the patio of a small restaurant in Den Haag, where we must have waited more than an hour(!) before we received our order. But at least the weather was marvelous! I had brought the sun with me to Holland! Fortunately the sandwiches were worth the wait, although I couldn’t recognize anything Mexican in my sandwich. Then again, who orders a Mexican sandwich at a Dutch place??? It was still yummy!
Dinner at Trattoria da Sebastiano, Den Haag.
When we walked in, the place appeared to be empty but there was a sign indicating that ‘they’ were in the backyard. All the customers were sitting and dining in the small but cozy backyard and it felt like entering a private party.
As soon as we were seated, the server poured us a glass of Prosecco (a dry bubbly wine). How could you not feel welcome?
Shortly thereafter the chef/owner showed up with his menu … on a small chalkboard! Quite funny to see this big guy presenting the menu on a small board 🙂 and new too, because I had never seen a menu presentation like that before. It was really special.
Don Sebastiano explained the selections and after ‘careful’ considerations, we each choose an appetizer and different entrees.
The zuppa pesce (fish soup) was marvelous and the main course even better! After the Tortelloni, Cotoletta and Filetto there was no room for dessert, not even for my favorite tiramisu!
All we could “fit” in was a Limoncello, an after-dinner lemon liquor that was unfortunately a little bit too bitter for my taste. Other than that, it was a perfect dinner!
A wonderful beginning of my short trip to the Netherlands. Come back soon for the next food adventure 🙂