My wife and I took a trip to Amsterdam, and, while there, we are a ton of really delicious shit. Here’s a quick rundown of the food.
Cafes and bars offer a great way to sit down, relax and hydrate. They also have some great snacks.
Arendsnest had this huge slab of cured pork belly:
Cafe Belgique had some insane olives. HUGE!
The Louis Bar ham and cheese tosti was super low budget.
Such an awesome bar, by the way. The building has been there since the early 1600s..
Wester Cafe won the bar snacks competition. Bitterballen, fried sausages, and fried cheese wrapped in egg roll wrappers.
But we also liked the fried seafood and cocktails at Pompa.
The bars in general were really awesome and old. This one (In t’ Aepjen) was ape themed for some reason:
One of the most impressive bars we went to was actually at our hotel, the De L’Europe hotel. There was a speakeasy in the back called Chapter 1896, and it had, basically, a museum of Macallan selections.
The hotel had great breakfast included, and with a nice view too.
The Heineken Experience gave me a new appreciation for the brand.
Other bars we enjoyed:
Dutch Courage and Wynand Fockink for genever.
Cafe t’ Smalle
The Old Sailor
Kikkie
Kaap Tein
Cafe Staalmeesters
Of course we got steak along the way. Sagardi was one of the best European steakhouses I’ve ever been to. This is a Basque/Spanish style steakhouse, serving vaca vieja (old dairy cow). I generally don’t love this stuff, but here, it was amazing. A 9/10 for the steak (rib eye), and I think the total score would be somewhere around 90 as well.
Amsterdam is known for its pancakes. We went to Upstairs Pancakes, a small 4-table spot that’s up a very steep set of stairs. We loved the bacon, brie and honey pancake. Maybe the best bite of the trip!
I think the best sweet items we had were the stroopwafel at Hans Egstorf (overpriced tourist trap, and I prefer the plain instead of the ones with toppings), and the apple pie at Winkel (absolutely insane – so fucking good).
We enjoyed some find dining experiences while we were there, too. First, the very long but very delicious meal at Kaagman & Kortekaas.
Next, the wonderful meal at De Silveren Spiegel:
Hard to choose a favorite between the two.
We also had some Indonesian food, as the Indonesian people have a long and interconnected history with the Dutch through the spice trade and colonialism/immigration. We had a great lunch at Sampurna.
Our worst meal in terms of both service and food was at t’ Westerhuys. It sucks when you get a double whammy like that.
Too much of a tourist trap, perhaps, but at least we got to try some more Dutch food (meatball stamppot, ossenwurst – like a beef carpaccio or tartare). The dessert was the best part of the meal (tompouce – tart crust with strawberry icing on top and custard in between – kind of like a pop tart or toaster strudel).
It’s housed in a beautiful old church building annex though.
We sampled a shitload of cheeses, both in the countryside at a cheesemaking facility, and in the town at shops.
We had some great french fries at the Keukenhof tulip gardens.
Here are some flower pics:
On our last night, we had a seafood feast at The Seafood Bar.
An amazing trip, and I feel like we barely scratched the surface. There were still a lot of places that we didn’t get to try on our itinerary (food halls, bars, etc). I think we need a return trip!
The Eighty Six is a new intimate steakhouse that opened up in the former Chumley’s speakeasy space on Bedford & Barrow in the west village.
The name derives from the address 86 Bedford, which is the birthplace of the phrase “86’d” (when a restaurant has run out of an item). I’m going off of memory here, but the space historically had two entrances: One on Barrow, which used to be the main entrance; and one on Bedford (number 86), which was used as a secret exit for speakeasy patrons in the prohibition era. The proprietor would yell out “86” and patrons would know to leave out the secret door. As such, it became synonymous with “running out” of items at an establishment.
Chef Michael Vignola, the head honcho for many of Tilman Fertitta’s meaty restaurant ventures (Catch Steak, The Corner Store, Strip House, etc.), was there cooking up our feast. We had a lot to eat, so let me get into it.
First, make sure you watch this short video, because some of the items we had are only featured here in the video (I had some light trouble in the beginning of the meal, so I didn’t take photos of everything).
Second Visit:
Flavor: 8
We had the aged 32oz porterhouse for two, hailing from Nielsen’s Family Farm in South Dakota.
This was nicely cooked to medium rare (a hair overdone and more toward the medium side, but no matter).
The fat on the strip side was perfectly rendered out, so that you could eat every bit of it. Nice crust, good char.
Most of the aged flavor rested in the tenderloin, and the steak was heavily coated with cracked black peppercorn, so be prepared.
On a second visit I tried three steaks: the aged Delmonico rib eye, the rib cap steak, and the aged bone in strip. Of these, we liked the strip the best, but they were all close to perfection.
Delmonico Rib Eye: 8
Rib Cap: 8
Aged Bone-In NY Strip: 9
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 10
The menu here, like Chef Vignola’s other steak-focused restaurants, is packed with variety and unique cuts. They offer a rip cap steak, Vaca Vieja (old dairy cow – popular in Spain), and every type of steakhouse staple cut you can imagine, along with daily specials like a citrus fed wagyu.
Portion Size & Plating: 10
The plating here is astonishing for every item, from the martinis to the meats. I was also really impressed with the portion sizes. They really embraced the concept of a steakhouse from the roaring 20s, where everything was big and bold.
Price: 10
My instant reaction was that all of the prices were very fair, given how beef prices are insane, rent is insane, overhead is insane, etc. The porterhouse for two was $150 and the duck, which can easily feed four, was $195. They also went over the top for our special occasion (my wife’s birthday), and threw in a bunch of desserts on the house!
Bar: 10
This is a beautiful bar. There is seating for eight, but it can get pretty tight if you’re eating a large meal like we did. The bartenders here are the best in the business. Not only are they making cocktails for the whole restaurant, but they are also your servers and waiters, and at the same time making polite and enjoyable conversation with the whole bar as you eat your meal.
The cocktails here are also incredible. The smoked olive martini comes with a show, and it was probably one of the most unique flavored martinis I’ve ever had. Creamy/buttery, smoky, and it came with a trio of stuffed olives (caviar, blue cheese, anchovy).
Specials and Other Meats: 10
There are a ton of specials up and down the menu, from starters like the langoustines, to mains like the citrus wagyu, and mid courses like the caviar and truffle pasta dishes. We had the duck as one of our mains, and this was served with a confit salad as well as a foie gras sausage stuffed into the neck – it was insane! This stole the show for us. We both liked it better than the steak!
The pasta special that we tried was a butter and caviar based sauce, served with a really unique cocks comb pasta. We also tried the langoustines which were a seafood starter special. Both were really great. I liked that the bartender thought we should have some bread with the langoustine sauce, which was sort of like a buttery and spicy ragout.
On a second visit we had the cheesesteak, which is such a banger. I recommend getting this to share as a starter.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 10
We started with the east coast oysters and langoustine special, followed by the potato croquette with caviar, and Spanish artichokes with tarragon emulsion.
I tried mini-Ripper hot dogs on a second visit. So good. And if they have something on special from the local farmers market, like the tomato carpaccio, you should get it for sure. Everything here is great, even the Caesar salad.
For sides, we had the french fries, the brulee corn pot pie, and the truffle and leek creamed spinach. The creamed spinach really stood out as the winner here, but we brought the brulee corn home and it was even better cold from the fridge than it was at the restaurant. It firmed up into a pudding of sorts, and it was incredible!
Don’t sleep on the mushrooms either. Amazing side dish.
Dessert was a blowout. First was a nice palate cleanser of lemon sorbet, followed by some Szechuan peppercorn and lemongrass dusted pineapple – a nice nod to Ernest Hemmingway, who used to hang out at Chumley’s and brought a pineapple there for the staff to try after returning from his travels (it was a foreign item to them). We also had the cheesecake, which was so good. I almost never enjoy cheesecake at restaurants, because none of the hold a candle to my sister’s. But this one was a killer. We also had a nice graham cracker, bananas foster and cream dessert, as well as mini ice cream sandwiches. Check the video above to see these.
Seafood Selection: 8
The items we tried were great (oysters and langoustines), but I’d like to go back and try more before I give a full review on this category. I’m holding this at an eight in the hope to expand on it further with some main course items.
On a second visit we had the pastrami hamachi which was so tasty and unique.
Service: 10
I need to refer back to the end of the specials section and the entire bar section here, because the bartenders really impressed me. I saw how they remembered returning guests, took notes for improving on special request cocktails, and just overall exhibited the utmost care and professionalism.
Table bread is swapped out for some really nice pickles – a low carb treat! One with wasabi and horseradish, the other with chives.
Ambiance: 10
This is an incredible dining space. As I mentioned above, they really embraced the concept of a roaring 20s steakhouse, made intimate with the railcar aesthetic and actual art deco design elements. Bravo.
I know this place is tough to get into right now, but they just expanded their hours to accommodate walk ins. If you go there at 4pm you can put your name down, and you’ll likely get seated. Go do it!
THE EIGHTY SIX
86 Bedford Street
New York, NY 10014
I came here with two other guys from law school, so we were able to give the menu a real good attack! Check it out.
Flavor: 9
We had the dry aged strip, the dry aged rib eye, and the 10oz filet mignon. All were really great. Nicely cooked to medium rare, and good aged flavor on these prime cuts.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9
There’s a great selection of prime cuts here with multiple sizes and age statements.
Portion Size & Plating: 10
The portions here are big, and the plating is a step above the rest, with garnishes of cherry tomato, charred lemon and rosemary. One thing I wish they did was roast those tomatoes a little bit.
Price: 9
Beef prices are sky high right now, but Il Mulino Prime keeps the cost in check. I was really happy with the pricing on the menu here.
Bar: 8
The bar here is beautiful. Sean mixed a great martini. The cocktail menu looked nice, and the wine list is impressive.
Specials and Other Meats: 9
We tried the veal chop (parm style), which was listed on the specials menu. Despite not having a bone (really just for presentation purposes), this packed a ton of flavor and was a stunner in the looks department.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8
We tried the garlic sauteed spinach and the fries on the side. Both were good, but the fries stole the show here for me. We did not try any desserts (just coffee).
Seafood Selection: 7
There’s standard steakhouse seafood fare here. We didn’t try any so can’t really rate it, but I would definitely try the clams.
Service: 8
Service was good albeit a little slow. We sat at 5:30 and didn’t finish until 8:30. They also initially forgot to bring out or fire our Filet Mignon, and I had some water spilled on me at one point (really not a big deal). Otherwise the people were super nice and pleasant.
Table bread was a nice focaccia (cold), and there was also a nice plate of olives, cheese and tapenade.
Ambiance: 7
Despite being small, the place feels bright and airy due to the high ceilings. It’s a nice space and it felt more like a mom and pop joint than part of the larger group of Il Mulino restaurants that now span the country. I would definitely go back to try more – especially the pasta dishes.
IL MULINO PRIME
331 West Broadway
New York, NY 10013
I hit Seafire Grill with some buddies from high school. While this can technically fit into the steakhouse review format, I decided to keep it quick and easy, since the thrust of the menu here is seafood.
Speaking of seafood, we had a nice selection of raw east and west coast oysters to start, along with grilled calamari and Spanish octopus.
Of course I had steak for my main course. This was a nice 8/10. Rib eye, dry-aged on sight.
Nice seared tuna entree.
The sides were all good. We did creamed spinach, truffle mashed potatoes, and caulilini. For dessert, pecan pie and apple strudel.
My buddies from law school and I were on a “mancation” and needed to hit a steakhouse during our visit. I had been eyeballing this place for a while, so it was time to go big.
Flavor: 8
We had the porterhouse, the tomahawk, and the chopped steak. All were great, but I think we were all surprised by how good the chopped steak was. A pleasant surprise for sure.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 8
There’s a good selection of cuts here, as well as some nice alternatives like the chopped steak for those on a budget. All steaks were listed as prime, and some were dry-aged. They offered an abundance of solo cuts as well as large format cuts for two or more people.
Portion Size & Plating: 8
Portions are big, and plating is simple here, which is what one would expect from a steakhouse. Nothing too fancy.
Price: 9
Coming from the insane menu prices in NYC, this bill felt refreshing. A huge blowout steak meal for five came to just $728. Great deal.
Bar: 10
The bar here is awesome. There’s a piano right there with stools around it, so you can sit and watch the piano player, make requests, etc. They also mix a great martini.
Specials and Other Meats: 7
I don’t think there were any specials read to us, but I didn’t expect much from a focused-menu steakhouse. As far as other meats go, there was nothing; only beef. I respect the shit out of that. But that means a few points will come off the score in this category.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8
We started with a chopped wedge salad, which was great.
Then, some bacon. This was nice but I wish I had gotten a photo before they cut it up and served it.
The carpaccio was beautiful and delicious. I could have had this as a main course.
The garlic spinach was nice, and gave us some much needed greenery.
We also had some steak fries as well. I was hesitant when the guys wanted these, because I usually dislike them. But they were excellent!
Dessert was excellent as well. we went with the gigantic chocolate cake and the key lime pie. I liked the pie better.
Seafood Selection: 8
There’s standard steakhouse seafood fare here, plus a few local favorites with NOLA-inspired preparation styles. We had the baked shrimp entree and it was great. Unfortunately the only photo I got was the single shrimp that was served to me on my plate (we shared this dish along with the appetizers). Based on this, I think the other seafood items would be pretty good as well. Next time.
Service: 10
Service was great here, and the phrase “southern hospitality” comes to mind. Our waitress was excellent and knew everything when asked about the various cuts and menu items.
Ambiance: 9
The real win here for ambiance relates to the bar. Being able to sit face to face with the piano player and request songs was so cool. The dining place was beautiful as well. I would definitely go back.
CHOPHOUSE NEW ORLEANS
322 Magazine St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
Balvanera is an Argentine wine bar and steak-focused restaurant. We went with another couple, so we were able to try a bunch of stuff.
We started with four small plates:
Octopus
Roasted Beets
Blood Sausage
Burrata & Squash
All of these were really great, but I think we all sort of agreed that the octopus was the best, with the blood sausage either close behind or tied. Really great flavors on this stuff. The blood sausage had none of that grainy, irony, gamey flavor that you sometimes get with low quality or overcooked blood sausage. It had a sticky sweetness to it that was hard to describe. The octopus was so incredibly tender, and the Romesco sauce was killer.
We went with the 25oz, 28-day, dry-aged rib eye for our main course ($120).
This was cooked to a perfect medium rare, but it lacked a little bit of that dry-aged flavor. It was present mostly around the edges and along the bone. But that didn’t matter, because the flavor was so great. This is a solid 8/10 steak, potentially bordering on 9/10 if the aged flavor bumps up on future visits (definitely going back).
For dessert, we did a chocolate tart and flan. Both of these were pretty nice, but I think next time I will focus more on the small plates in the savory department instead of the sweet stuff.
My buddy told me about this place, and it looked so good that I needed to try it ASAP. We started with some nice cocktails and moved onto a trio of starters:
Stir Fried Manila Clams
Crispy Pork Jowl
Petite Filet Steak Tartare
These were all fantastic and unique. I think the tartare might have been my favorite, or perhaps dragging the pork jowl through the sauce that came with the clams. So delicious.
For entrees, we tried another trio:
Pad Kua Taley
Pan Roasted Pork Chop
Dry-Aged Rib Eye
These were great too, but a few slight criticisms: First, the noodles were excellent but the squid was a little bit overcooked. This was a delicious dish featuring wide/flat noodles and shrimp, squid, crabmeat, Asian celery, scallion, and sesame oil in a roasted chili sauce. Second, the pork chop was a little bit dry due to being overcooked. Thankfully, the salted chili lime sauce that it came with added that moisture and flavor back into it beautifully.
The steak is a great deal at $68 for 24oz of dry-aged beef on the bone. If I had to guess, this was choice grade. The roasted garlic with tomato, tamarind and dill flavors really help bring out its dry-aged characteristics. Bravo. 9/10.
For dessert, we had some more cocktails and a unique sweet and sticky rice dish that was topped with pumpkin custard.
I was reluctant to put this restaurant into my standard steakhouse review format with 100 points spread across ten categories. I think it would have made for an abnormally low score due to the structure of the review. But this place hits top marks for their bar and decor, with an inviting, bright, wide open and airy space. The flavors are so unique and new for the application into a chop house. The staff are all super friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and attentive. I really enjoyed this meal, and I can’t wait to go back to try the two other cuts of steak on the menu (strip and skirt), and perhaps some of the large format fish dishes as well.
TEAKWOOD THAI CHOPHOUSE
345 Greenwich, St.
New York, NY 10013
The rib eye with bone marrow and fried chives packs a ton of flavor. I’m not sure if there’s a lot of aged flavor happening, but we both enjoyed this steak.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 8
There are a few large format steaks and a few single portion steaks available on the menu here. I’m not really sure this place can be called a full blown steakhouse, but there is enough beef on the menu to justify the categorization.
Portion Size & Plating: 8
Portions are great here. The rib eye is 16oz, off the bone, which is pretty good. The only drawback is that the steak is skinny, and you run the risk of overcooking if you want a really good char on the outside. There was some gristle that I didn’t eat, but over all the fat was nice and tasty too.
Price: 7
The pricing here is scary. $85 for the 16oz rib eye seemd crazy to me. However, there are other places around the menu that are more budget friendly, and since this place is in the heart of midtown, you sort of have to expect crazy pricing.
Bar: 8
This place has a gorgeous bar at the entrance, and they mix up some great cocktails.
Specials and Other Meats: 7
The move here for “other meats” is to go with the tacos. We tried the carnitas, because we saw that there were two in the order; one for each of us.
The braised pork shank was good, but the sauce was slightly bland. I was expected a deeper, more earthy punch with heat.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 9
We loved the roasted truffle cauliflower app. It packed a ton of flavor and was huge. This could be a meal if you’re going veg.
I already mentioned the tacos above, which we had an an appetizer; and below in the seafood section I will touch on the octopus chicharrones.
The grilled mango dessert was unique and light, just what we wanted to close out the meal.
Seafood Selection: 8
There’s a nice selection of fish here. We tried the octopus chicharrones with our appetizers, and the meat was tender inside and crisp outside. Very nicely cooked.
Service: 10
Service was excellent here, as is expected when considering the location and the price. The chips and sauces that come to the table here on the house are fantastic.
Since we were celebrating a special occasion, they even gave us each a little passionfruit frozen martini on the house. Awesome!
Ambiance: 9
This place is absolutely gorgeous inside. It’s big, it smells good, and it isn’t too loud either. I would definitely go back to try more of the menu – especially the steak tacos.
I went to Sartiano’s with four of my law school buddies after a round or two of drinks at Zero Bond, so we were able to try a lot of stuff.
I apologize for the lack of quality images. I really just shot video here, so as to minimize my use of the light. All the pics below are screen grabs from my video.
The caviar cannoli were delicious bites of savory goodness. They’re pricey, but when you’re going big with a meal like Sartiano’s, you get these! As a matter of fact, these were on the house thanks to my friend being a regular here.
The steak tartare was one of the best I’ve had in a while. There were some crispy sunchokes on top that really made this dish pop!
The fried calamari was almost fried in like a tempura batter, and it came with fried slices of zucchini and squash. I really loved this. perfectly seasoned!
The baked clams are fantastic here. I highly recommend those as well. We grabbed two orders, that way everyone got a few. I actually forgot to mention these in the Ride & Review.
Even the Caesar salad was great. It’s served in layers; almost like a salad lasagna.
The tomahawk was pricey, but it was a solid 8/10 in terms of flavor. The aged flavor was mild, but they do dry-age meats on the premises. It was really nicely cooked (clearly grilled and not seared or broiled)), and adorned with delicious roasted garlic and herbs.
A real beauty.
The veal parm was excellent. This stole the show for us. It rivals Carbone, Ballato and all the other greats in the area. Perfectly crisp with some nice melty mozz and grated parm on tip.
We had some roasted carrots and smash-fried fingerling potatoes to go with the mains, but we also threw down on some pasta as well.
We even had some meatballs on the side, not realizing that we would be getting some more with the “Sunday Sauce.”
The “Sunday Sauce” has a serving of baked ziti (tubes arranged vertically in the dish for extra presentation points) along with a heaping bowl of tomato sauce with slow cooked short rib, sausage, and more meatballs within. Awesome.
We also tried the green cavatelli with Jonah crab, which was really nice and fresh. I wish I had the stomach space to eat more of this.
For dessert, we had some chocolate ice cream for my boring-ass friend Paul, and tiramisu. Both were great.
All in, this was a fantastic meal. I can definitely understand the hype for this place. If you can get a table, do it! Personally, I would love to go again if I could.
I contemplated reviewing this in my steakhouse template, with ten categories of ten points each, but it seems like the website calls this place a restaurant as opposed to a steakhouse. I think we are on the borderline, for sure. In any case, let’s get started…
For the appetizers, we went with fries and horseradish aioli, madai crudo and grilled artichokes.
These are all great but the fries took the cake. They’re an absolute must. It may seem like a waste to get one of the sauces, but the horseradish aioli will work well with your steak later on, so it’s not a bad deal to grab one. The madai was really fresh and bright, and had some added meatiness and texture from the sliced caperberries in the garnish. Great touch! The grilled artichokes really popped because of the mint on there. I haven’t ever had that combination of flavors before. I like it!
These little lobster and caviar rolls are delicious, but they’re $20ea.
On a second visit, we started with the wagyu French dip, which is probably the best item I’ve eaten here.
We also had the tuna tartare on another visit. This was perfect.
For our mains, we did the chicken paillard and the bone-in dry-aged strip steak. Both were incredible. The steak was perfectly cooked to medium rare and sported a mild aged flavor. I would definitely get this again. I give it a score of 9/10.
On a second visit, the dry-aged rib eye (boneless) pulled in with the same score. We also tried the 4oz Margaret River wagyu strip (boneless). Another 9/10.
On a third visit, another 9/10 for the filet.
The chicken was pounded super thin and almost had a potato chip crust on the top side. It comes with a really nice salad that had a good amount of acid in it. This was actually nice to cut the fat of the steak between bites.
For dessert, we had their apple pie with vanilla spice ice cream, and their Samoa cookie sundae. The apple pie was absolutely perfect, and it came with a little container of ice cream that reminded me of the kind you used to get from the ice cream truck, with the little paper tab on the top!
On a second visit, the little tub of ice cream was gone, but a nice raised glass was filled with a nicer ice cream. We also tried the Szechuan peppercorn -seasoned melon, which was nice.
That pie was probably the best dessert I’ve had in years. The sundae was good – a nice soft serve ice cream was under there – but over all there was a little bit too much salt content that took away from the Samoa flavors.
This place is definitely worth visiting again. I can’t wait to try more of their menu!
THE CORNER STORE
475 West Broadway
New York, NY 10012
