PhillyFoodGuys Take Amsterdam

Greetings from Amsterdam! After a great deal of planning, the PhillyFoodGuys are visiting Holland and Belgium for a dose of culture, food and beer. No, we’re not going to afflict you with cheesy vacation photos and tales of our drunken escapades, but we thought that we’d point out a few differences that we’ve noticed between restaurants in Holland and Belgium versus their
American cousins, such as:

Beer is Taken Seriously - From the quality and flavor of the beer, to the type of glass used to serve it, beer is given a great deal of attention. Honestly, while I expected a significant difference from American beers, the Dutch and Belgian beers we sampled beat the pants off their American counterparts. The consensus is that the beers we tried were more flavorful, less carbonated and pack less of a punch (even with a higher alcohol content). Maybe we should stop by Monk’s, Eulogy or Zot here in Philly to get “educated.”

Emphasis on Local Products - Everywhere we went, local restaurants use and express pride in their higher quality, locally produced foods and beverages. Unfortunately, I think that our senses are often dulled by our appetite for lower cost, globally produced foodstuffs which often tend to be of lower quality.

Was our perception of food quality just a “vacation halo effect?” I don’t think so. I admire our hosts’ emphasis on using local produce and I’m going to follow their lead. I think I’ll start paying more attention by and checking out a few online resources like: Farm To Philly , Fair Food Farmstand and Local Food Philly.

Gezellig - (he-ZEL-ick) is a term that encompasses the heart of Dutch culture, but is also difficult to define. We found that restaurant service often epitomizes Gezellig, which can be described as a comfortable, easy-going vibe. Therefore, while service is attentive, it’s not rushed. Bartenders, food servers and hostesses are always willing to stop for a brief chat or offer some helpful advice. Diner’s can occupy a table for an extended period with impunity and the check must be requested. It takes some getting used to, but became really enjoyable.

Will Gezellig ever visit Philly? I hope so. From being known as a difficult sports town and for booing Santa Claus, Philadelphia has blossomed into an attractive cosmopolitan city with a growing cafe culture. Let’s keep it going by embracing the concept of Gezellig.

Overall, we’ve had a great time and we’re looking forward to coming home. Of course, our observations are generalizations; there are plenty of restaurants in Philly and elsewhere that offer hiqh quality meals and great experiences. Unfortunately, I can’t help but think that for all the great characteristics of the US, sometimes our hurried pace and “good enough” mentality does us a disservice. What do you think?

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