The First Date...
Biased on the start…I’ve been pretty Minneapolis-centric with my
eating out habits in 2012. So when I was over in St. Paul for some
musical happenings a week ago and saw an enticing food list at the
Amsterdam Bar and Hall, I figured I’d give Minneapolis’s quirky twin
another go. So here you are Minnesota, food review numero uno. KPlow
and Fork visit St. Paul.
The Findings:
BEWARE! Biking to St. Paul from Minneapolis via Summit Avenue is shockingly entertaining. Sorry Mpls, St. Paul has you beat!
First, there were hordes of graying half-century plus men in bike gangs dressed in overly tight fitting spandex. Note: bulges accentuated in all the wrong places.
Think this guy, but more grey and and mid-thigh tights!
Round two, smoking weed in farm trucks with your boys before hitting up the wedding party, dressed in your finest formal wear has migrated from the rural areas and is now all the rage across the river. Remember, keep your windows down too so you can really give the cops the thumbs up when you see them! Finally, do make sure to attempt to bike in St. Paul, near the Xcel Center when a Friday night Coldplay concert start time is in t minus one hour. Screw Mall of America, the people watching crown has moved to the streets pre-Coldplay concerto.
Alright, enough with transportation ramblings, onto the food.
As I had previously mentioned, the menu really had me excited. See here. A charcuterie plate, fried Danish starchy goodness, a salad with cured salmon…sadly however the descriptions created high expectations that unfortunately, did not measure up.
To begin, the food arrived in cardboard trays save for the charcuterie platter.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure they save hordes of money and are saving some unfortunate soul the horrors of having to be a dishwasher (oh yes, I have been there) but really people? Cardboard is for food trucks. If I’m going to pay you money for a sit-down meal, at least give me some cheap Corelle dishes. Thank god they opted out on the plastic fork, knifes and spoons.
What did arrive was decent but by no means worth the money spent when I could have paid the same price for grub of higher caliber and on a plate, for certain, back over the river. The sliders my dining cohorts ordered were fine, and there were a variety of appealing morsel to fill the fluffy little potato buns, but it was just what the menu said and nothing more. The prosciutto was just prosciutto, the cheese, just cheese. There wasn’t a balsamic onion reduction with rosemary and freshly cracked pepper with the cheese. Or for that matter, a red wine infused fig compote to accompany the prosciutto. Come on people. Get with making scrumptious little morsels even more delicious. White Castle was made for a reason, crank it up a notch!
The charcuterie plate (which, if you are unfamiliar with the term 'charcuterie,' is cured meats, sausages, pates, terrines, etc) was generic.
The prosciutto was dry and well aged but there was some form
of bone sliced into the meat, which is something I have never encounter
eating prosciutto before. The summer sausage was generic in taste and
in the visual department as well. I probably think it was bought from
Costco. The terrine was overly spiced with cloves while the bacon
wrapped around the outside did not help with the flavor. Olives…generic.
Pickled onions overly sweet with no acidity. Blah.
The gem and shining moment both times I have been to the Amsterdam has been the fries.
If you are in the area do swing by for these bad boys. They are
thick cut, loaded with salt and pepper, properly fried and come with a
wide array of dipping sauces to further delish them up. They also work
perfectly in the cardboard tray. Attention Amsterdam, just stick with
the fries.
Well, folks, there you have it. KPlow’s endorsements for today: If the Amsterdam were a first date, I don’t think they'd deserve a round two. Save your time, and money for that matter. Head for a sit down meal at a gastro pub/bar like Pat’s Tap where you can get some food on an actual plate that had more than a few minute prep time and will excite instead of de-light your taste buds.
However, if I met the Amsterdam again I wouldn’t be opposed for getting a cheap drink if I was in the area. And if you are there and have the munchies I would encourage you to fork out the few bucks for the fries.
Nice to meet you Amsterdam. Maybe I’ll see you around, but don’t expect a call back.
Big thanks to KPlow for making her inaugural contribution to Newest Industry. For more of KPlow's views on food, be sure to check her blog Nettlefetter. Always an intriguing read.
As always, this blog is on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) and on the Facebook. Stop by and give us a 'like' if you have a chance.
The Findings:
BEWARE! Biking to St. Paul from Minneapolis via Summit Avenue is shockingly entertaining. Sorry Mpls, St. Paul has you beat!
First, there were hordes of graying half-century plus men in bike gangs dressed in overly tight fitting spandex. Note: bulges accentuated in all the wrong places.
 |
| (Photo via Metro) |
Round two, smoking weed in farm trucks with your boys before hitting up the wedding party, dressed in your finest formal wear has migrated from the rural areas and is now all the rage across the river. Remember, keep your windows down too so you can really give the cops the thumbs up when you see them! Finally, do make sure to attempt to bike in St. Paul, near the Xcel Center when a Friday night Coldplay concert start time is in t minus one hour. Screw Mall of America, the people watching crown has moved to the streets pre-Coldplay concerto.
Alright, enough with transportation ramblings, onto the food.
As I had previously mentioned, the menu really had me excited. See here. A charcuterie plate, fried Danish starchy goodness, a salad with cured salmon…sadly however the descriptions created high expectations that unfortunately, did not measure up.
To begin, the food arrived in cardboard trays save for the charcuterie platter.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure they save hordes of money and are saving some unfortunate soul the horrors of having to be a dishwasher (oh yes, I have been there) but really people? Cardboard is for food trucks. If I’m going to pay you money for a sit-down meal, at least give me some cheap Corelle dishes. Thank god they opted out on the plastic fork, knifes and spoons.
What did arrive was decent but by no means worth the money spent when I could have paid the same price for grub of higher caliber and on a plate, for certain, back over the river. The sliders my dining cohorts ordered were fine, and there were a variety of appealing morsel to fill the fluffy little potato buns, but it was just what the menu said and nothing more. The prosciutto was just prosciutto, the cheese, just cheese. There wasn’t a balsamic onion reduction with rosemary and freshly cracked pepper with the cheese. Or for that matter, a red wine infused fig compote to accompany the prosciutto. Come on people. Get with making scrumptious little morsels even more delicious. White Castle was made for a reason, crank it up a notch!
The charcuterie plate (which, if you are unfamiliar with the term 'charcuterie,' is cured meats, sausages, pates, terrines, etc) was generic.
The gem and shining moment both times I have been to the Amsterdam has been the fries.
Well, folks, there you have it. KPlow’s endorsements for today: If the Amsterdam were a first date, I don’t think they'd deserve a round two. Save your time, and money for that matter. Head for a sit down meal at a gastro pub/bar like Pat’s Tap where you can get some food on an actual plate that had more than a few minute prep time and will excite instead of de-light your taste buds.
However, if I met the Amsterdam again I wouldn’t be opposed for getting a cheap drink if I was in the area. And if you are there and have the munchies I would encourage you to fork out the few bucks for the fries.
Nice to meet you Amsterdam. Maybe I’ll see you around, but don’t expect a call back.
Big thanks to KPlow for making her inaugural contribution to Newest Industry. For more of KPlow's views on food, be sure to check her blog Nettlefetter. Always an intriguing read.
As always, this blog is on Twitter (@NewestIndustry1) and on the Facebook. Stop by and give us a 'like' if you have a chance.
No comments:
Post a Comment