Restaurant Review: Tapas Portuguese Style

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

We are back in the northern Portuguese town of Vila Nova de Cerveira, this time we are eating out again Recanto de Vila, a Restaurant that specialises in “Tapas Variadas” (varieties of Tapas).

The day has been warm indeed, we are tired and as it’s late in the day.

We opt for a simple tapas meal, and with the last rays of the setting sun finds us seated outside with a simple meal of bread, meat and cheese, accompanied by a simple side salad of tomatoes and onion and some fries to indulge the kids.

Some of the best meals are this simple, the bread is soft and divine as usual and the meats are smoky.

The cheeses are creamy and go well with the meats… all in all we have a brilliant meal.

Had it not been so late already (and Little Mr. fading) I would have been interested in ordering something from the barbecue, if only to have been able to have had the novelty of seeing it cooked on this medieval looking, humongously solid machine.

The heat of the day and the tiredness of the kids however dictated common sense when choosing from the menu and all in all, our meal turned out very well indeed.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Verdict? … Yum!

A Menu, Short and Simple and Local, … Done Well and Obrigado!

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

We have arrived in the recreation area on the edge of  the small town of Vila Nova de Cerveira , Portugal.

There is the water park directly next door, and also a small cafe/restaurant here that Himself went into a few days ago to get cold drinks.

He and the kids were here mini-golfing at the time (expending some energy while I preferred to catch a nap back at our holiday house villa and to start investigating how my new camera worked).

Whilst he was inside the cafe he spied a blackboard menu for the restaurant.

It was a very short menu and very Portuguese.

We haven’t actually eaten out much so far since we have been cooking for ourselves at the villa or eating with Bing and Gea at Convivio.

Today after a day of leisure and laziness , some grocery shopping and an unsuccessful hunt for some flip flops that fit, Himself and I come to the conclusion that we really can’t be bothered to cook.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Himself remembers the little blackboard and suggests we come into Vila Nova de Cerveira to check it out, so here we are to investigate this further.

The full menu is on the blackboard and Himself does for a local specialty… a meaty stew.

The kids and I want something simple so opt to share some fried fish, salad, fries and rice. Something to please everyone!

Kiwidutch Daughter is feeling very hungry and in a small miraculous fit of adventure, asks if she can try the local soup.

She has only very recently discovered that she actually likes soup (Yes, I’ve been telling her for years it’s great but until now she’s been turning her nose up) so this is a big step forward and I’m even more proud of her being brave enough to go for a soup where none of us are even really sure of the ingredients.

It turns out to have a potato base that has a very similar taste to Vichyssoise, the main difference being that this soup was served warm.

There’s a green vegetable in it that is apparently a local specialty. Kiwi Daughter likes it and finishes most of it.. Well done indeed!!!

The Menu board says it’s called ” Nabiças” which Himself looked up later in his Portuguese Dictionary and found out was Turnip Leaf soup! Guess what? Turnip Leaf soup is good!

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Himself’s Cozida Portuguesa…  a type of stew with bacon, meat, beans, carrots, cabbage, potatoes…  and it met with Himself’s approval. I’m going to see if I can find a recipe for it in one of my Portuguese cookbooks.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Both kids make a good effort at dinner and are rewarded with ice-cream for dessert… (very sadly no Dulce de leche  on offer in the selection here)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Amazingly the whole meal was also very inexpensive.

So the summary is: good food to end a great day,… perfect holiday stuff. Obrigado (Thank You) Portugal!

Restaurant Review: Damons… and the road to Boston.

(photo © kiwidutch)

Sadly today we must be leaving Maine, and heading to Boston for our flight out in a few days. Mr. Four has already asked if he might be allowed “to have a Lake at home please”, something that we would  of course love but since we live in a crowded Dutch city,  many thousands of our Dutch neighbours who would have to be displaced to achieve it, so sorry little man, no Lake will be possible at home.

We have eaten well, seen many new things, relaxed and had fun in the lake, traveled around and had a brilliant time at the Bowerbank parade. The weeks have flown by and now home and jobs call so we must bid adieu.

Now we have done our packing, piled everything and everyone in to the car and we head south and east towards Boston. At first we pass though small towns and rural communities, later we link up to the interstate highways and get sped along in the multi lanes of traffic.

Then comes the inevitable cry from the back of the van… I’m hun-gry!” and after a pause, a murmur of accent from several others who stomachs are agreeing with this sentiment.

We also notice that the van is making a noise that doesn’t sound good  in the realm of mechanics, it literally sounds like a good time to stop and take stock of the situation. We find an exit off the highway and happen upon a small establishment called “ Damon’s”. They do Subs and pizzas and we take our hungry selves inside to see what they do that will please our fussy kids.

Lunch is simple, between us we are eating fries, one child orders a sandwich filled with meatballs that turns out to be huge…,  my friend has a bun filled with ham and pickles,  her husband a meal of shrimp, another kid, a bun with meat and melted cheese on top,  hubby gets a wrap, and I get some chili… and for mine at least  it’s OK,  It’s not the Bowerbank chili-cook-off kind of winner , but it’s tasty enough and it fills a gap. The staff are friendly and we are happy to have sorted out our hunger pangs.

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

The van is not sounding very healthy at the moment, we can’t figure out what it might be and can’t see anything… so we want to get to the outskirts of Boston as soon as we can and try and find out if it’s something serious or not.

(photo © kiwidutch)

We pass though numerous small towns and enjoy very much the  views along the way. We also pass though Old Orchard en route to Boston… Let me show you a little bit of our journey…

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)



(photo © kiwidutch)

Finally we come to a bridge… the sign tells us that we are entering Massachusetts …. we are almost there.

(photo © kiwidutch)

Restaurant Review: Broadleaf Guest Ranch and Restaurant

(photo © kiwidutch)

We have spent the morning walking around Hopewell Rocks, and enjoying a glorious day outside. Now it’s lunchtime and we are heading south via the Fundy Coastal Drive.

After a while it’s inevitable that the fresh air and exercise has an effect,  and conversation in the van turns to lunch. We keep a look-out for a diner or family establishment that have been our favourites so far.

This is how we came to stop at The Broadleaf Guest Ranch and Restaurant.

One thing is clear when we arrive: this Farm /Ranch has been very busy to make the most of what it has..  space and beautiful location, it has diversified to be a number of different things in the one place and also appears to serve the local community well, since the far end of the restaurant appeared to be getting ready to cater for a wedding when we  were there.

There is  guest accommodation available and  restaurant, but inside the restaurant there is also a gift/souvineer area, outside there are canoes, a covered wagon, picnic area and  horse riding, so it’s clear that there is a lot going on here at the Ranch.

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

It looks like a great place for an outdoor holiday.

Inside the Restaurant there are big couches by a fireplace that would be especially welcoming in the winter months, a play area with rocking horses and stuffed toys, so the kids can be kept amused until the food arrives.

(photo © kiwidutch)

Once again we are treated to some good home style cooking, and while  it is not haute cuisine, it is honest food at a reasonable price. Good Family fare, crowd pleasing food. The kids tuck in and enjoy their meals.

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

Although this is not the kind of food we would like to have every day, we enjoy ours too.

The sun is shining and while the kids are letting off a little steam running around outside, I take a little walk around to take some photos.

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

Restaurant Review: Sandpiper Restaurant, Port Philip, Nova Scotia.

(photo © kiwidutch)

We are in Port Philip, Nova Scotia,  Canada, and are returning to a restaurant that we saw earlier in the afternoon before we got distracted by the beach.

Last time we saw this place we looked in amazement because there was a long queue of people  lined up out the door, the car park was full to bursting and clearly this place was hot to trot  on the scale of popular local dining.

Now, almost two hours later, we pull in to the carpark to try our luck. Luckily the rush is mostly over and they have a table for us no problem. The kids have worked up an appetite and we sit down in anticipation. This establishment is well known  in the area.

We amuse ourselves with some very novel place-mats that depict clippings of old newspaper stories whilst we wait for our orders to arrive.

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

Our food arrives… once again we have found an excellent family business, the menu is not terribly extensive, but it doesn’t need to be, what these folks  cook, they cook well.

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

Everyone enjoys their main meal and then we approach the subject of dessert.

We ask and apparently the Pie is highly recommended. We ask what flavours and I knew my choice as soon as the words  “Lemon Merange”  were uttered… I think that coconut creme was also mentioned, but I was in such a delirium about the possibilities of Lemon Merange  that I might not have remembered that correctly…

(photo © kiwidutch)

The lemon Merangue was simply delectable…

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

We have had a wonderful meal… replete, happy and tired we end an amazing day.

(photo © kiwidutch)

Nova Scotia, seeking a swim and spying an intriguing scene…

(photo © kiwidutch)

We  are making a side trip to Canada and have just crossed over the border from New Brunswick into Nova Scotia.

We stop at  the visitor information center right on the border and afterwards pile  everyone back  into the van because we have a mission to complete. The  kids have requested that we find a beach so that they can go for a  swim. The weather is warm enough but it’s very windy, the afternoon is drawing steadily to a close so the race is on to find a suitable beach close by.  Armed with directions from the visitor centre, we start a small exploration of Nova Scotia.

We get off the main highway as quickly as possible and enjoy taking the small winding roads. Our navigational skills are tested when signs that we have been assured are present don’t appear anywhere, and at a certain point it’s clear that we have missed the side road we were looking for.

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

The road we are on has limited space for a U turn so it’s decided to turn around as soon as a convenient  spot is available and looking for this spot is how we passed a  family restaurant that immediately caught our attention.

So… what was unusual about the Restaurant we have just seen? Well, the fact that the car park was full to overflowing and that people were  patiently lined up outside the door in a substantial queue grabbed our attention instantly.

Clearly the locals know a good place to eat.

(photo © kiwidutch)

We make a mental note of where we are, do our U turn by the parking area and resolve to head back here after our beach mission. The sign to the beach is there as it turns out, but the sign is only on one side of the post, (opposite  to the way we were traveling the first time) so of course we missed it the first time around.

(photo © kiwidutch)

We arrive late afternoon at a little beach and the wind was far too blustery and a little too cool for a safe full swim.  Still, the girls enjoyed a paddle, shrieking and squealing  as the waves caught their legs and Mr. Four  got all excited about shells, driftwood and all manner of flotsam and jetsam on the beach.

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

We stayed for an hour and a half  whilst the kids let off steam and then somewhere a kid mentioned the ” I’m hun-gry” phrase that triggered a mass rush back to the van, a change out of sandy swimming costumes into dry clothes and as they giggled and huddled in the back, we retraced our steps back to a Family Restaurant that by now really intrigued us.

We arrived to find that the car park was now less packed and that a table for seven was no problem.

Restaurant Review: “Mel’s Tea Room”, Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada

(photo © elmotoo)

It shouldn’t surprise anyone who has traveled in a party of  seven persons that at any given moment you will probably have someone who comes out with the potential  activity stopping words” I’m hun-gry!”

Hopefully this phrase is not  voiced 25 minutes after you have paid for a breakfast that they said they were ” too full” to finish and hopefully it’s  also not one hour after a massive breakfast that you were rather amazed that  they did finish !

Either way it’s sure as eggs that once the “I’m hungry” cat has been let out of the bag that the thoughts of others  in the group will immediately turn to their stomaches and heaven help us if some days the morning started out looking like we would be hopping from one eating establishment to another ( especially if  kids had their way).

I am a firm believer  that the state of  ” starvation”  is only  bought on after  going without food for days on end and not by the first tummy rumble bought on by the sighting of an ice-cream sign in a shop window, and that treats are treats and not items  expected to be supplied by parents on demand ( in said child’s mind: seemingly every  hour or so)

Therefore, harsh Mama that I am, our kids  have to learn to live with their tummy rumbles and master the art of :

A) Patience  and self discipline.

B) The lesson that instant gratification is not  the way Life was meant to be.

C)  The realisation  that  in normal, fit, healthy and able children ( such as themselves)  these small pangs can be ignored with great safety for rather some hours without threat of death or  any kind calamity,

D)  That the addition of fresh air and exercise will make the later enjoyment of a larger meal much more enjoyable.

So no surprise then, that pitiful plea’s for ice-cream for the ” I’m hungry bunch “  immediately after breakfast were steadfastly ignored .

(photo © kiwidutch)

Herding the kids out into the fresh air for a decent walk around the Waterfowl Park has been a great experience, well enjoyed and now, with the distraction of an activity over, someone’s little voice in the back started pushed everyone’s “I’m hungry” buttons almost as soon as we were all loaded back into the van.

At least they have had the fresh air and exercise to have earned  lunch…  so we head into the heart of Sackville to look for an eatery that looks like it will survive a charge of ravenous children.

(photo © kiwidutch)

This is how we ended up in a fabulous diner called  “Mel’s “,  in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada.

This place is part shop at the front, and Diner at the rear. there are booths for the diners. Adults and smallest kid settle into one booth while the bigger girls gaggle together in the booth directly opposite .

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

The Kiwidutch adults are now getting better at knowing what to expect in this kind of eatery, so we order something simple that we know will go down without fuss for the kids…

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © elmotoo)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

Again we have found a family run eatery  that serves simple food cooked very well… The food is a hit, the staff are friendly and the atmosphere is easygoing and relaxed.

Mel’s Tea Rooms, Bridge Street, Sackville, NB, Canada.

Even Mr. Four manages his toasted sandwich with gusto and the girls do well with their lunches too.  All in all, we have a reasonable  lunch for a reasonable price. So if you are looking for a successful family lunch without hassle  then I would recommend Mel’s Tea Rooms.

The only point to Note: We discover that we can’t use our credit cards here, however there is a money machine on the premises and so I use  my “pin”  card to withdraw some cash  to pay our meal  instead.

Let’s take a look at the surrounding buildings … we love the fact that this is quite a large town that  retains a small town friendly  feel…

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

Restaurant Review: “Friendly’s”, West Hartford, Connecticut, USA.

(photo © kiwidutch)

After our bizarre Satellite Navigation Scenic Route arrival, we are at Friendly’s Restaurant in West Hartford, Connecticut.  Our friends who live in Pennsylvania love their local Friendly’s  so their kids are very excited about eating here tonight.

For the Kiwidutch Clan, this restaurant chain is unknown to us so we are going on another dining adventure.

We do have one dilemma, Mr. Four is seriously sleepy after his big day at the Children’s Museum, so we order a simple side order of a  few vegetables and add a sausage to it for him and ask the Staff  if it might be at all possible to get it some extra  attention in the kitchen so that it might   arrive before he gets too impossibly tired to eat it. They assure us that they will look into it…

Famous Last Words… after 25 minutes Mr. Four is snuggling up on his Papa’s lap  in pre-sleep mode so I go up to the kitchen/reception and ask nicely if his Child’s meal is anywhere in sight…  again, they say they will look into it.

Almost 20 minutes later food starts arriving on the table, to my consternation Mr. Four’s meal is still nowhere in sight even as the other kids meals have been served.  So much for trying their hardest to help us out. The Little Man himself has in the few last minutes  totally lost his battle with wakefulness and is now asleep on his Father’s shoulder… luckily there is a bench seat right next to us and the restaurant is now more than 80% empty so he sleeps stretched out there as the rest of us eat.

Kid number one has “Cheeseburger Sliders” … mini cheeseburgers served with waffle fries, pickle chips, mustard and ketchup.

(photo © kiwidutch)

Kid number two goes for “Dippin’ Chicken”… Chicken fingers with honey mustard, ketchup and BBQ sauce, with fries or side…

(photo © kiwidutch)

Kid number two follows up the main course with a ” Build your own Vol-Cone-O Sundae”  for dessert… before and after shots of the decorating process…

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

I order the Chicken Strips Basket…

(photo © kiwidutch)

One of our friends orders the Clamboat Basket…

(photo © kiwidutch)

The other orders New England Fish ‘n Chips…

(photo © kiwidutch)

Hubby goes for a Buffalo Bleu Burger

(photo © kiwidutch)

Forbidden Chocolate Sundae for dessert…

other Kid desserts…

(photo © kiwidutch)

Everyone is  starving  and so pleased to finially eat, but in the end I have to be honest  and say that this meal wasn’t particularly wonderful…. it’s  fairly much bog standard food, ok but not outstanding in any particular way. More a “fill-a-gap” meal.

I was also disappointed with the fact that  although we arrived after the usual meal time rush hour, and the restaurant is vastly more empty than full,  it has taken  45 minutes for food to arrive, and that a small and hopefully simple  request to staff for one  single side order of vegetables with a sausage on the side  for a very tired little boy could not be delivered for closer to 50 minutes.

The poor poppet  just couldn’t hold out that long so went to sleep hungry and I feel bad for him. How long should it take to make the meal in the following photo? surely not 50 minutes. ( The missing segment of sausage was eaten by the 1 year old in our party who has been sleeping all afternoon and was wide awake in the restaurant)

(photo © kiwidutch)

My daughter ordered a dessert thinking that it  had chocolate cookies,  but it was in fact peanut butter cookies… both my kids detest peanuts and peanut butter  with a vengeance so once she has tasted the first bite and realised this fact, she is in tears with disappointment. Then she discovers the icecream flavour is a different flavout than she thought too. We are not great consumers of  ice-cream so my kids are very much  into the the simple basic, ” vanilla/strawberry/chocolate ” varieties, pistachio or whatever other flavour it was, was a step too radical for her…

(photo © kiwidutch)

Himself  gallantly come to her rescue offering to eat  her dessert or her,  while I go to the front desk and order a small single scoop  ice-cream in a cone to replace her ice-cream  mis-selection…. the lady looks puzzled since she has just delivered a dessert for said kid… I explain our predicament  and she cheerfully hands me the small cone and tells me it’s on the house.

I must say that this last action tipped the balance between this place getting a tip or no tip tonight. For so-so-ish food and ridiculous slowness during a non busy time of service,  and seemingly indifferent staff, I was getting ready to forget the tip and give the place a very low rating indeed. The small act of kindness showed to my daughter made up somewhat  for the fact that  my poor son missed out on a meal completely and showed me that maybe tonight’s blunders were more the fault of the kitchen than of the serving staff.

We left a modest tip as a compromise and our friends assured us that their local Friendly’s usually served them inside 15 minutes and the food was better too.  They did laughingly mention one point..” we go to a Friendly’s more for the ice-cream than for the meals” .. . it was a very telling remark… now that I have evaluated the food, I think it shows and that they are right.

I’d rate this Friendly’s a 4 out of 10 for food and probably a 6/10 for the ice-cream, if they hadn’t gone the extra mile on Daughters dessert I think I would have been tougher and given it a 3 out of 10.

Since our friends love their local outlet, I don’t wish to tar all member’s of a Restaurant chain with the same brush, but I will say that I think this particular Friendly’s let’s the side down.

Another small consolation is that at least we don’t take the long way home.. the small distance  back to our hotel is covered in a few minutes and our soundly sleeping boy is transfered to his bed…

(photo © kiwidutch)

Restaurant Review: The Nor’easter in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine.

(photo © kiwidutch)

The kids are having fun at the lake with my friends and their family, we have some errands to run in town and so Hubby and I take the chance to walk a bit though the lovely town of Dover-Foxcroft and feeling peckish we stop at a restaurant called the “Nor’easter”.

The staff are friendly and our waitress didn’t mind in the least to explain the many items on the menu that we are unfamiliar with. Intrigued by our non-American accents, she inquired as to where we are from and tells us that some other Dutch people passed though here about a month ago, but that they don’t often get visitors from outside of the USA and she is delighted that we chose their restaurant to come to for a meal in town.

The menu is extensive and it takes us a while to work out what we fancy trying…

In the end I go for the Chicken Tenders, served with mashed potato and gravy, and Hubby opts for Lobster Roll served with fries and coleslaw.

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

While we wait for our orders to arrive, we look at some wonderful old photographs of the town on the walls and a black and white map of the local Lake Sebek . The map has a long numbered list of all the “Camps” and the owners names in a key along the sides. It ‘s not too current but I notice that a lot of surnames repeat, sometimes on adjoining lots, sometimes in specific parts of the lake, and this tells me that many families have a deep history with the area that goes back not just one generation but many, and that this a place that they come to, and grow up with, as children, as adults and the tradition of “coming to Camp” is a very special one.

Clearly our delight in being invited here is shared with all of these people.

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

The glass covering the photos mean that getting a good shot of them is more difficult than I thought… oh well, so is it sometimes, you can’t always get the perfect shot. I then focus the camera on the beer that DH orders… not a really Dark Beer as he prefers but nice enough and he enjoys it with his meal.

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

Our meals taste great and we are seduced  by the dessert menu… Hubby thinks that the Chocolate Cream Pie looks good but I have the idea that the Icecream Pie has my name on it. The desserts arrive.. Hubby’s is buried under a lavish amount of whipped cream, not my cup of tea, but exactly as he likes it.

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

I adore both the ice cream filling and pie crust is a whole new flavour to me, so I ask the waitress and she tells me that it is their own restaurant recipe and tells me all about “graham crackers” . at first I have to supress a laugh… “cracker” ? they are salty things that you put cheese onto, right? No, apparently Graham Crackers are sweet and a standard favourite in American sweet pie or cheesecake crusts.

I remark to Hubby that we will certainly be making sure that some Graham Crackers are packed into our suitcase so that I can try and attempt to make a sweet pie crust like this in The Netherlands.

We are delighted with our food, the service and the luxury of a quiet lunch together. I don’t think that the length of our trip will allow us to return to the restaurant again, but if we end up coming back in a few years time then it’s on my list for a return visit for sure. Even though I rate fairly severely and award higher grades only in truly exceptional cases, I wouldn’t hesitate to Rate this Restaurant a well earned 8 out of 10.

(photo © kiwidutch)

Restaurant Review: “AVGVSTVS” Reinkenstraat cafe, The Hague.

(photo © kiwidutch)

Eating out together sans enfants is a small luxury that we don’t get to enjoy too often, but unexpected weekend playdates got both kids out the house at the same time and we opted for “AVGVSTVS Reinkenstraat cafe” because we were in the area running an errand and fancied pasta. We settle in an the place is quiet but looks good…

We order and almost instantly things get off on the wrong foot. I have ordered a cola light and requested please that it be without ice, and it came with ice. If the place was packed and staff were rushed then I could understand but there are only three other tables other than ours occupied, so surely staff should be able to remember such a simple request.

We have a fairly limited time to squeeze in lunch, get to our next appointment in the vicinity and then collect the children. We skip the entrée’s and head straight for the main courses. We don’t intend to be ordering dessert. My husband orders the Spaghetti Bolognase and I order the Salmon Pasta.

There is no cutlery on the table.. it is supplied in a small packets at the same time as the food, and it’s instantly clear once I unwrap it that my set of cutlery is FILTHY. Since the waitress has left already I go up and request a second set of cutlery. It is duly supplied but when I open it, it is missing a spoon, we were too pressed for time to ask for a third set…

(photo © kiwidutch)

Next problem was that the plates were dirty with food all around the edges, plating up done so badly, I had to clean up the majority of the splatter before taking the photos, and for me this is not a good sign at all. My thought as a cook is instantly that when a food establishment is sloppy in the kitchen with what we can see, makes me seriously wonder what they are sloppy with in the kitchen that we can’t see.

I know that I spent a moment or two getting more cutlery, but I was fairly quick as I want hot food to be served and eaten hot. (in fact that’s one thing that’s very high on my list of essential “Must Have’s” in a restaurant.) I took a bite and it would be polite to say that the food was lukewarm. It was darned near cold, and no, I hadn’t ordered a salmon “salad” , this is supposed to be a hot main course. The plate had definitely not been heated at all, and no spoon made eating it less manageable, but our alloted time, or lack of it didn’t allow for messing around.

Yes indeed, I would have mentioned it to the staff … but they never turned up at the table to ask if your meal was satisfactory. Another simple and basic restaurant “No No” because this is the point where the Chef /Owner and staff have a chance to rectify any problem that the customer is having, and if they do that, the customer has far far less chance and cause to complain.. or in my case, give a bad review. It’s a pity, because word of mouth is (or should be) your restaurants best form of advertising.

(photo © kiwidutch)

(photo © kiwidutch)

Salmon Pasta (photo © kiwidutch)

Spaghetti (photo © kiwidutch)

My Salmon Pasta, in spite of being almost cold was well cooked and tasted good… but Husband was having a completely different problem: he simply had such a minuscule portion that he hardly felt like he had eaten at all. There was no bread, no additional salad or vegetable provided with the meal, and in both meals the serving of pasta was very small indeed.

(photo © kiwidutch)

We left, without providing a tip, Hubby was grumpy because he was starving and we didn’t have time to get anything else, so an hour and a half later as soon as we got home he started making himself sandwiches… not ideal when your have paid for Lunch out. He has decided that he never wants to eat here again, and that’s a pity because my pasta was quite tasty,… I definiately had the better meal of the two of us, shame it wasn’t served nearly hot enough.

I try very hard to take factors like the lunchtime rush into consideration, but in this case we had arrived just after 13.00 and it wasn’t like the cafe was rushed off it’s feet and the premises was packed with diners, there was plenty of time for the staff and the kitchen to have made a better effort at service and with the food.

Finally my over all Rating of our meal : Sadly this gets 2/10 and that’s only because my lunch was actually tasty.

(photo © kiwidutch)