The tiny storefronts in Amsterdam are quaint and inviting. The narrow streets, cobblestone sidewalks, the low rise townhouses (many of them askew/leaning after 300+ years in existence) all make for a wonderful visitor experience. On the same street as the De Kaaskamer Cheese Shop, were two other notable food destinations… the first, was Pompadour, a dessert and sweets shop that looked like another gem just like De Kaaskamer. The tarts and cakes on display in the window screamed calorie overload and since we already had some triple cream cheese wrapped up and ready to eat, we were uncharacteristically self controlled and passed on more potential heart attack material. I regret not buying or eating (they served at small tables indoors) something on the first pass as the shop was closed for the next two days and I never got to try anything from them, bummer. But our guidebook seems to think they are worth the visit, albeit at nosebleed prices…
Another notable food store just a few meters down the street from the cheese shop was a 
small and unimposing bakery with really cool lettering on their signage. Bakkerij Paul Annee is perhaps one of the best bakeries in Amsterdam but with just a few loaves of bread on display in the window you would be forgiven if you bypassed it. Pass here and pick up some artisanal whole wheat breads and get several wedges of cheese at De Kaaskamer and a tart or two at Pompadour and head to the nearest park bench and have a wonderful meal…
One of the first things I noticed in Amsterdam was the abundance of “instant or take away food.†Convenience must command a premium and on nearly every block there is an Indonesian, Middle Eastern, Noodle, Pizza & Pasta takeaway place. 
Even the grocery we were two blocks away from was chockfull of ready to eat salads, microwavable meals, meats in ready to cook portions with accompanying spices. Everyone seems to buy their dinner in single or double portions on their way home from work; the ultimate take “tale out” scenario, if you ask me… Even washing and hulling strawberries seems like too much work for the busy denizens of Amsterdam… The upside of this is that finding a quick easy meal is a breeze: pizza, falafels, salads, noodles, Indonesian and other ethnic foods are all easily acessible though expensive for the most part. We didn’t really eat much “Dutch food†while there except for some herring, lots of cheese and bread…
2 Responses
Well, even the dutch themselves agree that their cuisine is nothing to write home about. They should be thankful for their Indonesian ‘colonial connection’. (i like the fresh herring w onions though)
Godd stuff, marketman, keep us all posted. plenty of snaps please!
Oh…I have now the idea what would be the name of our dream bakery especiallizing one of a kind breads. It’s Bakery JB with really cool lettering on the signage. A bakery combined with a restaurant having short orders like pizza, noodles, tacos, etc.. Kids would love these kind of food. Thank you MM for sharing.