Fred

This is an old post from my previous blog, but I think it fits right in :) I wrote this post in January of this year.

Since three years my boyfriend and I have the tradition to not give each other presents for x-mas, instead we go to a good (read: Michelin-starred) restaurant together. We've been to Ivy and Parkheuvel. Last Saturday we went to Fred. 

Fred's interior. This was exactly the view we had! :-)

We had three beautiful courses. 

Starters:

- Creamy minced veal with gherkins and capers, a crispy sesame wafer, homemade pickles and langoustines lightly braised in olive oil served with basil & lime mayonnaise.

- Thin sliced Irish oxtail steak marinated in a dressing of vintage balsamic vinegar with homemade filet americain, crispy bacon parmesan cheese and horseradish.

Mains:

- Roasted sea bass with fried langoustine served with curry risotto and a langoustine crème

- Gently fried halibut served with a tartar of smoked Ijsselmeer Eel, beure blanc and beetroot

Desserts: I forgot!

One was a merengue with raspberries, poached rhubarb and a sorbet of yoghurt en lime. 

All was delicious!!

Creamy minced veal & langoustines

The bizarre ladies' room of Fred.
Mirrors everywhere!

Very special faucet

Moi in the ladies' 

In front of our beautiful graffiti-painting from Argentina! Looks like I've got horns :D

. . .

My outfit for the night:

Dress - H&M

Bolero - Hema

Tights - Hema

Shoes - Neotango

Necklace - Received for my birthday about 5 years ago

Ring - Juan Vellavsky Joyas
. . .

Amarone - best restaurant in Rotterdam

I was very happy when my boyfriend took me to Amarone for my birthday. This Michelin-starred restaurant is my all time favourite! Of course I haven't been in all the restaurants in the city, but I've sure been in a lot. I've been at Amarone three times now, twice for dinner en once for lunch. All three times were awesome!

If you go there, my advice is to take the chef's menu. The last time one of us ate à la carte, but these dishes weren't as good as the menu. The food always tastes great, you can expect exciting ingredients, combinations and structures. I always take the menu of accomplishing wines, because a good meal is nothing without a good glass of wine!

The crew at Amarone is great. They know exactly how to adjust to their customers, so they don't make us feel uncomfortable with too much formality. And I just love how they re-fold your napkin when you go to the bathroom! :)

So if you really want to surprise someone you love, who loooooves good food & wine, take him or her to Amarone!

A Proposito

I think I haven't told you yet that I'm a real foodie :) I love good food (& wine of course, which absolutely needs to go with good food). Today I had lunch with my mother, and because she couldn't walk really far (bad knee), I was searching for a good place nearby the Central Station (of Rotterdam). I love Lebkov for coffee, and I know their sandwiches are great, but it's just not that 'gezellig' (dutch word for cosy/nice/good atmosphere) for lunch. On the other side of the station there's A Proposito. It never looked very appealing to me, but I heard that it was good, and after a look on the internet I was convinced. Only good reviews! And they deserve it! We shared these two dishes:

Bruschetta with gorgonzola dulce, sundried tomate, balsamicodressing & more

Pasta with salmon, shrimps, tomato & more

It was great! I recommend this place to everyone. Prices are around €10 for antipasti en pasta and around €20 for meat and fish dishes. Our lunch was about €40 (two dishes, two glasses of wine, one cappuccino, two espresso). They're only open on weekdays (lunch & dinner).

Buon appetito!