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A
lone bicyclist in Maastricht. Photo:
JH. |
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The
walk. One thing that makes this place seem more like a
town than the city that it is, is the paucity of cars on the
streets. Oh, there are lots of cars, but somehow they are strangely
mainly absent in this part of the city which is the old town
of Maastricht. As a result people walk to any destination within
a mile or three.
Many of the local citizens, especially the younger ones, bicycle.
Although there are inclines, there are few steep hills, so
it looks relatively easy, exercise-wise. Unlike the cyclists
we are used to in New York who are aggressive and even threatening
when you’re in their path, be they delivery boys or exercise
freaks, the cyclists here are gentle and seem to almost glide
effortlessly by as they move along the narrow lanes.
The streets. The
sidewalks are often bricked and the roadways are neatly cobbled.
Because there
are so few cars passing through (none
parked on the streets themselves), pedestrians, especially
tourists like myself who are less aware of the lay of the land,
often walk in the roadway. It is necessary to watch out for
oncoming bicycles, but it doesn’t seem risky or hazardous.
Yesterday at lunchtime we went down to one of the main squares
in the old part of the city not far from the Kruisherenhotel
where we’re staying. When I say “old,” I
refer only to the age of the buildings. Most are brick or stone
and date back to the 17th century and further. They are mainly
narrow -- 15 or 20 feet wide, with two or three stories, and
look beautifully solid and well maintained. Many have businesses
on the ground floor -- shops, restaurants (a lot of little
restaurants), clothing and shoe stores, etc., and above are
apartments.
In the main square, which looks to be the size of a New York
City block, is a cathedral dating back four or five centuries,
and occupying most of one side. In the center there is only
an empty bandstand. The other three sides are business thoroughfares
occupied mainly by restaurants and cafes, one right after the
other.
Although it was chilly (not cold) yesterday afternoon, the
cafes were set up for business outside, warmed, under tents
by overhead electric heaters which can be warm enough so that,
like JH yesterday, you can’t sit under them for long.
After an unremarkable lunch (I had a grilled ham and cheese
sandwich, JH had some kind of chicken with hot sauce and chopped
vegetables concoction), we took a walk down some of the many
narrow cobblestoned streets (no cars allowed at all) in the
shopping district. Again many many restaurants, clothing stores
(Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Max Mara), shoe shops, camera shops,
women’s boutiques, more restaurants, cheese shops. And
lots of shoppers out strolling. We stopped to watch a man roasting
coffee beans in the window of one.
And then we came to the river where many of the buildings looked
like small private apartment houses with views of the newer
part of the city across the way. |
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| Left:
Beginning our walk in Maastricht. |
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| Lunching
at an outdoor cafe; walking the streets; Roasting coffee
beans in the window of a local shop. |
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Above: DPC digging into his onion soup and washing it down with a
Grolsch.
More eating and drinking (below, left) and immersed
in reading (below,
right). |
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| A
vast collection of
bikes along the Maas. |
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A
construction worker with a killer view.
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Walking
back to the hotel to freshen up and prepare for “Sculpture
Highlights Maastricht” at La Bonbonniere later that
night.
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Tobias
and Peter Hardt of Gallerie Peter Hardt |
Scenes
at Antigüedades Linares, Madrid Spain.
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| Left: Christian
Niederhuber and Oliver Habel of Numisart-Ancient Art,
Munich. |
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| Peeking
through the window of Cafe Bonbonniere. |
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| More
sultry dinner scenes from Cafe
Bonbonniere; Walking
to catch our taxi to Beluga. |
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After
a look around and JH’s glances with the Digital, we called for a taxi to take us to dinner. Dinner was at
a restaurant called Beluga. We first heard about it from Mildred
Snacker, the hospitality manager at the Kruisheren.
She spoke of it with pride and enthusiam, the only restaurant
in Maastricht with two stars in the Guide Michelin. As
a result it is not so easy to get a table, at least last
minute. Mildred tried to no avail to make a reservation
for us early in the day. However, late in the afternoon,
she learned that they had a cancellation and could take
us about quarter to nine.
Beluga is located on the other side of the river from the old town, in what is
a very modern and corporate part of the city. The restaurant itself is sleek
and glass and steel modern also. We were met at the entrance by a very pretty
and serious young blonde woman in a black pantsuit named Daniëlle
de Boer. She and the chef, Hans van Wolde are partners
(and formerly married) in the restaurant which they started almost six years
ago.
All of the waitstaff, men and women, were dressed in black suits. Once seated
we were brought two menus -- the tasting and the bill of fare. We ordered champagne
(Charles Heidseick) and water. Shortly after our champagne arrived we were brought
a tasting of small morsels on small rectangular plates. I cannot tell you what
it was, (although it was explained), except for the first morsel, which was green
(powdered herbs, caked, with a powdered beet covering). Taste? Fantastic, subtle,
surprising. Each item was wildly creative to this stodgy bourgeois palette, and
just enough to wish for more which was sated instantly by the next surprising
morsel.
As we were eating, the chef suddenly appeared at table with menus and greeting.
Van Wolde is very friendly fellow, with a bearish frame and the earnest demeanor
of a good ambassador. He briefly explained the menu which was specially named
Menu Tefaf.
The
tasting menu (5 courses without lobster for 125
euros and 6 courses for 140 euros):
Turban-shaped pie of goat cheese and ginger with
marinated coquilles St. Jacques, spring vegetables,
sour tomato surrounded by roasted rice and a light
lavendar vinaigrette.
Pink pepper and caramel shell filled with spider crab, crab liver, Ocietra caviar
and light iron wort mayonaisse.
Medallions of lobster accompanied by asparagus, preserved raisins, capers and
a clear lemon leaf sauce with star anise.
Asparagus from Venilo with wild turbot, oyster dumpling pickled pumpkin and an
asparagus and camomile sauce.
Wieden Lamb from Giethoorn, in different preparations.
Two springtime desserts. |
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It is
rare that you go to any restaurant, fancy or simple, where
you’re
paid a visit by the chef. It has occasionally happened to us because they might
know that we are from the NYSD and will write about it. But otherwise, it is
a rarity. Not at Beluga, we noticed during the course of the evening.
We ordered one tasting menu and one a la carte dinner of medaillons of lobster
followed by Limburg (the province of Maastricht) chicken, none of which was prepared
or served like an ordinary lobster or chicken dinner, and all of which was profoundly
and wildly delicious. This was interspersed by a few small tasting items sent
with the compliments of the chef.
I am not quite a finicky eater, nor a gourmand, so there can be a lingering suspicion
about the delicate and intricate food preparations offered up by a very special
restaurant like Beluga. That said, I must say that everything was excellent,
full of surprise and delight and all as welcoming as chef himself. At tables
all around us could be seen the same expressions of delight and satisfaction
with what was put before them. The service, which I must say is characteristic
in my experience of the Netherlands, was friendly and efficient.
After the main courses we visited the kitchen to get a picture of the chef and
his staff. It is an open kitchen and in full view of certain tables, all of which
were occupied at the time. The staff all got together in what looked like full
cameraderie for us, and the guests looking on from their tables seemed to enjoy
their posing for JH as much as they did. |
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| Compliments
of the chef: Eggs prepared in three diffferent ways with
pureed carrots and apples (right). |
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Turban-shaped
pie of goat cheese and ginger with marinated coquilles
St. Jacques, spring vegetables, sour tomato surrounded
by roasted rice and a light lavendar vinaigrette. |
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Top left: Crisp shell of caramel and
pink peppers filled with crab liver, Ocietra caviar and light
iron wort mayonnaise. Tight Preparation and spooning.
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Medallions
of lobster accompanied by asparagus, preserved raisins, capers
and
a clear lemon leaf sauce with star anise. |
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| Asparagus
from Venilo with wild turbot, oyster dumpling pickled
pumpkin and an
asparagus and camomile sauce. |
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Wieden
Lamb from Giethoorn, in different preparations. |
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| Hans
van Wolde (second from left) and
his spirited team. |
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| Clockwise
from top left: Two
springtime desserts; Hans
van Wolde and Daniëlle de Boer; The dining room
at the end of the evening. |
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| JH
and DPC back at the Kruisherenhotel. |
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