Holland II: Rotterdam Rocks!

Holland II: Rotterdam Rocks! 150 150 David Rosengarten

Those of you who follow this Tuesday blog duly noted, I hope, on Tuesday, July 16, my new and abounding love for…Holland!…based on my glorious trip there this spring. That piece documented my ardor for Amsterdam–even though I didn’t get high once!–and I promised a second Dutch piece soon.

Here we go…for I was also ensnared by the city of Rotterdam, less than an hour away from the big capital. Indeed…Rotterdam, though my visit was brief…was the site of my favorite hotel in Holland…and my favorite restaurant!! If you save posts for your own future travels…make sure to keep this one in your Holland file!

First things first…let’s lay the scene…

Though my time on this trip was mostly in Amsterdam, I was taken for an overnight trip to Schiedam and nearby Rotterdam. Why?

The trip was sponsored by Ketel One vodka and, of course–in addition to proudly showing us Holland–the Nolet family (owners of Ketel One) also wanted to show us their massive distillery in Schiedam. The day started there.

As I wrote upon my return to NY…go to this small, fascinating city!

A Schiedam heraldic shield from the Middle Ages

A Schiedam heraldic shield from the Middle Ages

Schiedam achieved its prosperity through the grain trade, in the 17th century, which led to the distillation of grain for spirits. Grain was often stored in the high windmills, still surprising/disarming today as you walk the streets:

One of the many windmills in downtown Schiedam

One of the many windmills in downtown Schiedam

The mills still tower from a few blocks away

The mills still tower from a few blocks away

But there’s no mill in Schiedem like the Nolet family mill–reputedly the tallest in the Netherlands. It’s thrilling to walk up to the top and look out across tidy, charming Schiedam.

Nolet family members preparing to greet us at The Big Mill

Nolet family members preparing to greet us at The Big Mill

When you’re there, you might also want to take the Nolet distillery tour: it’s quite exciting to see the old stills that used to yield genever (a Dutch spirit), some of which are now producing Ketel One vodka for the world (and most importantly the U.S.).

The source of Ketel One vodka

The source of Ketel One vodka

By 5PM we were on a skiff, smashing the water en route to Holland’s second largest city, Rotterdam, just 15 minutes away. You enter, of course, through the port, which was the largest commercial port in the world until 2004 (when Shanghai overtook Rotterdam). It’s still pretty jaw-droppingly huge.

Some "container mountains" on the entry to Rotterdam's port

Some “container mountains” on the entry to Rotterdam’s port

When you get to town itself, you find a bittersweet place…in the midst of a great revival. Once a grand and proud city, Rotterdam’s centre was almost completely destroyed by the Luftwaffe on May 15, 1940; it was part of Hitler’s plan to demonstrate his strength and make Holland fall in a day. For many post-war decades, Rotterdam was a solemn place, not completely rebuilt, a sad reminder of past horrors.

But the civic authorities got the spirit (and I guess the cash!) in the 1980s and 1990s, re-building the town in modern, creative, surprising ways. I loved its energy in 2013, with lots of intriguing modernist buildings surrounding some old ones at the port…an architecture student’s delight.

And nightlife! And restaurants! And hotels!

Let’s start there…at Pincoffs, to be precise.

O…M…G. It’s possible that this is not only my favorite hotel of the Holland trip…this may be my favorite hotel of 2013 all over the world!

The key is care. Pincoffs Suite Hotel is owned by an energetic, young couple, Karen Hamerlynck and her husband Edwin van der Meijde, who used to be journalists at a large Rotterdam newspaper. But they decided finally to go for their dream…opening their own boutique hotel…which they did five years ago, in March 2008. And we are enriched by their choice.

They converted an 1879 Customs House (spared by the Luftwaffe) right on the riverfront of Rotterdam. It has old-world charm, as expressed by many period details.

Beautiful antique chair in a hallway

Beautiful antique chair in a hallway

Even the of-another-time ceiling height makes you swoon…

A high hallway outside my room

A high hallway outside my room

And what a high hallway means for your shower: 18 feet up to the showerhead!!!!

And what a high hallway means for your shower: 18 feet up to the showerhead!!!!

But there’s lots of crazy modernity in their vision too. I particularly love the cased-in tree and flowers in their bar…

The tree

The tree

Upon closer inspection, the tree amidst all its ironic funk

Upon closer inspection, the tree amidst all its ironic funk

In that bar is also a wall dedicated to the sparkling German rosé wine the couple had at their wedding…which they now commercialize as a Pincoff’s product….

Pincoff's sparkling wine mounted in the wall

Pincoff’s sparkling wine mounted in the wall

I didn’t eat here (except for a delicious breakfast), so I can’t advise on dinner. But I will sure try it on my next visit. Everything Karen and Edwin touch turns to gold, because they care so much. You can feel their joy in the hotel’s physicality and its spirituality. And they are golden with their guests, of course…even before they know they’re travel writers! The place hums with delicious paradoxes: relaxed but exciting, small but global. Go!

And if you do…you can then have dinner at my favorite restaurant in Holland…

The logo on the tiles…

The logo on the tiles…

Right in the revived Rotterdam port, Las Palmas is the brainchild of Herman den Blijker…

Herman, looking Colicchio-like

Herman, looking Colicchio-like

…who is Holland’s most famous TV chef. Now don’t get nervous…but Las Palmas was the subject of a reality show…in which Herman planned, built and opened the restaurant.

Something went right here…because this place is GREAT!

I knew I’d love it as soon as I saw the collection of Green Eggs right outside the front door–the Green Egg being one of my favorite grilling/smoking implements.

Green Eggs at the entrance of Las Palmas

Green Eggs at the entrance of Las Palmas

Then there’s the amazing, heartwarming, foodie-friendly feel of the long counter that’s cooking and dispensing food, along with the long parallel tables where we EAT the food.

One of our group leaders in front of the counter as we arrive

One of our group leaders in front of the counter as we arrive

The feel, unmistakably, is like all those great, hip places of the world today (Balthazar in NY, The DeLaunay in London) where foodies come to celebrate tippy-top ingredients cooked simply but knowingly.

As the fish on the tiles indicates, this is an outrageous place for local seafood…from oysters, to shellfish plateaux, to a warmed mix of shellfish, which was amazing…

Warmed seafood starter at Las Palmas

Warmed seafood starter at Las Palmas

…and beyond to Dutch exotica. The Dutch are crazy about their eels (rightly so)…and one of my favorite dishes at Las Palmas was from their great array of simple cooked things:

Smoked eel on risotto, with poached egg and beurre blanc

Smoked eel on risotto, with poached egg and beurre blanc

But I wouldn’t want you to think this is a seafood restaurant only. There is great salumi and charcuterie at the counter (their jamon iberico was like Spain!), as well as all kinds of ducky obsessions (duck rillettes in a preserving jar, outstanding duck confit).

But then comes the meat factor: veal, beef and lamb in an endless rotation of aging positions. There is so much focus on aging, that you can walk into Las Palmas and have a main course of differently-aged steaks, from a trio or quartet of different sources (Dutch, American, Australian, etc.).

Nothing says it like the glassed-in aging column right past the restaurant’s main door…in the reception lobby, right next to the receptionist…

Here's the beef

Here’s the beef

The beef rib you see above has been aging in this case for 40 months. 40 months! A great aged steak in NY may dare to go as high as five weeks! The chef assured me that when they finally decide to take it out of the display, and trim away most of it, what’s left inside will be the greatest steak you’ve ever tasted.

Foolish me, I actually dream of being there that night.

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