About a year passed, and I tried again the other night - a Tuesday to be exact. The place was empty and we were seated right away. We had wine - which was quite nice for a house wine - and ordered a number of hot and cold tapas.

Some were good, others mediocre. Honestly, I wasn't incredibly excited about what they had to offer. But the ambiance was nice, and I'm glad I've experienced it. Oh, and they had this lovely little box that held the tea selection (pictured here).

Tapas en Zo is located at Oude Rijn 1a, right about the corner from the bi-weekly market. It's open Tuesday through Sunday from 5:30pm.

I perused the shelves for about 30 minutes and purchased some tasty offerings like cheese, whole-wheat pitas and peanut butter. Then I snapped a photo and headed home to do some research.

Puur, which just opened a couple weeks ago, is owned by an organic wholesaler called Kroon. Beyond a great assortment of packaged organic products they also offer fresh made quiche, lasagna, soups, etc. They bake fresh bread in the store, and boast a wide selection of organic wines and coffees.

Not to mention that the store is really beautiful, the staff friendly and the organization spectacular. Definitely one to check out! For a huge selection of photos check this link.

I found myself in the Jordaan this weekend, and had a hankering for Spanish food. Amsterdam's Jordaan neighborhood is surprisingly packed with highly rated options for tapas. Let me share three of my best finds with you:

1) La Oliva Pintxos y Vinos - Egelantiersstraat 122. La Olivia has its own Hyve and describes itself as a wine bar and restaurant that focuses on tapas and other Spanish specialties from the north of Spain.

2) Tasca Bellota - Herenstraat 22. The New York Times Travel review describes Tasca Bellota as "A high-end tapas bar that draws young professionals and families from nearby neighborhoods. A rustic-modern space with avocado green walls and smooth pine tables, it serves small Mediterranean dishes like chicken in a honey sauce and grilled scallops in butter."

3) Jottum, Taberna - 1e Anjeliersdwarsstraat 17. Taberna Jottum is listed on iens and is listed as another great option for tapas, with friendly staff and is open seven days a week.

Buen provecho!

Picture it, a rainy fall day, and you find yourself walking the old streets in the heart of Amsterdam. When the rain stops long enough you manage to snap some photos of the old buildings. Despite the weather, the beauty of the city makes it all worth it, as so many had told you before.

At some point you find yourself on the Prinsengracht, almost at the Amstel River. You're taking photos of the famous 7 bridges view, and as you put away the camera you notice some kind of square up ahead. A beautiful square actually, surrounded by the old buildings, with a small white church in it, known as Amstelveld. And right there behind the church you spot a restaurant-café with a red lettered sign: "Nel"

Walking inside you notice Nel is cozy. Though the outdoor seating is no doubt lovely on a sunny day, inside there is alot going on on both the restaurant and café side. You see the menu is a bit pricier than the usual places, but it all looks so good, you decide to go for a hot cocoa and a slice of apple pie. There are plenty of pies to choose from, but you decide its an apple pie kind of day. A decision you later realize was a wise one, as the pie is delicious.
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Nel isn't like most places in Amsterdam, both for its local, its warm sphere mixed with spacious interior, there's something special about it. Go see for yourself.

If you're going to be in Zwolle and you like good food, you may want to check out the annual Zwolle Culinair, a culinary exhibition featuring 20 of the city's top restaurants. The three-day culinary event allows visitors to look over the shoulder, so to speak, of the chefs and kitchen staff as they create some of their best and most interesting dishes. Special catering-related workshops and demonstrations are also on offer.

After years of being located at the Broerenkerk, the event has outgrown the location and will be held this year at Deltion College. The larger space has allowed more restaurants to participate in this special culinary exhibit. The added space will also allow more visitors to take part and try out more of the restaurants.

The event takes place October 23-25 at Deltion College, Mozartlaan 15, 8031 AA Zwolle. Entrance is free while tastings from the various restaurant exhibitors may range in price from €1-6 usually. Opening hours are Friday, 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Space is first come, first served, so you may want to get there early. The website (in Dutch) lists the various participating restaurants.

Every 5 months or so I find my way up to Groningen. A pleasant 2 hour train ride from Amsterdam, the moment I step out of the station I get the sensation that the air is somehow nicer to breathe and everyone seems so relaxed.

Unfortunately for me, I forgot that on mondays alot of Groningen is closed, especially restaurants outside the absolute center of the city. The choices seemed quite limited once lunchtime came around.

Fortunately my local guide took me to a café/restaurant known as Puur. A good sized open kitchen and a long menu full of choices, Puur is a pretty popular place for students and non-students alike. The main choices are between a regular sandwich, a club sandwich, and a delicious Tomato ciabatta; all of which you can choose from a good amount of non veggie and veggie options. (more meat than non meat, admittedly). The menu also features alot of fresh juice or milkshake options, and to finish the job - a selection of baked goods made on premises.

Puur is not dirt cheap but it is also not a budget buster. The place also does a good job standing by its name - offering food made from fresh and fair-trade ingredients. Highly recommend when you make your next visit to Groningen.

Address and Directions on their website.

I have the good fortune, as someone who loves Ethiopian cuisine, of living within 10 minute biking distance of 3 restaurants that serve Ethiopian cuisine. I like to periodically eat at a different one every month, making sure that I support them all and while getting a chance to experience the slight differences in cuisine.

Abyssinia, located at the beginning of the J.P Hijestraat, is one of the three restaurants that specializes in Eritrean and Ethiopian food. In existence since 1995, for as long as I've been going there it has long seemed cozy and not all that big as far as restaurants go. That is until this year when the restaurant expanded into the space of the former eyeglass store next door. The result is the same welcoming atmosphere with great Ethiopian Jazz and delicious dishes for meat eaters and vegetarians alike- only bigger and with more natural light.

While I have respect for all the Ethiopian restaurants in the Oud West of Amsterdam, with its new found space and palette pleasing menu, Abyssinia is one you should definitely try.

There seems to be a trend of a new kind of café and bakery in Amsterdam. Over the past 8 years a type of breakfast-lunch café that bakes its own bread, scones, and pies has sprung up in different corners of the city. These places are usually large with a classic 1950's bakery look to them, complete with old-school dishware and homemade jams.

While my lunch partner went for the french breakfast consisting of croissants and jam, I went for a dry goat cheese sandwich served on excellent homemade bread. We topped off the meal with 2 pies, one of pure chocolate, and one of lemon. The pure chocolate won best pie as far as our taste buds were concerned, but the lemon managed to bring joy in its own right.

If you're just heading into or out of town and near the train station, make a quick turn and try out Gebroeders Niemeijer. Your stomach will be pleased with the caliber of food that awaits you.

August 14-16 will see the Railway Museum (Spoorwegmuseum) in Utrecht take on an Indonesian flair as the museum celebrates Pasar Perron. For the 16th year, the museum helps to celebrate Indonesian culture by becoming an original and entertaining marketplace. Enjoy food, music, demonstrations, film screenings, dancing and shopping as the museum and its trains and stations become like another land.

Part of the reason for this annual celebration is the famous Indonesian wood-burning steam locomotive, which now makes its home at the Railway Museum. You can see this train, known as the Sri Gunung, or Mountain Queen, in World 3 of the museum. The price of entry for the Pasar Perron is the usual entrance fee for the museum.For more information about the festival and the museum, visit the museum's website. Information about the event is available only in Dutch, but the site does include information about the museum itself in English.

When I lived in Amsterdam, I was just a five-minute walk from the fabulous Noordermarkt, located in the Jordaan on the corner of the Westerstraat and the Prinsengracht. Though I love Leiden's markets the Noordermarkt is still the best market I've experienced in the Netherlands.

What makes this market special? For one, it's full of organic goods - fruits and vegetables, but also honey, breads, cheeses, and tea. More than 30 stalls are set up every Saturday from early in the morning until about 4pm.

I highly recommend making time to visit the Noordermarkt, especially in the summer. But winter can be equally charming, especially with all those nearby cafes where you can enjoy a coffee or cocoa.