Vincent Vega On Amsterdam

There is a classic scene in the movie Pulp Fiction where two filthy-mouthed thugs discuss some variations in fast food naming between the USA and Europe. The point of it is that you can see some of the finer differences in society when you go into another country's McDonald's -- a restaurant (as Mr. Rizzo says) that you can depend on to get the exact same cheeseburger no matter where in the world you might be.

A few examples: In Taiwan, I had a typical McDonald's burger but instead of a bread, the bun was a fried cake of savory moist rice. In Japan, instead of Filet O Fish, it was Filet O Shrimp. In England... well, the only difference we have noticed is they don't even bother with trying to toss a salad. It's also the one place we can depend on to get a fountain Coke with lots of ice.

The biggest difference in Amsterdam is the french fries, or the 'frites' as they would say, are offered with mayonnaise in addition to or more likely, instead of , ketchup. There are restaurants that only sell french fries and offer a wide assortment of sauces, including the typical ketchup but also mayo, garlic sauce, green peppercorn sauce, ranch, sambal (spicy chili sauce), curry sauce, tartar sauce, and so on. And a small Amsterdam fry is like a large American fry. They love their taters. I had mine with sambal and also sambal mixed with Rach's mayonnaise. We had these as perfect midnight snacks more than once.

In honor, sort of, of all of that, here are some quick shots of various fast food in Amsterdam. Top right is McDonald's. Standard stuff except in Dutch.

Next is FEBO. This is like a giant vending machine with a Popeye's in the back that only sells chicken and fries. I don't quite get it. You can walk up, put money in a slot, open a door and get a hot cheese croquette. Or you can go to a counter in the back and get take out fried chicken. Maybe its the influence of the Red Light district that the folks in Amsterdam want to see their food in a glass box before they commit.

Next is Maoz (a Spencer favorite, I hear). Falafel is basically a deep-fried ball of ground and spiced chickpeas. At Maoz, the top menu choice is a handful of these crispy, rich balls stuffed into a fluffy pita, then topped with anything you want from the 'salad bar'. The salad bar has pickled beets, hot peppers, lettuces, a tomato-ish relish, cukes, some other salads, and a few sauces. This is some of the best cheap food I saw in Amsterdam -- you can use that salad bar to supersize your meal for notta. Maoz has recently expanded into the USA and has shops in New York and Philadelphia, too.

In a few places, we saw what I guess we would call a herring vendor. Its the Dutch version of sushi, served from street-side booths. Take a herring, clean it, then slide it down your throat. No cooking involved, but maybe you have a pickle with it. I wasn't feeling up to trying this one just yet but the Dutch, I hear, love it.

Lastly, the American hot dog. On lots of street corners, especially in the museum areas, there was no problem at all getting a taste of the USA. This hot dog here was even wearing an American flag and self-applying his own ketchup. You don't see that every day.

For those viewing in a safe environment, here is the real movie clip from Pulp Fiction. For those that can't watch, I offer another safer, friendlier parody of the same clip that has mostly lost its relevance.

Cheers!