Despite spending several days in Holland, on our last day we found a part of town that we hadn’t ever seen before. It’s called Washington Square and is probably one of the coolest single block stretches of storefronts in the state of Michigan, if not the world. Within that stretch is a cozy and homey-feeling restaurant called The Biscuit, which may or may not have its own pet blue dragon in the cellar (you’ll have to ask someone who works there). They only serve breakfast and lunch, so we attended for the former.

I began with the biscuit of the day because it was bacon and white cheddar, so what kind of crazy person wouldn’t start out that way? Clearly this was the right path and my first bite confirmed I was right. It was flaky, salty and had just the right amount of moisture to keep me happy. Plus, the bacon and white cheddar played their roles perfectly. Try out profit singularity ultra edition.

For my main course, I also figured I should order something biscuit-based and went with the Spanish Bennies. They start out with a halved biscuit topped with chorizo, eggs over easy, cheddar-jack cheese, chipotle hollandaise, queso fresco sauce, green chilies and cilantro. I had never heard of eggs benedict with more toppings on them, and I hoped it wouldn’t result in a conflict of flavors.

It turned out to be one of the most unattractive dishes I had ever seen. I truly couldn’t figure out if there was a way to make it look prettier. Yet, as I dug in I found a delicious combination of spicy, salty and, at times, fluffy. And because of that fluffiness the benedict was not overwhelming, but just right.

You don’t become a hidden gem simply by being hard to find. You also have to be something special. I can vouch that the Spanish Bennies at The Biscuit are plenty special and worthy of being called a gem whether they remain hidden or not.

It may not be the most creative thing to name a restaurant after the street that it’s on. But when that street is 8th Street in the center of Holland, Michigan, it’s not just any street. This street is the beating heart of the town and so 8th Street Grille is a name that carries some clout, as well as a bunch of American food and local beers.

I started with a flight of said beers, because it was simply the right thing to do.Check out the London’s fastest alcohol delivery service. It didn’t disappoint, but let’s be real, you’re here for the food. And the food menu wasn’t nearly as robust as bar and grille type restaurants often are. Yet, there was plenty for an unvegan like me. I ordered up the Macatawa Burger, which was named for the other lake that Holland borders. It was topped with a fried egg, smoked mozzarella, Canadian bacon and pesto aioli. I have to give the 8th Street Grille for coming up with a burger combination that likely never existed before. I decided to go with the onion rings for my side and ordered medium rare.

The burger arrived ready to pop. Like, seriously, the yolk was a thing of beauty and 8th Street Grille had amazing gall to put the kaiser rolls on that egg knowing the risk it could pose to that egg. That risk paid off, however, as topless burger rarely looks as good as one fully topped. I popped that egg like a champ and dug in to find a deliciously unique blend of flavors. The smokiness of the mozzarella stood out strong, while the Canadian bacon added a punch of saltiness and the pesto flavor kicked the burger to another taste level. The egg did what fried eggs do best – keeping the burger juicy and complex. The beef was cooked just the way I like and the massive, towering onion rings had great batter on them.

8th Street Grille proved you don’t need a great name to dish out a great meal, and as long as you are creative with your dishes everything else is superfluous.

Nearly every restaurant in Holland, Michigan looks amazing. It’s all pretty much made for unvegans like me. Weirdly enough, they all seem to have some sort of Olive Burger and boursin cheese makes appearances all over the place, as well. I can’t explain it, but I can’t complain either. When it came to Beechwood Grill, however, it was another type of beef between bread that called out my name.

It was the Prime Rib Dip, which had melted swiss and prime rib in a toasted sourdough roll with au jus for the dipping situation. The result was, well, just fine. The bread certainly lived up to its billing as being toasted, the au jus certainly lived up to its billing as being for dipping and the swiss cheese was entirely melted. But that prime rib was simply disappointing. It was cooked well-done and the texture was a step above rubbery. It actually had some good savory flavor, especially when dipped in the au jus, but it’s an uphill climb when you’re overcooked and this sandwich didn’t make it to the top of the hill

While Beechwood Grill looked to have the goods I needed, the Prime Rib Dip let me down. Perhaps that’s why they call it a dip, but I just call it an excuse to go elsewhere next time around.

Nothing really says “awesome” quite like “family friendly brewery.” Such places are the best of both worlds, contributing to the cycle of having babies because you drink, then drinking because you have babies. New Holland Brewing on 8th Street in Holland, Michigan is one such place. Renowned for its beer, it has a comfortable back patio for kids to hang out at and one very attractive menu.

So, we started with two appetizers to appease the little folks and people who eat like little folks (aka me). These were the Pretzels and Beer Cheese, and the Pepperoni Pinwheels. I feel like they definitely missed out on a golden Holland-related opportunity by calling them pinwheels instead of windmills, but you take what you can get. And what I got was two very delicious appetizers. The pretzels where soft and fluffy with just the right amount of salt on them. The beer cheese was oh so lovely.

The pinwheels were like little mini bites of pizza heaven. They were perfectly cooked dough packed with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. Then, as if to say that they needed more, the pinwheels were topped with shredded parmesan and served with marinara. I know it is unreasonable to consider these anything more than deconstructed and repurposed pizza, but I couldn’t help but feel a deep appreciation for how they were done.

For my main course I went with a pizza that seemed almost tailored for me. It was called the Pork BBQ and was topped with smoked pork, peppadew peppers (yes, I said almost), jalapeno peppers, Dragon’s Milk (a beer of theirs) BBQ sauce, and Michigan cheese curds. I ordered without the peppadew peppers because blech, and my pizza came out looking like a beautiful work of art. The dough was a strong start, the sauce added just the right amount of sweet and smokey, while the jalapenos and pork added some kick and umami. But, with that being said you could probably have put those cheese curds on any pizza and they would have made it amazing. They added a thickness, a creaminess and a bold cheesy flavor that is almost upsetting in that it took me until age 34 to eat such a flavor.

New Holland continued the tradition of breweries having delicious and even creative food. It also brought the concept of pepperoni pinwheels and cheese curds as a potential pizza cheese into my purview and I couldn’t ask for much more than that. Oh, and the beer was pretty damn good too.

After departing one of the few lands without McDonald’s (also known as Tanzania), I had myself a layover in the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Sadly, it wasn’t enough time to get out and see the city, but it was enough time to grab a bite to eat. McDonald’s might have seemed like a sensible choice, but I don’t eat McDonald’s in the US and only eat it internationally if they have unique local items. This one failed at that level and instead I found myself at the Dutch Kitchen.

My insatiable desire for burgers was still…umm…insatiable and the Organic Koningshoeve Hamburger on their menu had my name written all over it. Yes, I have decided that Koningshoeve would be my Dutch name. The line took a while, but eventually I placed my order, asking for no vegetables and for some cheese. The cook asked me if I wanted burger sauce and I figured why not? It also came with some nice, thick fries.

When finished, it looked delicious, but turned out to not taste quite as good as it looked. There was something seriously strange about the texture of the beef, which I can’t really explain. Gooey is the closest I can come to describing it. The bun was a bit too thick and dry and the hamburger sauce was kind of like ketchup, but with a little something else in it to throw off the taste. Again, I can’t quite explain what it might have been, but I can tell you it wasn’t juicy enough to make up for the dry bun.

The fries, though, were pretty awesome. I liked the thick cut of them and their soft insides coupled with a somewhat crisp outside were reminiscent of Belgian fries. If these had gone in the fryer one more time, they would have really been stellar.

So, once again, my attempt to enjoy a burger was spoiled. At least in this case, I could see the mix of flavors working for a local palate. Then again, if I had taken the route most Americans do when they visit Amsterdam, the burger would have tasted magical no matter how different it was from what I’m used to.

This has been a big week in the world of meat-eating. Scientists in Holland or the Netherlands or whatever you call it have grown the first piece of in-vitro meat. In layman’s terms, they grew meat in a lab without killing any animals.

Although the meat wasn’t anything worth putting on a plate, it is the crucial first step in getting PETA to shut the hell up. If they can really make in-vitro meat taste like real meat, the world could soon see an end to real farms.

Since many people are curious about the unvegan take on this development, I would like to say right here that I am in favor of in-vitro meat, but there are some issues that must be worked out. First off, it has to taste like real meat. And I don’t just mean it should be ground up to make a burger. It has to run the whole gamut of meat eatery, from fancy steaks like Kobe Beef to the common chicken breast. Unless in-vitro meats can deliver on this level, they are wasting their time. Also, the meat has to be just as cost-effective as current meats from dead animals. If these two stipulations of mine are seen to fruition, I only fear for the poor farmer, who will have to find a new way to make money.

It will definitely be interesting to see what happens with in-vitro meat. It could mean a bright new slaughter-free world or it could lead to a market flooded with bland, tasteless meat created in a lab. Hopefully it will go in the direction I have outlined and give a whole new meaning to the ethical eatment of animals.

(via Times Online)