Joe Montagna from local food blog, Fat Kids Corner, visits De Vuursche Boer Pannenkoekenhuis by bike and tells Broadcast Amsterdam all about it.

Listen to (or read) his extremely enthusiastic report here.  Fat Kids Corner also goes out on Broadcast Amsterdam’s radio station during our regular local food slot on Saturday mornings,

De Vuursche Boer Pannenkoekenhuis

Dorpsstraat 34-36, 3749 AD, Lage Vuursche | +31 (6) 035-666 8213 | Circa 1959 | devuurscheboer.nl

“46 minutes by car, 57 minutes by train, 46 minutes if you hitchhike (seriously google maps!?), an hour and 47 minutes by bicycle, 7 hours if you walk …

De Vuurshce Boer Pannenkoekenhuis which translates to, “The Fiery Farmer” Pancake House in Lage Vuursche, Netherlands is sketched out of a storybook! “Over the river and through the woods, to Grandpa’s house we go…”

Actually, I don’t have time for “Opa,” today, I’m on my bike and 3km from completing my 35km cycle from Amsterdam to eat. Yeah I know, who the f&%@ cycles almost 70km (44 miles) roundtrip to get some pancakes!?

This FAT KID DOES!

Channeling my inner Daft Punk, “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” I cycle down the tree-lined, etched-out soil path of an enchanting forest that is straight out of a Bob Ross painting. Greens and browns, “Let’s build some happy little trees.”

I pull up, almost jumping off my bike as if the seat was on fire. No bike lock, it falls to the ground while I push through children and old women to get a seat. The menu has soups and sandwiches, coffee and teas, beer and wines, and of course sweet pancakes. But I’m looking for one thing and one thing only!

Words elude me as the server walks over.. “Wat wil je drinken?” I respond, “Pancakes!”

Lekker weertje vandaag, he? I respond, “Pancakes!”

Feeling like the “Rain Man” of pancakes, words re-enter my vocabulary, “Voor mij, Ardennerspek en Kaas [speck and cheese] alsjeblieft!”

FUN FACT: Pannenkoeken are usually larger (up to a foot in diameter) and much thinner than their American counterparts. They are pan-fried in butter and made from flour, milk, salt and eggs. Heerlijk!

“Speck”, if you didn’t know, is like bacon but better. Better than bacon!? YES! Better than bacon…

Jittery leg syndrome setting in, looking over my shoulder and day dreaming about pancakes, I glare at the waitress as she walks towards the table in what appears to be slow motion, praying nothing stops her progress..

Someone choking, whatever! Crying baby, shut up!  

I look down, whip away a tear as I see my pancake looking back at me. “Hello beautiful!”

Each bite better than the next, crispy, salty, pan-fried spek is placed geographically like “crop circles” around the pancake. Topped with traditional “Old Dutch Cheese”, the matrimony of butter, crispy, salty, cheesy, ooey gooey ingredients give you that fusion you look for in a long term relationship! But wait.. there’s more! Schenkstroop aka some kind of wonderful sweet syrup can be drizzled on top to give your pannenkoeken that sweet ‘n salty explosion you’ve been longing for!

Sadness starts to come over me as I take my last bite. Maybe it’s because the pannenkoeken is gone so quickly, maybe it’s that I now have to cycle 35km home.

Whatever, I don’t care. It’s worth it.”

Fat Kids Corner:

https://www.instagram.com/fatkidscorner/