"I am only recently, by profession, a restaurant critic."

June 27, 2012 3:46 PM

"Bohemians in Benelux", a culinary travelogue through Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Luxembourg in eleven parts by Chris Onstad
posted by griphus (22 comments total)

It's amazing how my brain went from "could not possibly care less about this" go "going to read now" as soon as I hit "Chris Onstad".
posted by brennen at 4:02 PM on June 27, 2012 [7 favorites]

That was pretty good. I was wondering what became of him when Achewood seemed to stop being his full-time gig.
posted by codacorolla at 4:06 PM on June 27, 2012

He likes us, he says so - and we like food, we have great food - but he spends only one day here and eats only an eel roll and drinks a McDonald's milkshake? WTF?
posted by likeso at 4:07 PM on June 27, 2012 [3 favorites]

likeso: He likes us, he says so - and we like food, we have great food - but he spends only one day here and eats only an eel roll and drinks a McDonald's milkshake? WTF?

His work is usually some form of satire, surrealism, both, or sometimes neither, and I'm afraid that's all the explanation you're likely to get.
posted by gilrain at 4:20 PM on June 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

Thodore' screaming fit about catering Roast Beef's wedding was the single greatest thing anyone could say about the matrix of issues surrounding modern food ever.
posted by The Whelk at 4:40 PM on June 27, 2012 [4 favorites]

The Whelk: Thodore' screaming fit about catering Roast Beef's wedding was the single greatest thing anyone could say about the matrix of issues surrounding modern food ever.

You say that and then don't link it.
posted by gilrain at 4:46 PM on June 27, 2012

WHEN I SMELL THE ALPO BAR
posted by The Whelk at 4:48 PM on June 27, 2012 [2 favorites]

"Bohemians in Benelux"

Bohemians? Yuppies, surely.

I bet they're not even Czech or anything.
posted by Sys Rq at 5:39 PM on June 27, 2012 [3 favorites]

Chris Onstad is an award-winning American cartoonist best known for creating the Achewood universe. A shameless spectator of the world's high and low food and cooking, he is also the resident restaurant critic for the Portland Mercury.

!!!
posted by The Prawn Reproach at 6:51 PM on June 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

I GOT ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT WITHOUT YOU BEIN' A VITTLES BITCH !
posted by brennen at 6:58 PM on June 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

I guess if he can't produce anything funny or inventive anymore he might as well be completely unread.
posted by clockzero at 7:23 PM on June 27, 2012 [2 favorites]

Whaaaat? Thanks for posting!
posted by chinston at 7:26 PM on June 27, 2012

I guess if he can't produce anything funny or inventive anymore he might as well be completely unread.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I dug the Saveur article. His writing for the Mercury seems fun as well.
posted by Sticherbeast at 7:56 PM on June 27, 2012 [3 favorites]

I'm amusing myself with the idea that this foray into food criticism is simply another blurring of the lines between the Achewood universe and real life, much like the cookbooks and character blogs. I am waiting to see if Roast Beef ("FOODIE: This is not a word. Don't use it.") makes a guest appearance in the Portland Mercury.

Thanks for posting this, griphus! Made my day.
posted by rhythm and booze at 11:32 PM on June 27, 2012

Clueless. Belgium is absolutely fabulous when it comes to food. The writer misses it entirely. Amateur. Not best of the web.
posted by Goofyy at 11:54 PM on June 27, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'm totally thrown off by the Bohemian reference. My family is from Bohemia, what does that region in the Czech Republic have to do with Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Luxembourg? I bet the jackass who wrote this article doesn't even know Bohemia exists.
posted by Jurbano at 1:52 AM on June 28, 2012

"Bohemian" is also a very, very, very common term for an artist/writer type. Since Onstad and his wife are travelling bohemians, the reference makes perfect sense.

Would you be shocked to learn that one can speak laconically, without also speaking Greek?
posted by Sticherbeast at 4:38 AM on June 28, 2012 [3 favorites]

Clueless. Belgium is absolutely fabulous when it comes to food. The writer misses it entirely. Amateur. Not best of the web.

I went to Quik once.
posted by mippy at 6:02 AM on June 28, 2012

I'm currently sitting in our office which is situated at the top of the canal pictured in the article, and just round the corner from us, ie, to the right of the camera viewpoint, and about 100 meters along, is an absolutely glorious. intimate restaurant which is Michelin-star quality but without the star. Loads of great restaurants in Amsterdam. But nah, herring and McDonalds.
posted by daveje at 9:27 AM on June 28, 2012

Also just around the corner is a fabulous bar specializing in the very best of Dutch beer ... and he's drinking Amstel??
posted by Elizabeth the Thirteenth at 9:46 AM on June 28, 2012

Not even herring, l'il dave, eel. Dat is de Leidsegracht, he?

Damn "casuals".

I enjoyed reading about my beloved future home, but how does a Portlander gloss over the vital difference between a fixie and an omafiets? One coasts and one doesn't. It's called a coaster brake for goodness sake.

Ok I'll get off my snark paard now. Ik wil en Palm, alsjebleift.

Dag.
posted by humboldt32 at 1:09 PM on June 28, 2012

Metafilter: snark paard.
posted by knile at 12:39 AM on June 29, 2012