I am currently in Amsterdam, a few days before presenting Algorithms in CSS at CSS Day! Amsterdam is a delightful place, and the coffee shop scene does not disappoint. I soon remembered that “coffee shop” means something different in Amsterdam – I am referring to the traditional coffee shops with actual coffee and pastries.
My location at the moment is Monks Coffee Roasters in the Da Costabuurt neighborhood that is a bit west of the main part of the city. It’s a very, very pleasant area – lots of cute stores and restaurants and chill, Dutch vibes (I don’t know enough about Dutch culture to really say what Dutch vibes are, but I feel like it would be this).
Let’s talk about this muffin. It is (well, was…it is gone now) a spinach-feta muffin. I’m usually not so into the savory pastries – especially feta because it can be a little harsh and dried out and not good (I think I am remembering an spinach feta bagel from Einstein’s Bagels…not good). This one just looked so incredibly fresh and perfect though, I had to get it. And I’m glad I did! There were toasted sunflower seeds on top, a couple of roasted cherry tomatoes for color, and the spinach-feta-dough part was just heavenly. The feta was subtle, the spinach was fresh and bright green and still had some texture to it, and the muffin part had a mild sweetness that inspired a whole new understanding of “savory pastry”.
So, congratulations to Spinach-Feta Muffin at Monks Coffee Roasters in Amsterdam for being the Best Muffin Of My Life So Far, and the inaugural recipient of this prestigious award!