Vandaag

103 2nd Ave., East Village, NY

7.8

map & more

Neighborhood
East Village

Cuisine
Dutch

Nearby
Mercury Lounge
Webster Hall

212-253-0470

Official Website

By Andrew Steinthal
October 20, 2010

Dutch food? Not necessarily something we’re well versed in. The closest we’ve ever come to going down this road in NYC resulted in bed bugs scare at White Slab Palace and that was Scandinavian food, not Dutch. Close enough. You can’t help but look up and down this ultra slick, uber-modern European cafe and wonder, WTF is this place doing in the East Village? Daring to be different, that’s what they’re doing.

The hype train has left the station on Vandaag. The NY Times, NY Mag and Time Out have all dropped their seal of approval. At first, we didn’t know what to make of it, and we struggled to master the menu. But after a couple of trips, we figured out how to navigate and are officially ready to hop on the bandwagon. The menu isn’t perfect, and it takes time to figure out – but dishes like Bitterballen (braised oxtail croquettes) and the Hen for Two provide the structure for an excellent meal. We liked the adventure of working our way through the unique menu and finding the good stuff…maybe even getting a little freaked out along the way. We’re also not mad at coming here for just a drink or two – the spacious bar area offers up array of interesting seasonal wine, beer and infused aquavit cocktails crafted by Clover Club’s Katie Stipe. There’s even an impressive list of Dutch and European beers you’ve never heard of and probably won’t remember, because one will get you wasted.

Food Rundown:

Bread Basket
Yes, paying for bread is annoying, but if it means you’re getting bread of the highest quality, we’re OK with it. This basket is a collection of homemade flat, raisin, country wheat and country white, served with a duo of spreads: lentil-sumac and an insanely good gin butter.

Spice Tree
One of the best cocktails I’ve consumed in recent memory. Look at this thing, it’s beautiful: apple and ras el hanout infused akvavit, applejack, lemon, honey crisp syrup & egg white.

Pickled Oyster
Apparently the Dutch like to pickle things. Vandaag offers up a rotation of pickled seasonal vegetables, sausage and, their signature – oysters. We’ve heard a lot about this pickled bivalve, but sadly it just didn’t do it for us. We prefer our oysters classic with mignonette rather than pickled with consommé. It’s worth trying for yourself, but definitely not our thing.

Romaine with Sausage Crumble
A fixture on the menu and a crisp, refreshing appetizer option with a nice herring vinaigrette.

Bitterballen
Now we’re talking. Perfectly seasoned coquettes of slow braised oxtail served with a mustard relish. This is the best thing on the menu.

Grilled Bacon
A couple of bites of this rich, smoky, fatty, melt in your mouth open face bacon sandwich is all you need, and those couple bites are indeed delightful. The herbed honey mustard is also nice touch.

Vandaag “Ham” Burger
This isn’t your typical burger. This is a crazy blend of pork and dry aged beef, wrapped in bacon and served with gouda cheese and charred onions. Rich, juicy and definitely different than any burger we’ve had before…it’s almost like a pâté. We liked it, but it’s probably better to share rather than order your own.

Hete Bliksem ‘Hot Lightning’
Crispy fingerlings, bacon and apple in a thick, molasses-esque syrup. Real tasty. Real bad for you. Hot Heart Attack.

Little Neck Clams
A big bowl of clams served with aquavit, vanilla, spicy allepo pepper and covered with crispy parsnip frites. They love cooking with Nordic spirits at Vandaag, but, in our opinion, the aquavit was the only thing wrong with this dish. It gave the broth a funky taste we weren’t into.

Hen for Two
This is where it’s at right here. White and dark meat with leg confit (best part) on toast, potatoes and dandelion greens to share. Don’t think twice. Order it.