Wes Schreutelkamp’s favorites #4

Sommeliers, butchers and pub owners, as well as owners of cookery shops, bartenders and chefs, share where they like to eat and drink in their own city. This week: Wes Schreutelkamp, manager of WT Urban Cafe & Kitchen in Utrecht’s water tower, shares his favorite spots in the cathedral city.

Where do you go for breakfast outside the home?

Good breakfast spots are sorely missed in Utrecht. When I have breakfast outside the home, it’s often a quick snack, or otherwise I go to De Rechtbank, where they have an extensive breakfast buffet for € 12.50, including scrambled eggs, muesli and juice.

What is your favorite bakery?

Bond & Smolders has the best pastries in Utrecht. If you want something delicious, get it there.

And your favorite butcher?

If you need a good piece of meat, you should go to Keurslager Van Schip. I also work with him from time to time. He doesn’t supply restaurants, but recently he did show the staff how to butcher a lamb.

Do you have a favorite Asian grocery store?

If I need to get something from an Asian grocery store, I go to the Amsterdamsestraatweg, where you’ll find Oriental. Need twenty kilos of tapioca? You can easily get it there.

Where do you get the best burger in town?

I helped set up Beers and Barrels, so I may not be completely objective, but they really do make the best burger there. It’s a combination of good meat, toppings and a beautiful, sweet brioche bun. We spent a long time working on getting the perfect bun and the perfect grind for the meat.

It’s a celebration— which restaurant do you choose?
I like trying new things, so I don’t often go to the same place. The last two times I had something to celebrate, I went to Le Jardin and Héron. At Héron – just opened a month ago – I had a delicious starter with a smoked egg, king bolete and chickweed (a type of plant). Le Jardin cooks according to the 80/20 philosophy, so you eat vegetable dishes there, but meat lovers will also find plenty to enjoy.

Where do you drink the best cocktails?

Behind Bars is on Hamburgerstraat. Marcel works there, and he has been among the best cocktail shakers in the Netherlands for more than ten years. I’m a fan of the Perfect Manthattan, a bourbon-based cocktail, or a pisco sour.

Where do you go for a beer after work?

At Voortuin, a very relaxed pub near the Neude, or at de Flater, an institution in Utrecht.

Where do you get your late-night snack?

At Polleke I usually just get some fries oorlog-style.

Image credits: Behind Bars Cocktails @ Instagram, Beers and Barrels, Bond & Smolders