For a bargain, enjoy a delicious meal and socialize with
neighbors. Or as a volunteer you can learn the tricks of the trade
The
De Regenboog Groep's community restaurants are like a knife that cuts
on two sides.
cuts both ways.
People who easily feel lonely or have difficulty making contact, social animals on a small budget, gourmands with no cooking skills, the elderly who like to grab a bite to eat... At De Regenboog Groep's six neighborhood restaurants, Amsterdammers of all persuasions can join people from their own district every week. Such as on Thursday evenings between 18.00 and 20.30 at
The Countess. A tastefully decorated establishment on the first floor of our work-study company De Derde Schinkel, located on Derde Schinkelstraat.
Greek cooking goddess of Neighborhood Restaurant the Countess
In the kitchen of The Countess, Katerina Charitopoulou swings the scepter. Like her fellow head chefs in other neighborhood restaurants, she uses quality ingredients to cook a three-course menu for just €5 for her guests. Katerina always uses vegetables of the season, organic as much as possible. Playing with prices is something she finds a sport. "If the ingredients for the main course are on the expensive side, then those for the appetizer and dessert become a little cheaper." Today she is cooking with parsnips and Brussels sprouts, among other things. Vegetables that people don't immediately warm to, you might say. But the Greek is a true cooking goddess, who knows how to turn every dish into a culinary masterpiece. And that speaks for itself. When on Monday afternoon the menu of The Countess is posted on the site of reservation agency Punt Uit, the restaurant with about 25 seats is booked up almost immediately. Again this week.
A little more beautiful
.Katerina worked as a professional chef in a restaurant until she developed osteoarthritis. "Working day in and day out in the hectic restaurant business was no longer possible. Because of De Regenboog Groep, I can still put my passion for my profession into practice a bit. It is wonderful to think up my own menus. To prepare meals that are tasty, healthy and a bit original. I do this with great pleasure, assisted by two or three assistant cooks. I do the shopping in advance, I stand at the stove on Thursdays and direct, the volunteers do the preparatory kitchen work, such as washing and cutting the ingredients. Before the guests arrive, they set the table. Later they serve the meal, clear the tables and help with the dishes. They are people who want to be useful. Most of them do not participate in the regular employment process. Other volunteers do have regular jobs. They try to make society a little nicer and enjoy doing so. That also applies to me."
Everything with attention
.Peer, a senior who also volunteers for the Amsterdam Forest, says, "I had time to spare. Cooking is my hobby. I enjoy helping to put together a menu at De Gravin for people with a small budget. The guests are grateful eaters." He laughs. "Katerina is a little strict in the kitchen. But she has to be, otherwise everything goes to pot ..." The other volunteers today are Khajinder, who deals with the guests, and bird of paradise Hibah, who carefully sets cutlery, glasses, water carafes and flower vases on the tables. For years, Hibah has been running the place. Serving is what she prefers to do. "I take my time quietly and do it well," she says. Her sweet eyes twinkle. "Everything with attention."
Eating together is cozier than alone
.Pastinace soup garnished with beet chips, Brussels sprout mash with a gravy of mushrooms, fried onion and diced ham (for vegetarians, gravy without meat), yogurt-lemon mousse with poached quince... The menu is again consumed with relish this evening. At one of the long tables sits a group of friends who attend every week. Two regulars tell why. Enrico: "It really is four stars here." Hubert: "We are always there at 5:30 p.m.. We have a drink and really make it a party. We also chat with the other visitors. That's also the purpose of these restaurants. It's always nice here."
Sitting at the other table is Arpid (72), who describes De Gravin's food as particularly good. "It's also affordable and convenient. But the most important thing is the company. Eating together is cozier than eating alone. Almost every day I go to a different neighborhood restaurant. It's a great initiative by De Regenboog Groep!"
.You want to participate in a neighborhood restaurant?
Would you - like volunteers Peer, Heba and Khajinder - like to give the guests of a neighborhood restaurant a wonderful evening? And enjoy it yourself in the meantime? Then take a look at deregenboog.org/neighborhoodrestaurants
.Text: Iris Stam / Image: Bas Evers