My heartbeat beats a bit faster when I talk about the hospitality industry. I’d like to see every new place in town. But I also like golden oldies. Last week was Amsterdam Fashion Week, and May-Britt and I were at the Westergasterrein — where most of the shows were held — just about every night. We dined at Café Restaurant Amsterdam on Friday night just before Jan Boelo’s show. Well, dined, we grabbed a quick bite to eat. I ordered the tomato soup (I never order tomato soup) because it was on my detox destination menu. May-Britt ordered the parma ham with lentil salad which was absolutely mouthwatering, you must understand.

When I go to restaurant Amsterdam, I feel like going home. I think I was about ten years and asked the service whether I could give them a hand. I was allowed to take the dirty dishes to the sink. From that moment on, I counted the months to be able to work there. And yes, I was setting the restaurant’s tables (about 170) in the morning when I was fourteen. I was the runner during lunch, and so I brought the food to the guests. I left at around three because I wasn’t allowed yet to work in the evenings.

Right after my 16^th birthday I served at night for the first time. There were times that I frequented the restaurant more often than home. When all the guests were away, I’d play hide and seek in the entire building. Sounds childish, but it was extremely exciting. One time (at around two at night) the telephone rang and we had such a fright. My mother. Whether I wanted to come home as soon as possible. Oops, that was kind of really embarrassing, and especially because I’d found a hiding place near a boy on who I had an enormous crush.

I once received Rafael van de Vaart (when he was together with Syl, though she wasn’t there), who had just launched his magazine ‘Rafael’ and wanted to celebrate. I don’t know Rafael, but I imagined him to go to posh restaurants with Sylvie, having mini bites to eat, and see and be seen. Well, let me tell you this. He ordered a tomato soup and steak frites, and I saw an incredibly, happy man. No one bothered him nor his company, and he drank the house wine and left last.

Now at amayzine.com, I like to go there as a guest, and trust me, sometimes I’d really like to clear off some plates, but I won’t of course. Do you plan to go have a bite? Order the lobster, burrata or vitello tonato. And as main course the steak frites. And look around yourself if you order the sticky toffee. I’d really like to have a bite.