The Dutch Shop, 85 Market St., Smithfield

It's always a tad embarrassing to take your friends to 't Winkeltje for the first time, the burst of laughter when they see the front of the shop... But everyone comes to love it! Chicken croquettes on a roll are the best thing EVER; except when there isn't enough to go around, which causes massive fights over who gets what. The front portion of the shop is great, with so many tasty quality foods and condiments, decorative ornaments and candy. The back of the store can only be described as a cut-and-paste generic Oma's house, which surprisingly is quite homely. The decor of the café is simply amazing... Try to sit in a different spot every time, you'll always find new things! This place is a very popular spot for my friends and I; so much so that there is now a song: "Winkel winkel winkeltje, Ik wil nu naar 't Winkeltje! Kroketten in het café, Mosterd, snoep en mayonaise! Winkel winkel winkeltje, Ik wil nu naar 't Winkeltje!" (Shop shop little shop, I want to go to The Little Shop now! Croquettes in the café, Mustard, candy and mayonnaise! Shop shop little shop, I want to go to The Little Shop now).

The St Nicholas tradition was revived when my children were born, in the early eighties. So AT LEAST there were annual trips to 't Winkeltje to buy the chocolate letters and all the other traditional goodies. Mrs Anita van Altena is quite right when she says that it might be possible to buy some Dutch delicatessen in the local supermarkets but none have the variety that the Dutch shop has. To we Dutch-born, a croquette on a roll, in the restaurant, is a little taste of 'home'. Agreed! The setting harks back to the years when the "wave" of Dutch immigrants arrived. But we ALL recognise it!! And like it.