Main Gate Square restaurant The Dutch Eatery & Refuge is celebrating their second anniversary on Wednesday, May 1.
To help commemorate The Dutch’s milestone, we’ve compiled a handful of fun facts for your enjoyment:
1. Executive chef Marcus van Winden is Dutch and also from Holland.
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2. The Dutch’s anniversary is also the wedding anniversary for Marcus and Nicole van Winden.
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3. Sonoran Snoballs provided Louisiana-style snowballs at their wedding.
4. Nicole’s great grandfather, Donald Leonard opened a drive-in chicken joint on South Fourth Avenue called the L&L in 1948. Four years later, it started serving Mexican Food and became Guillermo’s Double L when her grandfather Bill Ford took over.
5. Marcus and Nicole met on Holland America Cruise Line.
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6. Before opening the Dutch, the two ran the Holland Hotel in Alpine, Texas.
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7. One of Marcus’ most challenging jobs was as the chef de partie patisserie at Inter Scaldes in the Netherlands, which had two Michelin stars at the time (it has three now). No talking or noise was allowed in the kitchen.
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8. Several Dutch items in the menu can’t be found elsewhere in Tucson, such as the Patat Oorlog.
9. All of the Dutch items on their menu are made in house. Marcus tests recipes until he is able to recreate the authentic Dutch taste; the frikandel took a year to perfect before it was added to the menu.
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10. In 2019, the Dutch created the Poffertjes Bike for fundraisers and events. They opted to create their mobile cafe on a traditional bakfiets, because “there’s nothing more Dutch than a bike!”
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The Dutch Eatery & Refuge is located at 943 E. University Blvd. For more information, visit thedutchtucson.com.
Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
