When in Bruges, EAT!
Some cities are worth every pound you pack on when visiting. Bruges (Brugge), Belgium absolutely qualifies. You will not be remiss about one calorie that crosses your lips.
It's not like the foods of Belgium only have a few favorites to tempt you with; in fact, Belgian cuisine for me is loaded in comfy favorites: french fries, beefy stews, fresh mussels, delicious beers, and the best chocolates! Your will-power simply does not stand a chance, and really, it's best left at home.
When you hear french-fries, you don't think France. Most Americans probably have an almost Pavlovian response, starting to salivate as their vision goes blurred with golden arches. French fries, or pomme frites as they are know in most of Europe, have historical roots in Belgium. Spanish Belgians in the late 1600s allegedly fried up potato wedges when the rivers froze and fresh fish weren't available for meal-time frying. With such deep roots, the french fry permeates Belgian cuisine and is considered a perfectly acceptable side even to a fantastic steak. Fine by me!
Some of the best, however, are sold in the main square from a food truck and humbly served in cardboard "boats," a perfect size to be cupped by one hand while the other hand busies itself stuffing your face with salty, crispy-on-the-outside-soft-in-the-center slivers. Belgian fries are just the right chunky size to couple two together to scoop up the toppings on the "loaded" version (on the left). I am still dreaming of the spicy but not hot sweet-savory curry-ketchup squeezed all over the fries, with a touch of mayonnaise (yes!) and onions. It's heavenly!
And so is the chocolate in Bruges. Validation is complete as to why Belgian chocolates have a world-wide reputation. I have no doubt they are some of the best, although many artisan chocolatiers in America are catching up. (But they are most likely importing their chocolate from Belgium!) I have never seen so many chocolate stores in one place! Chocolat (great book!) could have featured Bruges, not a small town in France. Seriously, every block has at least one store, if not 2 or 3.
Bruges will leave you with a chocolate favorite, no doubt. Neuhaus is very popular, and several friends had recommended it before our arrival. Our taxi driver agreed, but in his "local opinion" he showed us Dumon, claiming it the best. (We later learned that Rick Steves does as well; his family Christmas pictures from over the years were proudly posted on the wall.)
This is a family-run chocolatier, which makes shopping here very appealing verse the factory-run stores like Neuhaus. Plus, the *adorable* storefront completely had us sold even before tasting the truly fabulous chocolates at surprisingly inexpensive prices. Repeat visits over just a few days had us chatting friendly with Mrs. Dumon and her daughter (long hair). I bought a cute brown box loaded with fresh, hand-made chocolates for E and my mother-in-law who were back at home with the kids. E said they were "amazing" and I agree. The box was gone in 1 week flat!
Loaded calories also come in the form of waffles. Hot, crispy sweet fresh waffles loaded in fresh whipped cream, topped with a hunk of coffee ice cream, if you please. Oh, and a drizzle of hot chocolate. HEAVEN on dimpled dough. The strawberry version is just as luxurious.
And if that weren't enough! We skipped several lunches and a dinner simply because we were so full of beer, chocolate, french fries and waffles. What sit-down meals we did partake of were satisfying and memorable. A local who stopped us within the first few hours in the city confirmed that we couldn't go wrong eating anywhere, and she was right. If Belgian food is not your style (WHY!?!), then variety is certainly available, with plenty of French, Italian, Greek and even Indian restaurants in the city center. (Our Indian meal was so-so, but the fried apple crepe we had there for dessert could easily compete with the best street vendors in Paris.)
A mussel lover, I had to try the little sleek, pearly black member of the clam family. Belgium is known to have fantastic mussels, and a friend had included that on her "Must-eat" list for me. At an early dinner, a giant metal pot was presented to us which had countless moules swimming in a creamy-wine broth that was just dreamy. Giant, taut, with a touch of the ocean, the mussels were excellent. A side of frittes was the traditional accompaniment, and I did not resist. (Even though this was now my second serving of fries in less than a few hours.)
We also stumbled on a wonderful lunch where I was able to try the traditional beef stew braised in beer. YUM, especially with a side of frittes (Yes, once again! I warned you about packing on the pounds!). My friend's steak with hollandaise sauce was scrumptious, and the salad fresh, crisp and a welcomed green in my sea of fattening foods. (By the way, I have a theory: if a restaurant can get the simple dinner salad right, with fresh greens and a delicious homemade dressing, then they usually will also prevail on other items on the menu.)
Last but definitely not least: BEER. I have to quote a little Wikipedia here:
Belgian beer comprises the most diverse national collection of quality beer in the world, and varies from the popular pale lager to lambic beer and Flemish red. Belgian beer-brewing's origins go back to the Middle Ages. There are approximately 125 breweries in the country, ranging from international giants to microbreweries.
My kinda country! One pub-style bar we spent the evening at had a menu as thick as the Bible with more beer flavors than you could possible drink in one year. And a cute bar tender that thouthfully questions you and offers a beer to match your preferences.
The Trappist beers are quite popular, and we sampled a few and enjoyed them all. Belgian beers also dip into more exotic ingredients, including the lambic beers that feature blackcurrent, cherry (Kriek), and raspberry (Frambroos), my favorite. They tend to have a bit of sparkle and are on the sweet end of the spectrum. Delightful! Be careful though; beer has varying degrees of alcoholic percentages. My friend accidentally ordered Duvel, the "Devil" with a rocking 8.2% for one bottle. I had no qualms about relieving her of this burden. :0)
Now, after all of that, go back to the title of this blog. When in Bruges, EAT! Need I say more?



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Wednesday, December 9, 2009 at 08:06AM






