Belgium is the perfect European getaway for the global gourmand

Feast on three culinary and cultural courses in this rich and historical country
Written and Photographed by Karen Loftus

Culinary and Cultural Apps in Bruges
Stepping off the train in Bruges, the most visited medieval city in all of Europe, otherwise known as the other Venice, just one hour north of Brussels, my Pavlovian palette immediately started to water in anticipation of what was to come. My travel companions and I wasted no time when we arrived and immediately found our way to the city center. We successfully navigated our way through the linguistic landscape relying heavily on our friend who was fluent in French.

The decadence was well set with our home away from home at The Kempinski Hotel, the first and only five star in an otherwise B&B styled city, in the heart of Bruges. Upon arrival I immediately sunk in and fell in to a deep and regal sleep, as the bed was that dreamy. Once on the street, there were several decadent directions to head in.

Dip deep in to their local liquid beauty. Clearly, beer aficionados will tell you, one must worship all things Belgian. The little country has a big business with its 125 breweries, over 800 types of beer and approximately 8700 one offs to choose from. This is no passing fancy as Belgians drink on average 93 liters of beer a year. Safe to say with all that field experience, they know a thing or two about the brew. They should. They’ve been making the frothy beauty since 9,000 BC.

Aficionados and ambitious visitors together attempt to try as many Belgian beers as they can, then get in heated debates with beer buddies and random strangers about which is best and why. Even if you’re new to the brew, the conversion to beer geek is quick, committed and competitive.

Regardless of your level and love, everyone wants to try the high alcohol and highly esteemed Trappists beers. Don’t miss their Lambic, a draught, rarely bottled and available only in its area of production. Gueuze, a sparkling beer, known as Brussels Champagne is produced  combining young Lambic with mature vintages to cause a second fermentation. Like wine it matures beautifully over time. 

Looking for a sophisticated twist to add in to the hoppy mix, head to Den Dyver where they combine fork with froth. It’s a sophisticated spot where they pair your meals with flights of beers. As is the case with wines, the matches are very specific and the chef and beer sommelier work meticulously together to create perfect pairings from plate to pour.

De Karmeliet, a three star Michelin restaurant is a more classic option where the presentation and chic ambiance is anything but. Before leaving Bruges we spent the day taking a cooking lesson with local luminary, chef Patrick Devos. It was an intimate look in to the local cuisine and his approach. We finished the layered lesson consuming our own culinary wonders. We toasted our accomplishments on a cool sunny spring day in his garden before heading in and savoring our creations with perfectly paired wines in a sumptuous setting. His historic art deco building was the perfect aperitif.

For casual consumption, indulge in the famous frites (French for fries). This is no passing fancy as Bruges has its own frite museum, right down the street from the Choco-Story Museum, another national obsession. On the frites front, each Belgian city has its own war being waged on which frites will finish first. We found the local Bruges buzz to be true with the cart to the right in the main Markt (market) below the belfry to be the city’s reigning star. Throw some garlic mayo on top and you will be clicking your culinary heels all the way home.

Aside from the plates and pours Bruges provides stunning aesthetics to feast on. Its no wonder the city center is a UNESCO World Heritage site. This walking city can also be consumed on water in a Venice style canal tour or by a more traditional horse and buggy. No matter what the mode or the course you will work up quite an appetite for what is to come in this country. Next!

A festive feast in Brussells
Like any great meal, some times the best dishes are discovered through improvisation, which is the approach I took while in Brussels.

The city is most known for being the center of the EU (European Union) and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). What isn’t known or discusseed as much is the cultural and creative virbancy of this city.

There are several walking or biking tours that can be taken while in the city, one of which is the Comic Strip Tour, where comic art is viewed in an open air setting strewn across buidlings throughout the city. Even if you are not looking for it, you will stumble upon several of them. It is a complete counter to the politics at hand.

Cinematic powerhouse Steven Speilberg  and New Zealand’s own film  king, Peter Jackson have teamed up to make a Tin Tin film, one of Belgium’s most famed comics. Of equal interest is the Mannequin Pis (Dutch for little man urinating). It is the most famous statue in the city.

The classic Belgian fare, mussels and frites, the national dish of Belgium, is a must. Chez Leon on the cobblestone walking street of Rue des Bouchers is chock a block with restauranteurs hawking puzzled tourists. This family run resto is heads and shoulders above the rest and attracts the city’s best guests. Former first lady Hilary Clinton had dined there the week prior to our visit. I could have made a meal on the bread and broth alone. Delicious…
 
A good walk is definitively needed after your heavy lunch as their in house beer was a given, to go with. If you weave your way through those back streets, you will come upon the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Grote Market or Grand Place as it is approriately named. This sumptuos square is surrounded by guild halls and the city’s town halls among other buildlings. You could easily spend a day just taking in the architecture alone. Best bet is to park it in one of the square’s cafes, sip on a frothy Cappucino and local pastry or chocolate and simply watch the world go by. It is truly an old world wonder.

For evening eats Commes Chez Soi is one of the country’s finest and most famous. We sat in the kitchen with a fixed menu at the chef’s table where signed celebrity tiles (Woody Allen, Rolling Stones and TinaTurner) adorned the walls around our cozy alcove. The petite artistic presentaion alone was a work of art. The Michelin star resto serves up small bites full of big flavor and serves Bruges’ own Michelin Star, Chocolate Line chocolates.

After a day of church hopping and thrift shopping I met friends at the Belga Queen, a queen indeed. They have two seatings at 7 and 10. At 7:01 the place was hopping with a jetset crowd and a sexy staff dressed in Gaultier inspired monk-like uniforms. The sexy staff looked like they were fitting us in, in between GQ shoots. Yet their culinary experitse and wine knowledge said othrwise. The pros served a sumptuos fare complemented by the seductive atmosphere. I had the duck trilogy for starters and the Belgian Charolais, tenderlin sauce of Orval reductin (Belgian beer), braised spinach and artichokes with a cone of frites, finished with a Praline flavoured mousse.

A truly decadent dessert in Antwerp
Antwerp is an easy breezy city to slip in to, for even a day and it is accessible by train from Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels. Like dessert it may be decadent, but it’s a can’t miss.

Home to one of the world’s great train stations, Antwerp’s Central station will make your heart sing. Designed by Louis Delacenserie and complete in 1905, it was well ahead of it’s time then, but a step back in time today. With it’s two monumental neo-baroque facades and a large metal and glass dome it was home to an impromtu dance sensation on You Tube recently.

Like Bruges with it’s quick Euro comparisons, Antwerp is now being touted by the fashion savvy as the other Paris as it is Belgium’s fashion capitol. It is fiercly fashion forward where the local cusine is couture.

It is home to one of the world’s best and most respected Fashion Academy’s. It is now run by fashion provocateur Walter Van Bierendock of the famed Antwerp Six, which put Belgium on the fashion map. Walter’s fellow Sixer DriesVan Noten, a haute Hollywood fave has his flagship store right down the street.

The base floor of the Academy is The Fashion Museum where we caught the paper dress exhibit, a mix of politics, history, whimsy and naturally fashion.

For a cultural kick, slip in to artist Peter Paul Rubens home and museum. Finish the day off like a local with genever, their indigenous spirit. De Vagant has committed itself to all things genever and has played an impassioned role in genever’s recent renaissance since their opening in 1985. The family run business includes a bar, a traditional Belgian restaurant and a quaint shop, which is chock a block with every imaginable genver that’s ever been bottled. An evocative spot, on a seductive side street in Antwerp’s busy city center, feels like an old Hemingway haunt or a spot Kerouac would have called his own if it crossed his path.

If you want to take it higher, Appleman’s Absinthe bar down the street is simply the perfect ending to any night or story. You will learn a thing or town about the history of the spirit as the meticulously prepare your tasting. The presentation alone is worth the sip. However the sip is well worth the dip. Your lit libation is intoxicating.

As you head to The Central Station you may start your own impromptu urban dance alone or with a crowd to celebrate your decadent dip in. Your celebratory steps are the perfect close to the show and to the global feast…and scene.

To Stay:
The Kempinski in Bruges www.kempinski.com/bruges
The Dominican in Brussels www.thedominican.be

To Play:
Bruges – www.brugge.be
Brussels – www.brusselsinternational.be
Antwerp – www.visitantwerp.be
Belgium – www.visitbelgium.com / www.visitflanders.com