I
fell in love with mussels and frites only after I turned 40, having watched
Zane Lamprey on Three Sheets enjoy himself in Belgium. Belgium has the world’s best beer; potent,
diverse and flavorful. Now I have the
pleasure of exploring new places for both great food and great beverages. Gold: Monk’s Café, Philadelphia, PA - Monk’s Café (http://monkscafe.com/) has the same owner as the Belgian Café, and have a better beer selection and host numerous events. I was glad to share the experience this past year with my cousin Brian and my friend Chris, chowing down on some moules and enjoying a collaboration with Allagash called PNC Broken Elevator on draft. I can’t wait to go back.
Silver: Merry Monk, Saratoga, NY – A second location
for the downtown Albany stand out, I loved the open feel of the Merry Monk (http://www.merrymonksaratoga.com/). They open up the restaurant in the summer and
turn it into a café, and they specialize in providing Belgian rarities on tap,
as well as the latest selection from Brewery Ommegang. The mussels are great (two pounds for the
price of one on Wednesdays). However,
their claim to fame is their offering of Ommegang beers on draft. It is fantastic to have a local place to
showcase the top notch Belgian ales from NYS.
Bronze: Belgo Centraal, London, UK – Jenn and I had
gone to Covent Gardens on a previous trip, and for nostalgia we went back to
Belgo Centraal (http://www.belgo-restaurants.co.uk/). We knew we good get some great food, and I
could try some Belgian beer. Jenn got
lobster while I got Thai mussels, while we both chose sweet lambics from
Floris, honey and tropical. Not my usual
for Belgian beer, but a great choice for a date with my beautiful wife. - 15116“In Belgium, the magistrate has the dignity of a prince, but by Bacchus, it is true that a brewer is king.” – Emile Verhaeren
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