European Diary

The daily diary of a wandering restaurateur in Europe
July 25 - Brussels

I wonder if jet lag is really another way to say "lack of sleep?" Whatever the reason, the old body clock definitely gets whacked on a day that starts with getting up at 3am and arriving at your destination 19 hours later at 7am! Good thing I am young and resilient!

Belgium is an interesting place -- half French-speaking, half Flemish-speaking with neither camp totally thrilled about the other. Makes for some interesting eating. The food word of the day in Belgium seems to be Frites. We are talking fries, here. Not french fries, Belgian Fries (as they are quick to point out.) There are Frites shops everywhere. Some are humble, some are a bit more grand, some even have a certain corporate look to them but it is definitely the food of choice. You can even get a sandwich to go with your fries in some places! Do you have any side dishes that you could elevate to a starring status if you just thought about them differently?

To see the photos of Frites shops in Belgium, click here.

The other word in Belgian dining is "outdoor." Everyone, it seems, has tables in front of their place. It doesn't matter if the place has a very limited menu or is a full service restaurants -- at least in summer, almost everyone can feed you outside. What would it take for you to put some umbrella tables in front of your place?

To see the photos of outdoor dining in Belgium, click here.

We even got into the heart of Brussels. There is not a lot to recommend downtown Brussels, but the Grand Place is a special place, a plaza in the old part of the city that is definitely worth a look. On to Paris tomorrow.

For photos of a more travelogue nature, click here.

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