Naturally, history wasn’t the only item on my agenda in Belgium, as my hankering for quality and reasonably priced food has been accentuated by a long winter in the less-culinarily inclined Netherlands.
Le Petit Pont, while a trek from the centre of Brussels in the suburb of Uccle, once again reinforced its place as my single favorite restaurant in the entire world with a stunning Sunday afternoon rack of lamb. For the price of a mediocre Sunday Roast in London, the lamb arrived with an exquisitely herbed crust, dauphinoise potatoes, and some of the most delicately cooked haricots verts I had seen in ages. The service, as always was impeccable, and my restraint in ordering a small ‘pichet’ of the house red paid off masterfully with a young and unduly voluptuous number for a relatively modest investment. The exuberance of the weather on one of Brussels’ car-free-Sundays yielded an ambiance more reflective of Provence than of the Benelux.
Café Panisse, in my old neighborhood near Place Chatelaine, has a menu as reflective of Provence as was the weather on that particular evening, but it was the Magret de Canard avec saveurs de l’orient (Duck Breast with Flavors of the Middle East) that stole the show, with a mint-accented sauce and the addition of paper-thin slices of mango which added a hint of fruity sweetness to the delicately flavored dish. Café Panisse is very reasonably priced—the Magret was at the top of the menu at EUR 16 and was well garnished and amply proportioned (hint—no starter required!). I ordered a “Kir Rouge” as my beverage—leading to a chilled, uniquely flavored glass of red wine that complemented this dish exceptionally well.
No comments:
Post a Comment