Pasta over pasta-burritos?

On my large rectangular plate, I had a mass of fettuccine noodles, which were piled on top of another type of pasta underneath, which were something like wide and flat pasta-burritos that encased a robust onion-tomato-zucchini sauce inside.  Around all that, a bright orange tomato-cream sauce with bits of ham lay all over the plate.  Needless to say, it was thick and rich, but it even had a little spiciness that surprised me.  At the corners were large butterflied shrimp, striated in white and orange-red and steaming hot, which tasted great when sopped with the sauce.  Finally, even further in the corners were small blocks of salty feta cheese.  Ground green parsley was sprinkled all over for color.  Interesting and very strongly flavored creation, this “pastabord Zoete Bron” (16.40 euros).

For a midday meal by the water, outside the city, it was excellent.  The sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the waitress was friendly, too.  Even the parrots chirping in their cages at the front door seemed appropriate. By the time I ate my plate down to the flat pasta-burrito things, I liked my food enough that, even when I found the dead gnat baked into one of the pasta sheets, I only paused for a second.  I thought a bit. Then I kept eating and finished it.

Don’t worry. I picked the gnat out.  I figured that I enjoyed it so much so far — why stop now?  So take this anecdote for what you will.  Great flavors and presentation still don’t necessarily rule out an occasional dead bug.  At least it was tiny.

De Zoete Bron
M. Noëstraat 15, Oud-Heverlee

Food: A-
Service: A
Price: B
Atmosphere: A-
Languages: Dutch, French

Make it a Thursday night

Over the last three years I have watched the evolution of one of my favorite eateries. The first time I went to El Vergel, I remember thinking the food was great and it was cheap relative to the quality and amount you received. Then about a year later I was a bit annoyed at the obvious and quite large prices increases (over 2 euros on some dishes) that appeared practically overnight. This was attributed to the price of meat going up (that vicious cycle of increasing grain costs due to fuel costs blah blah). Of course it didn’t have anything to do with the hordes of Eurocrats that flock there every lunch from the European Parliament and Commission and the ING and other bankers in the area, all of whom obviously have money to spend.

That said, the food is still delicious, and they still make a hell of a margarita if you happen to drop by on a Thursday night (the only night of the week that they stay open for dinner). Top of the list are the chicken and beef tacos (7.10 and 7.50 euros respectively) and the chicken salad (9.30 euros). The daily special is usually a meat and potato/rice/plantain type dish and almost always great (~10 euros). Sometimes it is packed for lunch and the service can be quite slow, but generally friendly. The best time to go is Thursday evening when there are less customers and you can enjoy your meal in some peace. The cheesecake (3.70 euros) is probably the best in town.

El Vergel, Rue du Trone 39, 1050 Elsene

Food: A
Atmosphere: A/B ~ depends if its for lunch or on a Thursday night
Service: A/B ~ depends if its for lunch or on a Thursday night
Price: B
Languages: French, English, Spanish

Pepperlicious

Belgium is famous for, among other things, its french fries and the overwhelming number of sauces that have been invented in the meantime to accompany them. Initially, I was the type to stick with what I knew and loved: ketchup. Until I started to be a bit more adventurous: samurai, garlic, and more recently, pepper.

At Chez Antoine, the fries are just salty enough, not over- or under-fried, and really just hit the spot. Try them with a side of pepper sauce and you may, like me, feel like you just died and went to junk food heaven.

Chez Antoine
Place Jourdan 1
1040 Brussels

Food: A for the fries, can’t rate the rest
Atmosphere: N/A
Service: A
Price: A (can’t get cheaper than fries!)
Languages: French, English

Take a book.

Have you been looking for that little, cozy cafe where you can take your laptop/newspaper/book to relax with a hot cuppa or a light snack such as a yummy bagel?  I haven’t been paid to write this, I just enjoyed Cafe Modele, close to the Compte de Flandre metro stop, immensely.  There is a pleasant view of the canal and not only were there others with their laptops/newspapers/books relaxing (free wifi by the way) but the place is 100% non-smoking and their prices are great. Salad bowls piled high (4.10-8.50 euros) and sandwiches and bagels (3.50-5.50 euros) are serviced until 17.00 and warm dishes such as couscous and lasagne until 22.00.  Good coffee (1.70-2.70 euros) and freshly squeezed juices (2.30-3.30 euros) makes this place great for a lazy Sunday afternoon. The cafe is across the street from the bar Walvis, and apparently owned by the same person as well.

Croque monsieur with side salad

Cafe Modele, Rue Dansaertstraat 208, 1000 Brussels

Main dishes: A
Prices: A
Service: B
Atmosphere: A
Languages: Dutch, French

Pure

Pure
Technology Park, Haasrode (Leuven)

This new snack bar, cafe, and catering restaurant is a spinoff of Octogoon down the road and occupies the same space as the now-defunct @mosphere restaurant.  Pure serves the local professionals during the workweek for breakfast and lunch.  Fortunately for them, it has solved many of the logistical problems with the former occupant, by having ready-made sandwiches available for quick purchase, eliminating a lot of the lines for lunchtime meals.  Salads are made before your eyes, and hot dishes also are available.

The multi-grain bread option is very good, and as lunch sandwiches go around the area, Pure has some of the best (~3 euros).  My favorite one so far had a nice combination of meat, sundried tomato, and a kind of pesto.  Pass on the “spicy pasta with chicken” dish (~7 euros), though, unless saltiness, pungent cheese, and overpowering raw garlic is your thing.

The best part of the old tenant remains intact, too: the comfortable meeting place and wooden decor amid large windows.  I always was a fan of the interior, and it continues to humbly impress.

A contestant for Miss Belgium helped promote the opening of this place, and I hope the owners continue to invest that kind of energy in the business.  If you decide to find out for yourself how it’s going,  bring cash or credit card, as paying with Bankcontact adds a surcharge for small orders.

Food: B+
Service: B
Value for money For food: B
Interior: A
Languages spoken: Dutch, English