Get your spice on!
Not long after Andrew and I returned to Brussels, we discovered one major drawback to our trip to India – Indian take-away in Brussels just didn’t do it for us anymore. We love Indian cuisine and were blown away by the flavours we had in Bangalore, Goa and Kerala and by how each region varied so much in taste and ingredients.
Culinaria – Heaven for foodies in Brussels
What do you get when you take two Canadians, an American and a Frenchman, add a couple dozen of Belgium’s best chefs, and mix it all with generous amounts of food and wine? Culinaria2 – or a really great way to spend a Sunday afternoon in Brussels.
When Andrew first read about Culinaria2 and passed the website along to me, it sounded a bit too good to be true. For 39 euro (a discount received through Andrew’s Thalys card) we would get access to the event and a four course meal, including drink pairings. We weren’t sure what to expect, but we decided to drag some friends along to check it out.
Andrew and I love wine – Red, white, pink, bubbles or none. Like many North American expats in Europe, a whole new tasty world was revealed, when we discovered how affordable good wines are in Belgium.
While it’s easy to pick up a decent tipple at the local grocery store, sometimes it’s nice to pop the cork on a bottle of something extra special. There are a few wine shops in Brussels where we’ve received great service and bought some very, very nice wines. I thought I’d share my favourites with you.
Martin’s Patershof Hotel in a former Church
This year for Valentine’s Day, Andrew surprised me with a romantic getaway. It wasn’t to a spa. Nor was it to a cosy cottage in the countryside. For Valentine’s Day this year, we went to Mechelen and stayed overnight in a church.
You’re probably thinking, sleeping in a church doesn’t sound very romantic it all. That was my first thought when Andrew sprung his surprise on me. The church in question is, these days, known as the Martin’s Patershof Hotel. And I assure you, it was a very romantic getaway indeed.
A beautiful pink box of Wittamer Chocolates
Every good chocoholic knows Belgian chocolate is the best in the world. But while tourists flock to the shops selling chocolate Manneken Pis statues around Grand Place, locals and in-the-know travelers head to Brussels’ chocolate Mecca – Grand Sablon.
Grand Sablon (Grote Zavel in Dutch) is a small square (a triangle actually) with the beautiful Notre Dame de Sablon church at its head. Lining the streets are cafes, bars, restaurants and shops – most notably the best selection of chocolate shops in Brussels.
Here’s my rundown of the chocolate shops of Sablon.
View of the Strip from our room at the MGM Grand
Vegas, I owe you an apology and I am deeply sorry. I imagined you were still a land of $5.99 all you can eat buffets that bake under heat lamps all day long, gathering the germs and bacteria of a thousand semi-comatosed gambling junkies. I thought there would be little to do but waste away the day at the one-armed bandits, while sipping watered-down, comped drinks. I’m sorry Vegas, I was wrong.
Despite Brussels’ reputation for having excellent seafood, one thing I miss most from my Canadian home is lobster. Say what you will about Maine, Irish or Caribbean lobster, but for me, the best of the best has to be Atlantic Canadian Lobster.
Frequent visits to the Asian grocery are one of the perks of living in our new loft in Brussels. I’ve just returned from such a trip with two full bags of goodies for 30 euro. Mostly though it’s the fun of exploring the aisles that I enjoy. I never know quite what I’m going to find.