Stadtkeller Swiss Folklore Restaurant

20130528:
With traditional Swiss entertainment and food, this restaurant is definitely geared towards tourists. With that being said, I, as a tourist, enjoyed the entertainment and found it was worth the cost of the dinner.

I wrote: "The Stadtkeller Bier is very light. It'll be simple to drink one liter."

By the end of the night, I had about 1,75 liters (3.7 US pints) of beer.

Fondue (Not Pictured)

I wrote: "The fondue is bitter at first, but is tastier over time."

I suppose one could also say the fondue was very rich.

Various fresh salads

I wrote: "The salad was delicious. Perhaps the sauce is a vinaigrette with a light amount of ranch dressing. Everybody finished their salad."

Geschnetzeltes Kalbfleisch Strips of veal with mushroom-cream-sauce
Rösti Grated and fried potatoes

I wrote: "The mushrooms and ? and potatoes dish was also delicious."

Meringue with applesauce and strawberry ice-cream

[20130727]

---

Stadtkeller Swiss Folklore Restaurant

Relevant Links:
Stadtkeller - Luzern (Yelp.com)
Stadtkeller Musik-Restaurant Website DE
Stadtkeller Swiss Folklore Restaurant EN/DE/FR/ES/JA/ZH
Stadtkeller Swiss Folklore Restaurant (TripAdvisor.com)

---

Website Information:

Stadtkeller Bier

Stadtkeller Bier 2011
Unfiltriert – Naturbelassen. Hell mit leichter Hopfennote, gebraut nach dem bayerischen Reinheitsgebot von 1516.

Was für eine Verbindung: frisches, klares Pilatus-Quellwasser, 100 % Pilsner Malz direkt aus dem bayerischen Braugerstenanbaugebiet (Rhön), feinster Hopfen aus Süd Baden-Württemberg (Tettnang) und die traditionelle bayerische Braukunst verleihen unserem Stadtkellerbier 2011 die helle Farbe und sein harmonisches leichtes Hopfenaroma.

Stammwürze: 11,8 %
Hopfung: vierfach
Alkohol: 4,8 Vol. %

Stadtkeller Beer 2011
Unfiltered – naturally cloudy. Light with a delicate hop taste, brewed in accordance with the Bavarian Beer Purity Law of 1516.

What a combination: fresh, clear spring water from the Pilatus mountain, 100 % pilsner malt grown in the Bavarian malting barley region (Rhön), finest hops from Southern Baden-Wuerttemberg (Tettnang) and the traditional art of beer brewing, all give our Stadtkeller Beer 2011 its light colour and well balanced hop taste.

Original wort: 11.8 %
Hopping: 4 x
Alcohol: 4.8 vol. %

Hostaria Al Gladiatore

20130525:
I believe the first I had to drink here at Hostaria was a flute of champagne. Then there was red and white wine on the table, but drinks were included and other beverages could be ordered.

As such, in addition to the wine, my sister and I got Coca-Cola and Fanta to make ourselves some Spezi. Being in Italy, I decided it would be fitting to also have a bottle of Peroni. After dessert I had a caffe espresso and after that a glass of grappa.

Unfortunately, my shirt also had a glass of grappa when the server accidentally spilled some on me. Actually, I can't quantify how much was spilled on me, but I felt as if my shirt was drenched in grappa! When it first spilled on me the smell was overwhelming, but my nose adjusted and I would only smell my grappa-soaked shirt every now and then. While full of laughter and cracking jokes over the accident, I had wondered how a stranger would react if they passed by and got a whiff of me.

I wrote: "The grappa goes down real smooth. There's no burn and there's a sweet aftertaste. It's not intense like some liquor which burn as they go down the throat."

Note that I've had grappa once before: 20110822.

The food here at Hostaria Al Gladiatore was delicious and the live entertainment was a delight. The only thing that ever slightly tainted the evening was being soiled with grappa.

[20130724]

---

Hostaria Al Gladiatore

There was a good view of the Colosseum from the restaurant window.

Relevant Links:
Hostaria Al Gladiatore Website
Hostaria al Gladiatore (TripAdvisor.com)

Weinhaus Happ

20130523:
My family and I came to Weinhaus Happ for dinner. To drink we shared a Hirter Märzen and an Erdinger Urweisse.

Menu Description:
ZÜRICHER RAHMGESCNETZELTES
SWISS SAUTEED VEAL with white mushrooms, bernese roast potatoes
VEAU SAUTÉ à la suisse aux champignons, pommes de terre bernoise
VITELLO ROSOLATO alla svizzera con funghi, patate fritte alla bernese
GUISADO DE TENERA LA SUIZA con champiñones frescos, patatas salteadas

I wrote: "My dish is really delicious. The creamy mushroom sauce and hash browns are delicious!"

Menu Description:
WIENER SCHNITZEL
VEAL SCALLOP, breaded-crumb and fried, salad and french frieds
ESCALOPE DU VEAU à la viennoise, salade et pommes frites
SCALOPPINA DI VITELLO, insalata e patate fritte
ESCALOPE A LA VIENESA, ensaladas e petate frita

I wrote: "My sister ordered a wiener schnitzel and that was good too. The seasoning is just right and not salty. The cranberry sauce is a must to eat with the schnitzel. Some of my sister's fries were salty."

Menu Description:
HAUS GERÄUCHERTE GÄNSEBRUST
SMOKED GOOSE BREAST, salad with marinated mushrooms
POINTRINE D'OIE FUMÉE, salade aux champignons, marinée
PETTO D'OCA AFFUMICATO, insalate di funghi marinati
PECHUGA DE GANSO AHUMADA EN CASA con lechuga y setas condimentadas

I wrote: "My dad's dish has delicious meat. There was one slice which tastes like ham and these other slices which tasted more like prosciutto."

I wrote: "The apple strudel with vanilla sauce was... interesting. It's not sweet like an American apple pie. The vanilla clashes with the cinnamon. My sister definitely didn't like it."

Now that I think about it, I didn't like the strudel either.

[20130721]

---

Weinhaus Happ Restaurant
Weinhaus Happ Hotel

Relevant Links:
Weinhaus Happ Website
Hotel-Restaurant Weinhaus Happ - Innsbruck, Tirol (Yelp.com)
Hotel Weinhaus Happ Greil KG - Innsbruck, Tirol (Yelp.com)
Hotel Restaurant Weinhaus Happ (TripAdvisor.com)

The Slug and Lettuce

20130520:
The morning started with bus-guided tour of London, ending near the London Eye in time for lunch. Of the various choices, my parents, sister, and I decided to go to The Slug and Lettuce where meals are 50% off on Mondays, perfect for getting fish and chips at a low price!

While drinks were still full price, my dad got a wine, my sister got a coffee, my mom got a tea, and I got a beer, (Fuller's London Pride).

To eat, my mom got a vegetarian dish and the rest of us got fish and chips. From the looks of the picture, she might have gotten the Aubergine & Tomato Bake. I'll just put the menu description for that here.

Menu Description:
(V) Aubergine & Tomato Bake Thin slices of aubergine – filled with orzo pasta, tomato, garlic, basil and pulses – rolled, lightly coated with a cheese sauce and served with our house salad. 7.95£ (430 Cal)

Menu Description:
Hand-Battered Haddock, served with chips, minted mushy peas and tartare sauce. 9.95£

I succinctly wrote: "The fish and chips were good. Haddock."

[20130715]

---

The Slug and Lettuce*
*The Slug and Lettuce is a chain of restaurants. We went to the one listed here.

Relevant Links:
The Slug and Lettuce Website
The Slug and Lettuce, County Hall
Slug & Lettuce - Southwark - London (Yelp.com)

Houtsiplou

20130517:
After visiting Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, I returned to my room and was ready to get food. I recall picking out a place to eat from my "The Rough Guide to Belgium & Luxembourg" book, but after a thorough search, I concluded the place was closed. In any case, I knew my ultimate goal was to try some more beers and so I looked for a place to eat near the bar I was planning to attend. As such, I found myself navigating towards Houtsiplou.

While waiting, I saw a dish, at the table to my left, which looked delicious. It looked like a steak. In any case, I decided to try a dish that was labeled as a Belgium specialty.* It was called a "JVCD."

*A restaurant in Belgium that marks certain dishes as Belgium specialties is suspicious, but since I came twice and had a good experience both times, I suppose the establishment sees a lot of tourists and can't help but cater to their possible audience.

le JCVD

Menu Description:
le JCVD : boeuf - fromage westmalle - oignons frits - sauce poivre
le JCVD : rundsvlees - westmalle kaas - gefrituurde ajuin - pepersaus
le JCVD : beef - westmalle cheese - fried onions - pepper sauce

Of the burger I wrote: "The burger (14.50€) is delicious. I believe the cheese plays a big role in the flavor of the burger. The fries here are also good. This burger is so tasty, I feel as if I'm enjoying it only because I'm hungry. When I'm hungry, I'll just scarf my food down, which was exactly what I was doing with this burger.* The onion and mushroom layer also contributes heavily to the flavor of the burger. Finally, the pickle, whenever I happen to get a bite of it, is a welcomed contrast to the typical variety of flavors found in every bite."

*When I was younger, I would eat anything I enjoyed quickly. However in recent years, especially since I started my blog, I consciously put more time into enjoying a dish, even those which are delicious.

The burger doesn't come like this, but I cut it in half and placed the fries there for your viewing pleasure.

Fries here come unsalted.

I could say I liked Houtsiplou. It had a welcoming atmosphere and played nice music. In particular, I vaguely recognized one of the songs; it sounded like a song from one of my salsa albums. In any case, the music being played was largely, if not solely, instrumental, quite suitable as background music. To top things off, I found the workers were friendly.

[20130713]

---

20130518:
I returned to Houtsiplou and ordered a 33 cl glass of Stella Artois. I also ordered a shrimp starter and steak (medium rare) with mushroom sauce.

sauteed scampi

Menu Description:
poelee de scampi a l'ail 11€/en plat 17€
gebakken scampi met knoflook 11€/als hoofdgerecht 17€
sauteed scampi with garlic 11€/as a main dish 17€

I wrote: "The shrimp smells and looks amazing. In the end, however, shrimp is shrimp and there's nothing special about the shrimp here. In general, I feel like shrimp is easy to prepare and while I haven't personally cooked any dishes with shrimp, my dad often prepares shrimp which tastes delicious.* I will put it on the list of things to do this summer. In any case, the salad is bitter; as far as I could tell, the dressing was just olive oil. This was great for dipping the free bread. Since I don't often eat salads, I was indifferent about the use of olive oil."

*As of 20130713, I've prepared shrimp twice, both with good results. I've also put shrimp on a grill plate several times in my life, if that counts as preparing shrimp.

steak, fries, salad

Menu Description:
steak, frites, salade 14,50€ SAUCE au choix: poivre, champignons, bearnaise, ou bleu
steak, frietjes, sla 14,50€ SAUS naar keuze: peper, champignon bearnaise, of blauw kaas
steak, fries, salad 14,50€ Any SAUCE: pepper, mushrooms bearnaise, or blue cheese

I wrote: "The steak felt chewy and tasted like it was prepared medium-well instead of medium-rare. It might even be cooked well-done. Oh well, the mushroom sauce is good."

I couldn't help but artistically play with my food. In my defense, a place which serves their fries in a pot is just asking for me to use my creativity.

[20130713]

---

Houtsiplou

front of Houtsiplou in the evening

Relevant Links:
Houtsiplou Website FR/EN/NL
Houtsiplou (TripAdvisor.com)

Houtsiplou - Centre-Ville - Bruxelles (Yelp.com)

Belgian Frit'n Toast

20130517:
As I was walking around Brussels in search of the Musees Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique (Dutch: Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van Belgie, English: Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium) it started raining and I decide to stop by the nearest place to eat in hopes that the rain stops by the time I'm done. I no longer remember what went into my decision making, but I ended up here at Belgian Frit'n Toast. The options looked good and along with my meal I ordered a Hoegaarden.

I wrote: "#62. Assiette saucisse boudin blanc (2 pieces). Schotel witte pens (2 stuks) 14.90€. Mayonnaise and ketchup 0.70€ each. Salad/carrot/corn mix was good. Sausage had a mealy sort of texture."

Since I'm not fond of mealy sausages, I'm not a good judge of whether or not they were tasty.

On a different note, if you come and want to eat in, then just find a place to sit. You can choose to sit upstairs or downstairs, either way a waiter will come to take your order. Otherwise, if you're looking for take out, then you can order at the front. Also, its good to know they accept credit card.

While I was trying to wait for the rain to die down, I recall it only got worse. Without an umbrella, I also had a hard time reading the maps I had, so I easily got lost. While the walk to the museum should have taken a mere 9 minutes from Frit'n Toast (according to Google Maps), it took me around an hour and a half before I successfully found the museum.

[20130709]

---

Belgian Frit'n Toast

Relevant Links:
Belgian Frit'n Toast Website NL/EN/FR
Frit'n Toast - Centre-Ville - Bruxelles (Yelp.com)

Ascoli

20130515:
By the time I was ready to eat dinner, most everything in Brugge was closed. Consequently, I returned to Leuven and walked around looking for something to eat there. In the end, I decided to give this Italian restaurant a try.

While there was room to sit outside, I decided that I'd be more comfortable inside. The interior was well decorated and had a good amount of interior lighting.

I wrote: "The dish smells of pepper and tomato. Ok, I can smell the clam. I believe I can smell the herbs as well. My eyes are first drawn to the cucumbers. Then they deviate to the clams and the to the pasta. The dish is hot, so I blow on it a bit. Also, I make sure to toss the sauce in with the pasta, otherwise the pasta would taste a bland. The clams are small and don't amount to much. If they do have a taste, then its salty and has a distinct seafood flavor. Ah, I overlooked the garlic. There were three pieces of cooked garlic, which I ate. Overall, the plate was delicious, but not at all worth its cost."

Menu Description:
Fettuccine alla Steffy 15.50 €
Vongole, Zucchine, Pomodorini, vino bianco, scalogno, aglio, prezzemolo, olio, peperoncino
Schelpen, courgette, tomaten, witte wijn, sjalotten, look, peterselie, olijfolie, rode peper
Clams, zucchini, tomatoes, white wine, shallots, garlic, parsley, olive oil, red pepper

[20130708]

---

Ristorante Ascoli

Relevant Links:
Ascoli (TripAdvisor.com)
Ascoli Website
Restaurant Ascoli cv - Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant (Yelp.com)

De Fiere Magriet

De Fiere Magriet is a bar in Leuven, Belgium with a large stock of bottled beer. While I'm absolutely certain the place carries a selection of at least 250 bottled beers, I'm willing to bet that they actually have a selection of at least 300 bottled beers.

Drawing of Fiere Magriet

Behind the bar, glass after glass lines the wall, so that a customer can be served his/her beer in the appropriate glass. Along another wall is a colored drawing of Fiere Margrietje being carried up the River Dyle by fish (short story below / see link to Wiki article). Opposite this wall is a wall with beer posters for a number of brands. Finally, spread throughout the bar are various humorous signs and animals, rounding out the cozy atmosphere.

Restrooms are upstairs and the place only accepts cash. Also, to my knowledge, there is little or no food available here. With that being said, I didn't come here for the food, I came here for the vast selection of beer. Speaking of which, if you don't already know what beer you want to order, just look around for one of the gigantic catalogs of their beer selection. Inside the catalog is a table of contents listing the beers by category. Each beer they have in stock has a page with a picture of it and various details such as the appearance, taste, smell, and serving tips.

I absolutely love the decoration and atmosphere here at De Fiere Magriet.

---

The Story of "De Fiere Magriet"

De Fiere Margriet is named after Margaret of Leuven, also known as Margaretha de Trotse or Fiere Margriet (both translating to roughly Margaret the Proud). Skipping the beginning of the story, as first told by a man named Caesarius, Margaret was taken outside the city by a gang where she was killed and thrown into The Dijle (i.e., the River Dyle), though not before they attempted to rape her. She, however, refuses, and is thus called Margaret the Proud. In addition to Caesarius's tale, Margaret's body was said to be taken upstream by the fish.

---

20130513:
The bartender working when I came on 20130513 was quite nice. When I had arrived in the bar I ordered a Westmalle Tripel. I had, however, forgotten to ask for the bottle cap that came with the bottle. After I finished my Westamelle Tripel, I ordered a Rochefort 10 and remembered to ask for the bottle cap. The bartender fulfills my request and comes to my table with the bottle of Rochefort 10, the corresponding bottle cap, and the corresponding glass. Though to my surprise, she comes back to my table moments later with a Westmalle Tripel bottle cap. While I'm not certain, I can only imagine I was smiling most happily.

After the Rochefort 10 I had a Buffalo Belgian Stout. The two Trappist beers (Westmalle and Rochefort) each cost four euros, while the Buffalo Belgian Stout was three euros and fifty cents.

[20130705]

The entrance to De Fiere Magriet.
You can see the waffle shop at the right of the picture.
I mention it in my Buffalo Belgian Stout post.

---

20130514:
I came back today and had a Delirium Tremens.

[20130706]

---

De Fiere Margriet

Relevant Links:
Cafe De Fiere Magriet Website*
De Fiere Magriet (RateBeer.com)
De Fiere Magriet Bier Cafe (BeerAdvocate.com)
Fiere Margriet (TripAdvisor.com)
Fiere Margrietje (nl.Wikipedia.org)
Margaretha van Leuven (nl.Wikipedia.org)

*There is currently an empty WordPress blog at the cafe.defieremagriet.be web address.

Berlin

20130512:
To drink I had a Tongerlo Bruin. To eat I ordered a cheeseburger.

I wrote: "The burger is delicious. It tastes like sausage meat. Or perhaps its simply seasoned like sausage meat. I was never asked how I would like the meat cooked (well-done, medium, rare, etc.). Wait, actually the burger tastes like meatballs. I ate the second half of my burger with ketchup and I immediately thought the burger tasted like hot dogs. It was a good burger."

Original	Translation
Cheeseburger €10,20	Cheeseburger $13.44*
rundsburger met crispy bacon en gesmolten kaas	round burger with crispy bacon and melted cheese

*(at 1 USD to 0.76 Euro, 20130620)

[20130620]

---

Berlin

Relevant Links:
Berlin Website
Berlin - Theaterbuurt - Antwerpen (Yelp.com)

Crème de la Crème

20130512:
After filling up on friet met stoofvlees (fries with Belgian beef stew) at Frituur Number One, I follow Stefaan to Crème de la Crème where we get some waffles. There I got a waffle with cream, topped with strawberry and kiwi. If I remember correctly, then making the toppings half and half cost an extra euro. I was, however, fine with this customization cost, especially since it was a tasty treat.

While I don't think there was a waffle in Belgium I didn't like, I could say that we got a variety of waffles from the outdoor market yesterday which were absolutely delicious. I especially liked the strawberry (aardbei) waffle. Though more on that when I sweep back through the entire trip for a day to day summary of sights, sound, and taste.

[20130617]

---

Crème de la Crème

Relevant Links:
Crème de la Crème - Historisch Centrum - Antwerpen, Vlaams Gewest (Yelp.com)

Frituur Number One

20130512:
While fries in the U.S. are often sold to compliment an entree, in Belgium one will find establishments such as Frituur Number One where the fries take center stage.

Note: the words frituur/frietkot (Dutch) and fritieries (French) come from the words frieten (Dutch) and frites (French), meaning fries. According to Wikipedia.org, a frituur is the name for an establishment serving fast food, in particular fries.

While there were a lot of tasty looking items being displayed with prices on the back wall, the relevant sign for our visit was hanging on a wall to the right. Listed on this sign were various sauzen (sauces). In particular there was stoofvlees for €3.60, stoofvleesaus for €1.80, and simpler sauces like curry ketchup (see Curry ketchup (Wikipedia.org)), mayonaise (mayonnaise), and pickels (pickles) for either €0.80 or €0.90.

After getting our food, my friends and I went to go sit down at the tables located indoors to the right of where we ordered (as viewed from the street). It was nice that they had this area, because it was still raining outside.

I wrote: "These fries, together with the sauce, taste wonderful. The sauce looks and tastes like beef stroganoff."

While I described the sauce as looking and tasting like beef stroganoff, the sauce is actually stoofvless (Belgian beef stew) and, as such, should taste different from beef stroganoff. I suppose stroganoff would typically taste creamier. In any case, stewed beef (stoofvless) definitely goes well with fries (met friet).

Afterwards, I walked over to Crème de la Crème with Stefaan to grab some waffles. Attempting to bring our order of waffles back to the tables we were sitting at, one of the workers peeled away from the food area to tell us food from other establishments were not permitted. Compliantly those of us with waffles in hand stood right back up, leaving those among us that still count as customers, and ate our waffles outside. Luckily, the rain had either stopped or was just extremely light.

[20130616]

---

Frituur Number One

Relevant Links:
Frituur Number One - Historisch Centrum - Antwerpen, Vlaams Gewest (Yelp.com)
Frituur No. 1 (TripAdvisor.com)
French fries#Belgium and the Netherlands (Wikipedia.org)
Friterie (Wikipedia.org)

Kulminator

20130511:
After dinner at Brasserie Den Artist, my friends led me to Kulminator. It was, however, unknown to me how famous this place was. Of course it was immediate how special the place was when I got a look at its selection of bottled beers. It was quite overwhelming and simultaneously exciting to look through page after page of beers, both new and old (old = aged beer). In contrast, from what I can remember, the longest list of beers I've seen on draft is probably at a Yard House. I know Max's Taphouse here in Baltimore has a rotating selection of 140 beers on draft, but I can't remember if I've been there yet or not. Then Slater's 50/50 in Huntington Beach has a rotating selection of 80 beers on tap. With that being said, if you want a large selection of (bottled) beer and you want to have it served the way it should be served, then come to Kulminator.

Checking any one of the three links above (BeerAdvocate.com, RateBeer.com, and TripAdvisor.com) will give evidence to the potential greatness of Kulminator. Additionally, I found that Kulminator was one of the eight bars listed in "The Rough Guide to Belgium & Luxembourg (5th edition)" under the Antwerp section. There the description modestly said "this is one of the best beer bars in Antwerp" when apparently it is one of the best in the world. As of 20130615, Kulminator is number 9 (with 275 reviews) on RateBeer.com's Top Beer Destinations. In comparison, Max's Taphouse is number 33 (with 137 reviews) and Chez Moeder Lambic Fontainas is number 29 (with 211 reviews). I went to Chez Moeder Lambic Fontainas on 20130517.

Here at Kulminator, I had the Tripel Karmeliet, Stefaan got the Lefebvre Hopus, and Aurelie got the Frambozen Lindemans, of which I embarrassingly knocked over her glass.

[20130615][20130705 Edit]

---

Kulminator

Relevant Links:
Kulminator (BeerAdvocate.com)
Kulminator (RateBeer.com)
Kulinator (TripAdvisor.com)

Brasserie Den Artist

20130511:
After walking around Antwerpen and having gotten a great view of it from atop the MAS (Museum Aan de Stroom), my friends and I briskly make our way to Brasserie Den Artist, where reservations for dinner had been made. According to Google maps, this trip would have taken just over half an hour to walk, but we help cut down on commute by catching a bus. This saves approximately 10 minutes.

In any case, I recall the restaurant being spacious and well-lit. Granted it was still day outside, but the place had big windows and it was right on the corner so light comes in from two separate faces. As the menu was entirely in Dutch, I could say the place was definitely not a tourist trap. A big thanks to my friends and acting tour guides for translating a bulk of the menu and giving their recommendations. While there was much to choose from, I decided on getting the "stoofpotje vol-au-vent," because it was suppose to be a common Belgium dish. Upon writing this blog post, I found that the term vol-au-vent is used for a hollow puff pastry. So a chicken and mushroom vol-au-vent would likely imply such a pastry with a chicken and mushroom filling. I would then assume one of the following: 1) what I ordered was not the stoofpotje vol-au-vent, 2) the word stoofpotje does not mean stew, 3) stoofpotje vol-au-vent is a misnomer. However, after doing a Google image search for stoofpotje, I would believe stoofpotje more or less translates to stew.

Menu Description:

Stoofpotje Vol-au-Vent met frietjes € 17.90

Stew Vol-au-Vent with fries

After the above conversation, I suppose it's appropriate to quote Shakespeare: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Indeed, this dish by any other name, would taste as I thought it to taste and smell as I thought it to smell: "This essentially tastes like cream of mushroom with chicken. The chicken is soft. The sauce is good, and the chicken is delicious when soaked in it. Oh, and the dish smells good too."

Menu Description:*

Stoofpot van gehaktballen en zomerse groentjes in tomatensaus € 17.50

Stew of meatballs and summer vegetables in tomato sauce

*I think this is what A.C. ordered.

As a cultural side note, tipping is not common in Belgium and so while prices might seem expensive, the workers are well-paid, and one can think of the cost of dinner as having tip included. This also means, which I like, the waiter/waitress mostly leaves you alone during your meal. By mostly I mean that the only reason he/she would probably approach you is to ask if you want another drink. Then I was also informed you typically let the waiter/waitress know when you want the bill as opposed to him/her asking. It's nice, because these practices form a relaxing and peaceful eating experience.

Menu Description:

Stoofpot gehakballen in Gueuze met gest.witloof € 17.50

Meatball stew in Gueuze with Belgium endive (witloof)

[20130613]

---

Brasserie Den Artist

Relevant Links:
Brasserie Den Artist Website
Brasserie Den Artist - Het Zuid - Antwerpen , Vlaams Gewest (Yelp.com)
Brasserie den Artist (TripAdvisor.com)
Gehaktbal (nl.Wikipedia.org)
Chicory (Wikipedia.org)

Baklandet Skydsstation

20130506:
The menu had several appetizing choices, but I decided to get the dish with the wild reindeer. The deer and mushroom was delicious. The dish was even better when I mixed in the cranberries. To drink I had a Jacobsen Original Dark Lager and an aquavit. Seeing as the beer I got was neither of the recommended beers, I can't even be sure the aquavit I got was either of the recommended aquavits (Gammel Reserve or Røros Aquavit). However, of the aquavit, I wrote: "It had a licorice-like taste. Towards the end, it tasted much like a normal whiskey would taste. Well, it's certainly spicy, like cinnamon."

I should note that the restaurant itself had a nice, cozy atmosphere, but the area where I was sitting felt a bit tight.

Flatbread (bottom) and bread (top).

Menu Description:

Original	Translation
VILTGRYTE (glutenfri)	VENISON STEW (gluten-free)
255,-/170,- Pakkepris 388,-*	$44.33/$29.55 Package price $67.39**
Av rein, med løk og sopp i deilig viltsaus, serveres | Med tyttebær, salat, Frosta-mandel og flatbrød.	Wild deer with onions and mushrooms in a delicious venison sauce, served | With cranberries, salad, almond potato and flatbread.
Wild reindeer casserole in a delicious rich sauce | With onions and mushrooms. Served with potatoes, | Crisp mixed salad, wild cranberries and flatbread.	Villrein i deilig rik saus | Med løk og sopp. Serveres med Mandelpotet, | Crisp blandet salat, tyttebær og flatbrød.
Vi anbefaler: | Gran Feudo Reserva | Jacobsen Extra pilsner/Dahls fatøl | Gammel Reserve/Røros akevitt	We recommend: | Gran Feudo Reserva | Jacobsen Extra pilsner/Dahls draft beer | Gammel Reserve/Røros aquavit (akvavit)

*The first price is for the larger portion option, the second price is for the smaller portion option, the third price is for the meal with a choice of two drinks. Recommendations are given at the bottom.
**(1 USD to 5.75 NOK, 20130607)

A salmon dish.

[20130607]

---

Baklandet Skydsstation

Relevant Links:
Baklandet Skydsstation Website
Baklandet Skydsstation - Trondheim (Yelp.com)
Almond potato (Wikipedia.org)
Akvavit (Wikipedia.org)
Roros Aquavit (Vømmel og Dram Website)
Gammel Reserve (Arcus Website)

Viltgryte.