Traveling around West Vlaanderen
They are over, but we had two nice long week-ends. One from thursday to sunday and one from saturday to monday. All thanks to the fact that in Belgium every Catholic festivity is celebrated. The first long week-end as well as the second we stayed on the Belgian coast, in a place called Sint Idesbald (a fraction of Koksijde) ... they say Belgium, but it is only few kilometers from France.
We took the occasion to drive around the area, which happens to be where Elke comes form (!!!), visiting breweries, World War (one) memorial cemeteries, little villages, etc etc. I will post more photos and details as I manage to find time to actually do something with the few hundreds I took. And this is a start .... and what better way to start if not by introducing a rather unknown (at least to the general public, but not to the lovers) beer, which now sits calmly in my stomach: the Pannepeut . A quadruple (read 10%) dark ale brewed with spices.
This beer comes form a non-professional brewery in the sense that it is run by amateurs (De Struise Brouwers or DSB). They have been voted the best brewery in the world for 2008 (see here) on top of the legendary Sint Sixtus Abdij (of the legendary Westevleteren 12 beer). So I was curios ... I bought a few and tonight gave a try at this one (which is not among their best). Well, what a nice beer. Not in the league of the legendary Westvleteren 8 and 12, but definitively a beer with a complex aroma and taste, just lacking in texture and aftertaste. I am looking forward to taste their better Pannepot and Black Albert!!!
We took the occasion to drive around the area, which happens to be where Elke comes form (!!!), visiting breweries, World War (one) memorial cemeteries, little villages, etc etc. I will post more photos and details as I manage to find time to actually do something with the few hundreds I took. And this is a start .... and what better way to start if not by introducing a rather unknown (at least to the general public, but not to the lovers) beer, which now sits calmly in my stomach: the Pannepeut . A quadruple (read 10%) dark ale brewed with spices.
This beer comes form a non-professional brewery in the sense that it is run by amateurs (De Struise Brouwers or DSB). They have been voted the best brewery in the world for 2008 (see here) on top of the legendary Sint Sixtus Abdij (of the legendary Westevleteren 12 beer). So I was curios ... I bought a few and tonight gave a try at this one (which is not among their best). Well, what a nice beer. Not in the league of the legendary Westvleteren 8 and 12, but definitively a beer with a complex aroma and taste, just lacking in texture and aftertaste. I am looking forward to taste their better Pannepot and Black Albert!!!
Among other things I saw in the area were cows .... and I discovered that cows are definitively not friendly. At least not to me. Why? Well, I saw one stuck in mud and ... yes what a photo. But as soon as I got out of my car ... I felt observed ... by 40 cows, then they all grouped together and with angry faces (just check the photo above) they started getting close ... time to go away!!! Better run !!!
And now let's end with a different note .... the 28th of April was our 1st anniversary .... of marriage. As it was a monday we took advantage of the first long week-end to celebrate it sligthly later. And we did it in style. We went to one of our favorite restaurants: Hostellerie St Nicolas. We know this place from before he got to two Michelin stars and I say it since they mean nothing to us (except the danger of high price).
The meal was almost perfect (just like the time before 2 years earlier), relatively reasonable prices, great food dominated by a desire to explore a combination of asian-belgian fusion, perfectly matched wines, fresh ingredients, good bread, nice decor and ambiance, very nice service and tempo .... but .. too much food and (only for me, since Elke is pregnant) wine. We had 7 amuse, a first started composed by 3 dishes for me and 4 for Elke (she got changes due to the pregnancy), two other starters, a good sized main course, cheese, dessert, coffee with lot of little sweet things .... and my wine glass was always full. Simply incredible.
Despite the price this is the best price/quality we have ever had (and we have been there 3 times in 5 years) .... if you are around Ieper, definitively give it a try .... but maybe avoid the degustation menu ... simply too much food!!!
And now time to go back to the wifey ... and the little one. Ciaoooo
And now let's end with a different note .... the 28th of April was our 1st anniversary .... of marriage. As it was a monday we took advantage of the first long week-end to celebrate it sligthly later. And we did it in style. We went to one of our favorite restaurants: Hostellerie St Nicolas. We know this place from before he got to two Michelin stars and I say it since they mean nothing to us (except the danger of high price).
The meal was almost perfect (just like the time before 2 years earlier), relatively reasonable prices, great food dominated by a desire to explore a combination of asian-belgian fusion, perfectly matched wines, fresh ingredients, good bread, nice decor and ambiance, very nice service and tempo .... but .. too much food and (only for me, since Elke is pregnant) wine. We had 7 amuse, a first started composed by 3 dishes for me and 4 for Elke (she got changes due to the pregnancy), two other starters, a good sized main course, cheese, dessert, coffee with lot of little sweet things .... and my wine glass was always full. Simply incredible.
Despite the price this is the best price/quality we have ever had (and we have been there 3 times in 5 years) .... if you are around Ieper, definitively give it a try .... but maybe avoid the degustation menu ... simply too much food!!!
And now time to go back to the wifey ... and the little one. Ciaoooo
posted by The Food Traveller at 8:39 PM
3 Comments (post one)
