Wild mushrooms in Brussels

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Sharon Bowman

Sharon Bowman
I have just gotten wind of a new "wine and wild mushroom restaurant" in Brussels.

Looks appetizing, though they play it a little coy on the wine list.

Café des Spores.

Their tag line is amusing:

BRUXELLES. PAS PARIS. PAS NEW-YORK. PAS LONDRES. PAS TOKYO. PAS MADRID. NI LE ZOUTE. NI MILAN. NI SAINT-TROPEZ.

Go, little dirty city to the north!

Actually, on that note, there is an excellent piece by Alec Lobrano in the New York Times about estaminets in and around Lille, "French Flanders."

Some of those northern towns look as sad as a prison gate, but Lille itself is a very charming place (and it is the home of the awesome wine bar La Part des Anges).

Maroilles for all!
 
I'd be happy to try this. Especially because since it's not in Paris, New York, London, Tokyo, Madrid, Le Zoute, Milan, or Saint-Tropez, I'm sure it's quite Brussels Cheap.

But I don't know how often I would want to return to such a one-note place. Maybe/hopefully the menu would change over time.

But seriously, even discounting for provocative humor, that long list betrays an inferiority complex taken too far. And from my perspective, Brussels stands well on its own merits. Cosmopolitan, cheap, close to many interesting places. A wonderful place to live if I were in the market.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
close to many interesting places.
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This says a lot.

No, I kid.

But I'm surprised that you find it limited. I thought the range of dishes they were offering was very varied. Your complaint is like going to a Chinese restaurant and saying, "There was chicken in six different dishes!" Well, yes, but...

Joe, I am curious to hear of your Brussels finds. And also if the dining was "international" or Belgian.
 
Ha, you guys are funny.

No, it's been too long. 10 y.o. restaurant reviews are no better than 10 y.o. stock picks.

Sharon, both international and more local.

But my impression was that they had a real food culture in a way you don't find often.
 
originally posted by Sharon Bowman:
But I'm surprised that you find it limited. I thought the range of dishes they were offering was very varied. Your complaint is like going to a Chinese restaurant and saying, "There was chicken in six different dishes!" Well, yes, but...
Click to expand...

in a Chinese restaurant they often have more than six dishes and also offer fish, beef, pork, etc.

Regardless, like Joe, I'm hardly an expert on Brussels having been there maybe 10 times over the past decade. But I've always eaten and drunk extremely well, in part because I visit people who are diligent about the palate. Still, as far as generalizations go, it's always struck me as a city/country that can combine the best of all surrounding European food cultures and often in a most intelligent way.
 
Brussels has some of my favourite wine folks and shops.

And the food is very, very good, both at said wine folks' places and in restaurants.
 
Very good place. Fun and tansty mushroom menu & nice wines to go with them. Foillard 3.14 was on the (short) list when we went there. A nice recommendation
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
And from my perspective, Brussels stands well on its own merits. Cosmopolitan, cheap, close to many interesting places..
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I haven't been to Brussels in 20-25 years, but I never found it cheap, and in fact I've always heard that because there are so many EU bureaucrats with tax free incomes and other lobbyists, etc. with expense accounts, there was tremendous upward pressure on prices.
 
I guess it depends on the comparison. Real estate and food are certainly cheaper than the other cities in that list. Some of which (Nyc, Paris, London) are central to my personal comparisons as well. From the folks that I know (not EU bureaucrats) salaries tend to also be lower than in Nyc, Paris, London.

However, even once you adjust for salaries, it's easier to live in a nice place in the center/desirable neighborhood than in the other cities on that list. At least when I compare stats with my friends.

That aside, the EU bureaucrats are definitely important. Especially because the combination of so many EU bureaucrats with tax breaks and so many poor (immigrants) without enough money to pay taxes has led to budgetary and cultural harmony problems for many in the city.
 
originally posted by Oswaldo Costa:
Knocke-Le Zoute est souvent considéré comme la station balnéaire la plus mondaine d'Europe du Nord.
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I am reminded of Buckley's comment about such superlatives: that is like being the tallest building in Topeka.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
I guess it depends on the comparison. Real estate and food are certainly cheaper than the other cities in that list.
Click to expand...
Certainly not cheaper than Madrid. We're all cheap here.
 
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