A snapshot from last year’s deliciousness. Photo by María Helena Carey
Here’s a bit of European history: Back in 1830, Belgium officially separated from the Netherlands. On July 21, 1831, the country installed Leopold I as its monarch, and thus became the Kingdom of Belgium, a French-speaking, Catholic, bourgeois country with a passion for making the world’s tastiest mussels, frites, beer and chocolate. (Thank you, Wikipedia!)
If you care about mussels, beer and celebrating the culinary accomplishments of this constitutional monarchy, then you must go to Eastern Market on Saturday, July 20, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. for the Mussel Throw Down, the crowning jewel in the celebration of Belgian cooking excellence that is Belgian Restaurant Week (happening this week).
Several local foodies will be on hand to judge the winning entries from among Capitol Hill favorites, like Granville Moore’s and Belga Café (the current champ) as well as Et Voilà, B Too, Brasserie Beck and others. There will also be a blindfolded beer taste test, where chefs will put their palate to the test and show whether they can tell their trippels from their lambics. Don’t forget about the prizes. If you enter the Throw Down Raffle Contest, you could win two tickets from DC to Brussels compliments of Brussels Airlines, or dinner for eight at Brasserie Beck’s Chef’s Table, or a selection of Belgian beers from B Too.
Tickets are only $5 and get you a pot of mussels or a beer. Raffle tickets are $2 per ticket, or $20 for 12. Happy eating and…
À votre santé, Belgium!