Leopold I, Belgium’s first king, courtesy of Wikimedia commons. Hot or not? (I say hot)
Their first king was kind of a hottie. Their national food is steak and fries OR mussels and fries. Their streets are lined with delicious waffles (or so I like to think before I go to sleep). Their chocolate is silky and delicious and synonymous with proper Valentine’s Day procedure. And as if this (mussel) pot needed sweetening, they are home to the world’s best beer (mm, Trappist beer)! Belgium is, in a word, delicious. Which is why the only proper way to celebrate Belgium’s national day on July 21st is to EAT A LOT OF DELICIOUS BELGIAN FOOD. (You know that absolutely necessitated caps)
On Saturday, July 21, go to the Yards Park and celebrate that crazy, awesome country that has added so many pounds to our collective derrières by watching some of the best chefs in town throw down some mussel deliciousness, and root for our local favorites from Belga Café and Granville Moore’s! Let’s hope the title of Brussels-Mussel Master stays local this year (I totally just made that title up). This absolutely tasty-sounding event is called The Taste of Belgium and you can purchase tickets for different foods and drinks, or you can buy a package for the whole kit and kaboodle: Waffles – $5; Beer – $6; Frites – $5; Mussels – $6; Ice Cream or Beer Floats – $4; Taste of Belgium Ticket Package $20.
The gates will be open from 12-5PM. I will elbow you out of the way for mussels and frites, so be ye warned.