Belga Queen Ghent is housed in a former grain storehouse known locally as the Spijker, which overlooks the canal and bridges of the historic Graslei section. The décor is modern, and the menu pairs foods with beer. There are also several dishes made with beer:
• Duck fillet, sauce with
Boon Kriek and orange, julienne of dried tomatoes, biscuit with Old Bruges served with Palm Royale, 7.5 percent.
• Belgian Charolais tenderloin, sauce of Orval reduction with broken pepper (or Béarnaise), seasonal vegetables and cone of fresh fries BQ.
• Salmon marinated with Rodenbach and herbs, mild mustard sauce, blinis and sour cream.
• Brewers menu: Thin slices of beefsteak tomato with goat cheese and rocket salad, crunchy ham from the Sûre Valley; Verrine d’asperges, œuf écrasée and gamba; the duck fillet from above; and Belgian cheeses with a sabayon of red fruit and homemade vanilla ice cream.
De Groote Witte Arend
The city of Antwerp is about 40 miles east and north of Ghent. Antwerp is a harbor city alongside the Scheldt River. The city is famous for its 16th century architecture, chocolate and beer. This is where the Palm Brewery is located.
To pair Palm—and other beers—with a meal, one place to go in Antwerp is the restaurant named De Groote Witte Arend (The Big White Eagle), which was a former convent from 1903-1970. It’s now dedicated to fine food paired with beer. The beer list has more than 100 entries, 11 on tap, and there are even four house beers: De Arend Blond, Dubbel, Tripel and Kriek. On that big beer list it’s possible to order beers from five of the six Belgian Trappist breweries and six of the 13 lambic breweries or blenders.
De Groote Witte Arend offers different beer tasting menus through the year. One recent menu featured the Grimbergen Abbey beers from Brouwerij Alken-Maes:
• Baked curried mussels with Grimbergen Blonde sauce served with Grimbergen Blonde (6.7percent).
• Fillet of pork with Grimbergen Optimo Bruno beer sauce, seasonal mash of potatoes and carrots served with Grimbergen Optimo Bruno (10 percent).
• Sabayon of Grimbergen Tripel served with Grimbergen Tripel (9.0 percent).
Although it’s completely possible to remain at De Groote Witte Arend for an after-dinner beer from the restaurant’s huge list, the city is too full of great beer cafés not to wander the streets. Of course, there’s the world-famous Kulminator, with 30-page beer menu, but also not to be missed are ’t Oud Arsenaal, Grand Café Horta (the only place in Antwerp to drink unfiltered Palm), ’t Antwerps Bierhuijskehuyske, Den Engel, ’t Waagstuk, Quinten Matsijs, Paters Vaetje and Café Beveren, something akin to a locals-only townie bar across from the Scheld River. When you walk in, everyone will stop talking and stare at you until they finally ask questions in Flemish; the owner may also let visitors play the Decap organ. On the same street as De Groote Witte Arend is De Vagant, a bar that specializes in almost all the many Belgian and Dutch jenevers.
