267587 Wed Feb 01 11:51:11 -0800 2006 6 26 International 0 1410581 Hello, Chowhounds, I am going on a week's organized tour of Belgium in early March, and will be dining at several specific towns/restaurants. I wonder if anyone can give me any information or feedback? Roeselare - Rodenbach Brewery (Lunch) Blaugies - Brasserie Blaugies (Lunch) Beersel - Drie Fonteinen (Dinner) In addition, the tour includes stops in Bavay, France (Lunchtime), Ghent (Lunchtime), Eizeringen(Lennick)(Dinnertime), Sint-Niklaas (full day), and Rochefort (Lunch). There are also some on-our-own meals in Brussels and Brugge. Can you offer any reflections on the named eatieries (what to order), and make any suggestions for good meals in the other stops mentioned? No dietary restrictions, but reasonable to moderate prices for good quality would be great. Thank you! Wed Feb 01 11:51:11 -0800 2006 0 Janet C 1 1410589 I don't know what you expected, but this is obviously a beer tour. The three places you listed are all breweries (although Drie Fonteinen is also a restaurant). If you are going to St.Niklaas in early March for a full day, then it is probably because of the Zythos Beer Festival there (4-5 March). Belgian beer is wonderful and you can very much enjoy it, however, if that is not what you were expecting... Wed Feb 01 14:59:42 -0800 2006 1410581 0 Jan 2 1410592 I'd be interested to find out if the Rochefort stop allows a visit to the brewing abbey there. The monks at Rochefort make some wonderful cold-weather ales (a bottle of Rochefort 10 is pretty much a meal in itself!) but aren't known for being very visitor-friendly. In September I took a lovely roadtrip through the Ardennes and then up to West Flanders and enjoyed visiting Chimay, Orval, Maredsous, and St Bernardus (loading up the car with ale, cheese, and Ardennes ham along the way) but had absolutely no luck at Rochefort, even with attempts to book in advance ... Wed Feb 01 16:02:54 -0800 2006 1410589 0 Bradbury 3 1410613 Hello, Bradbury - Yes, the stop includes a tour and tasting. Perhaps they only accomodate groups at certain times. Thanks, Jan - yes, I realize the emphasis will be on beer tasting, but my other interest is in experiencing a variety of pleasant dining experiences in the areas the tour brings us. Is there any info on the food served at these brewery/restaurants, or any restaurants not to be missed at the other stops/locales mentioned? There will be free time to explore, and I want to make the best of it. Thanks again. Thu Feb 02 08:28:10 -0800 2006 1410592 0 Janet C 4 1410629 Here's a website of a Belgian inn where I enjoyed a relaxing afternoon; it's a great overall introduction to the local beer and cuisine: http://www.moederdegans.be/English_website.htm Many of the breweries also have pretty good websites that list menus, food market items, etc. (Of the six true Trappist breweries, though, only Orval and Chimay have very informative sites, the other 4 - Achelse, Rochefort, Westmalle and Westvleteren - are dodgier or not available in English). You can expect ample amounts of abbey cheese, smoked Ardennes ham, rabbit dishes, pates, carbonade flamande, leek soup, and moules frites (mussels with fries) prepared scads of different ways. Plus, of course, the beers. :) In the Limburg region, where French, Dutch, and German all get smashed together with the local dialect, it's also easy to sample regional specialties just over the border, such as the limburgse vlaai in Maastricht or the printen in Aachen. Belgium might be an opaque (and occasionally dysfunctional) little country, but it's a great place to eat ... Thu Feb 02 11:30:56 -0800 2006 1410613 0 Bradbury 4 1410640 I have eaten in de Drie Fonteinen several time and it always offers excellent quality local food. Try perhaps the rabbit cooked in geuze, an unusual local beer (sour). Rochefort is the name of a town in addition to the abbey. I doubt you will be able to visit the abbey as it is usually closed to visitors. Although I have been there, it is for the beer, not for the food, so I cannot recommend anything. Eizeringen is an interesting choice. It is a tiny village not far from Brussel. It is perhaps most famous in the beer world for a small local cafe called "In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst" (in English something like "to insure you against a big thirst"!). I don't think they serve food there, so I doubt you will eat there. Gent is full with nice restaurants and cafes. You will have no trouble to find something nice. Look in a lovely old area called "Het Patershol". Have a nice trip. Thu Feb 02 14:05:38 -0800 2006 1410613 0 Jan 1 1410709 Many thanks for your suggestions. I will try to sample as many as possible - and the beer offerings, of course! Sat Feb 04 10:58:36 -0800 2006 1410581 0 Janet C