Years ago, three enterprising Belgian restaurateurs introduce us to Belgian cuisine, for the first time.
What is Belgian food? A cross between Dutch and French, throw in a bit of German too, blending the best of traditional worlds into a delicious hybrid, famous around the globe.
While the Dutch often think about food as a necessity, a life sustaining force, the French focus on pleasure, and the satisfaction of all senses. The Belgians uphold both philosophies, relying on agricultural abundance, fresh, healthy products, and seasonal favorites, expertly handled with sophistication, emphasis on rich flavors, and great style.
Our three Belgian expats went through a few cycles of creativity and success, then finally about fifteen years ago opened the Taste of Belgium at the Palm Beach Plaza Mall, which we referred to as The Office. It became a favorite, frequent meeting place for the local business community, who came out for fries, croquettes, mussels, waffles, stews, the Belgian beer.
Taste of Belgium did not survive the pandemic, but it left a hole, an emptiness. No one tried to fill the vacuum and give the local community its office back.
After having dinner at the new Belgian Bistro L’ Avenue, I suspect the void will soon be filled, as L’ Avenue expands its hours of operation to include lunch.
And that’s exciting news for food and gezelligheid enthusiasts. Gezelligheid means feeling cozy, quaint, nice, and among friends, in a beautifully appointed airconditioned dining room or a outdoor terrace overlooking the hubbub on Palm Beach.
L’ Avenue Restaurant checked into the space vacated by Rotisserie La Braise, a French restaurant, failed in its attempts to conquer our hearts by selling $100 chicken dishes. The French Mediterranean owner left amazing décor behind, which works nicely with the new Belgium concept.
Who’s behind the new venture, you ask?
It gives me great pleasure to report that two female hospitality executives, are now at the helm, Tina, of Papillon restaurant fame, and Heidi, who was for 13 years a food & beverage executive with the Renaissance Resort in town. These girls know everything about food, customer service, and the local market.
Best of all Chef Juan Ludena can actually cook, classic dishes with a personal, Caribbean twist which brings me to the fantastic menu.
This is not a quesadilla / chicken wings / burger place, this menu features real food, which must be carefully cooked, not just slapped together.
The menu itself is beautifully laid out in the form of an illustrated booklet and it lists Deluxe Sandwiches, Croques, Savory Waffles, Salads, and Lunch Specialties from soups to Scampi, Vol Au Vent, to Beef Stews.
A complete dinner menu, with Starters, Salads, Soups, and main courses, follows, including a special Mussel corner, a list of Belgian Beef and Rabbit Stews, Steak ‘N’ Frites, sharable sides, and the sweet endings of Waffles and Desserts, including Crepes Suzette prepared tableside and Apple Tarte Tatin. The menu carries more than one dozen Belgian beers, a nice selection of wines, craft cocktails and specialty coffees.
We started our delightful culinary adventure with a chilled flute of bubbly, shared the Shrimp Croquettes, lemon mayonnaise, and the Steak Tartar, dressed tableside, then savored the giant Scampi L’ Avenue in a light, spicy cream, topped with Gruyere cheese, and the Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin, Sweet Potato, Dijon Mustard, Pickles, Cream, Green Beans and Oyster Mushrooms, accompanied by a generous pour of Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon in beautiful stemware.
The Cove is welcoming a wave of new eateries, after a few less-successful initiatives. On the Rocks, is opening soon, a new Santos has already welcomed clients, and we expect some more changes in that restaurant landscape soon. Both On the Rocks and Santos are popular in the local market.
