Belga Cafe

Service: 5 stars. Ambience: 4 stars. Food: 3 stars. Go to Belga for the beer and the service. And maybe the brunch - where there are abundant waffles - since this is what they are known best for. When we went for dinner, before closing, they didn't offer waffles on the menu. These are only served at brunch. Check times first if you want waffles is what I'm saying. When I look at photos of this restaurant it must have undergone a redesign. I'm impressed with the photos of the outdoor decks and greenhouse. They look charming and cozy. The inside of Belga is completely modern and simple with a massive, gorgeous, antique round wall pendant upon entering. I think this exquisite piece of architecture has been there for at least 17 years judging by one Yelp photo. There is really not much else on their walls except for a gigantic high-gloss photo of an adorable baby pig's nose. The gorgeous miniature brass LED light in the foyer area adds much charm. The Belga Cafe beer and wine lists were impressive and exhaustive. The table of contents for their beer and wine list is 37 pages! Under beers, here are the categories: 1.) Gluten-free and Non-alcoholic 2.) Pilsners, white and golden ales 3.) Red & Brown Ales, Saison 4.) Exceptional Triples & Quadruples, Abbey 5.) Belgian Trappist 6.) Humbling, as I have much to learn about beers. 7.) Americans, Belgian Ale 8.) The Lambic Family, the Big Bottles. The Straffe Hendrick Tripel - "deep malt character, rum and pears" - was glorious. It was everything a beer should be and enough for me to order it as a second beer. Strong and malty. Blanche de Belga is my absolute favorite. It's a white beer with aromas of citrus fruit and notes of orange and lime. It's light and how I love a beer. There was a rich, syrupy peach mel - Pêche Mel - beer I also enjoyed. The mussels were artfully presented - with gorgeous greens and onions - but the broth was maybe 1/4 or so of the portion. Next time, I will ask for more broth. They are currently advertising a Tuesday evening mussel and frites special for $25. The selection of mayonnaise and butters served with our mussels was impressive: standard, saffron and chipotle. The French baguette - dusted with something that looked like green matcha powder- came with a basil bacon butter. We actually couldn't taste the bacon notes, only basil. The baguette also came with seaweed butter. It was a surprising pairing with mussels, though interesting. I liked the seaweed butter, ultimately. The burger was monumental in height. We ordered it medium well but the meat had little moisture even for a MW burger. In fact, it tasted sturdy and I was quickly thirsty after one bite. This $25 burger left me with more of a question than satisfaction. The service was *extraordinary.* It was the best I've had in a very long time. The new manager is 5-stars by every definition. He delivered over and above what we asked for. He knew what he was doing. He surprised and delighted us with his gracious service. He made our experience memorable and I would go back for that level of service, the abundant selection of beer and to try the waffles!

Had a great time at brunch! The green eggs and ham is my favorite option and to make it gluten free, just ask for no English muffin. The mimosas are great, the service was awesome and the atmosphere was perfect for a Saturday morning.