Taste of Belgium

Columbus' first Belgian eatery is a station in the North Market operated by Belgian-born Jean-François Flechet. The name is Taste of Belgium, and the menu is an assortment of waffle preparations as well as sweet and savory crepes.

The waffles are made with a Belgian beet sugar. The flavor is sweet and creamy. I ordered mine topped with blackberries and whipped cream. The buttery texture and hints of vanilla in the aroma make for a delightful way to spike your blood sugar.

The vegetarian crepe is made with spinach, red peppers and goat cheese in a Balsamic glaze. The crepe itself is light as air, and the earthy spinach flavors in the filling are nicely contrasted by the beautiful acidity in the goat cheese and the vinegar.

There are a number of sweet crepes and other meatless waffle options on the menu. The owner and staff are friendly and helpful. They pass out free samples like other North Market vendors.

I'm more acquainted with Belgian beer than Belgian food. However, I can always buy Belgian beer at Grapes of Mirth. It would make for a full Belgian dinner at any rate.

Taste of Belgium should appeal to fans of later-than-10-a.m. breakfast and ovo-lacto-vegetarians who enjoy crepes. The waffles have great flavor. I kept the flavor simple by eating the waffle with fruit and cream. The less healthily-inclined are free to take the waffles home and drown them in syrup and butter.

Taste of Belgium

New (for me) at the North Market

I haven't been to the North Market in about a month. Since I've been gone, there are a number of new options that have popped up at the gourmet playground of the Capital city.

Unfortunately, I showed up on the day (Monday) when half of the vendors are closed. Boo! Oh well. At least I can still walk around, take some pictures and write about what I'm going to eat at the North Market on my next visit.

As a proud Pole, I was super-excited when I saw that the newest place opening in the North Market is Hania's Olde World Cuisine. Although the menu (like the cuisine of Poland) is meat-centric, they do make potato pierogi. If you'd like to try to impress the staff with your Polish, you can try winning them over with the phrase, "Czy jest karta wegetariańska?" (Do you have a vegetarian menu?). If not, vegetarian diners will be limited to pierogi.

Although it isn't brand new, Taste of Belgium is another outpost I've yet to try. I checked the menu out, and in addition to Liege waffles, Taste of Belgium also makes a vegetarian crepe. It is made with red peppers, spinach, and goat cheese. I'll definitely have to sample something from the city's only Belgian eatery next time.

Since I couldn't try any of the new places, I was stuck with Sarefino's Pizza and Jeni's ice cream. Sarefino's makes tasty New York style pizza that I failed to photograph. Jeni's makes possibly the best ice cream on the planet. I tried one of the new seasonal flavors at Jeni's, the white chocolate evergreen with red currant garland. The evergreen base provides a hint of menthol and eucalyptus, the white chocolate flecks add a buttery undercurrent, and the currant swirls wrap the package up in a subtly sweet bow.

The ice cream was a delightful way to wrap up my failed attempt to try the places at North Market where I haven't eaten yet. At least I left with a smile on my face.

New at the North Market