Thursday, May 25, 2006
BXL Cafe
Today during work I felt like I was definitely in the mood for a decent beer and some food to go with it.
Gave a call to Tina and also to Big Daddy Cal and we setup a little shindig at the BXL Cafe. BXL Cafe is a small Belgian bar and restaurant on 43rd St. near Times Square.
Welcome to BXL Cafe!
After work was done I took the 15 minute stroll uptown (with a stop at the ATM) and met up with Big Daddy Cal.
BXL Cafe is on the same block as the Heartland Brewery Chophouse and is between Spanky's BBQ and Town Hall. The place was crowded but people seemed to stroll in and out at a steady rate. The Belgian beer must take its toll on people.
Come back tomorrow.
The interior is small and cozy and the staff is friendly. Two towers with 5 beers each sit on the bar along with a separate tap for Lindeman's Framboise at the end of the bar. Past the bar is a small area with tables, where we would sit later for dinner but before Tina arrived, Big Daddy Cal and I stood at the bar to get the drinking started.
Classic Belgian beer paraphenalia
He had a Delirium Tremens while I started with a Leffe Blond. After Tina arrived, we sat down at one of the tables and ordered dinner.
Leffe Blond
I had an onion soup which was average, and then a hangar steak with frites on the side. Hangar steak is always a good choice to get if its on the menu. Because it is not the most popular cut, you can usually get a good quality piece of meat. This was no exception. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare and was very juicy. The frites were pretty decent as well.
Hangar Steak in sauce & shallots AVEC FRITES!!
Finally I had to have another beer so I went with one that many people I know seem to have had but for some reason I haven't gotten around to:
161) Delirium Tremens - 8.5% alc. Its not the best Belgian strong ale I've had, and its not the revelation that some people have told me it would be, but it is a pretty good beer. Perhaps when you take into consideration that its made in a commercial brewery, that makes it even better. Slightly bitter on the finish, but not at all biting. Very easy drinking with the citrusy hop flavors dominating. This was served, like the other beers we had here, in its proper drinking glass.
Double-fist the D.T.
With 161 in the books, that leaves me with 204 to go. This weekend's plans are still in the works but I expect to have another new beer or two, probably bottles.
Gave a call to Tina and also to Big Daddy Cal and we setup a little shindig at the BXL Cafe. BXL Cafe is a small Belgian bar and restaurant on 43rd St. near Times Square.
Welcome to BXL Cafe!
After work was done I took the 15 minute stroll uptown (with a stop at the ATM) and met up with Big Daddy Cal.
BXL Cafe is on the same block as the Heartland Brewery Chophouse and is between Spanky's BBQ and Town Hall. The place was crowded but people seemed to stroll in and out at a steady rate. The Belgian beer must take its toll on people.
Come back tomorrow.
The interior is small and cozy and the staff is friendly. Two towers with 5 beers each sit on the bar along with a separate tap for Lindeman's Framboise at the end of the bar. Past the bar is a small area with tables, where we would sit later for dinner but before Tina arrived, Big Daddy Cal and I stood at the bar to get the drinking started.
Classic Belgian beer paraphenalia
He had a Delirium Tremens while I started with a Leffe Blond. After Tina arrived, we sat down at one of the tables and ordered dinner.
Leffe Blond
I had an onion soup which was average, and then a hangar steak with frites on the side. Hangar steak is always a good choice to get if its on the menu. Because it is not the most popular cut, you can usually get a good quality piece of meat. This was no exception. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare and was very juicy. The frites were pretty decent as well.
Hangar Steak in sauce & shallots AVEC FRITES!!
Finally I had to have another beer so I went with one that many people I know seem to have had but for some reason I haven't gotten around to:
161) Delirium Tremens - 8.5% alc. Its not the best Belgian strong ale I've had, and its not the revelation that some people have told me it would be, but it is a pretty good beer. Perhaps when you take into consideration that its made in a commercial brewery, that makes it even better. Slightly bitter on the finish, but not at all biting. Very easy drinking with the citrusy hop flavors dominating. This was served, like the other beers we had here, in its proper drinking glass.
Double-fist the D.T.
With 161 in the books, that leaves me with 204 to go. This weekend's plans are still in the works but I expect to have another new beer or two, probably bottles.
# posted by Nick @ 10:06 PM 
