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| - "If I was born on a farm and was retarded, Bruges might impress me, but I wasn't and I'm not, so it doesn't" -Colin Farrell, IN BRUGES
I must respectfully disagree Mr. Farrell. Park Bruges thoroughly impressed me with their variety of classical Belgian dishes, friendly and competent staff, cozy location and impressive beer list.
My ever present girlfriend and I met a few friends at Park Bruges one Tuesday evening for some dinner. It was a beautiful night so we opted to sit outside (it was also the only remaining four top in the restaurant). Since we were the second to arrive, our friends already had a table outside. Therefore, I will refrain from reviiwing the atmosphere inside the actual restaurant for the time being. I am going back so look for it in either another review, or an edit of this one. What I did see through the large picture window looked like a cozy little place with a nice bar and seating for maybe 40.
To lead off any good meal, I think you need a good beer. Park Bruges certainly comes through in that department. While their draft selection is a little limited, they more than make up for it by having a very, very nice selection of bottles, both Belgian and craft/import. This is a big plus for my friend, Jon, a Belgian beer nut, who likes Park Bruges even more than I do. While I respect the Belgian ales, and do partake on occassion, I like a greater variety than the yeasty sweetness you get in those particular styles, and the melange of other options pleased me greatly.
The service was very good also. Our server was nice, attentive, and informative, a great combination for a waitress. She always made sure our glasses were never empty, our old plates were always quickly whisked away almost as soon as we were done, and we always had plenty of fresh bread. This is very important as you will see in a minute.
On to the main event, the food. I went there expecting to get a nice meal, maybe an appetizer, dessert, and main. That all went out the window when I saw the menu and wanted everything on it. That's usually a good sign so I went with my gut (literally, I was starving) and loaded up on slald, soup, fries, a burger, mussels, and dessert. Yes I am a fatass, but at least I am a happy fatass.
For the salad I got the regular house salad tossed in a champagne vinegarette. Overall, I remember it being a good salad, but the other items I had kind of overshadowed it, so sorry I can't be a little more detailed. As my salad was coming out, my friends were getting their onion soups. One look and a whif later I am chasing down the waitress to get one for myself. One of the better ideas I have had in some time if I may say. It came out piping hot, like a good onion soup should, and somthered in creamy, melty,emmental cheese. The apples they put in it kind of threw me through a loop, but it was a good loop to be sure.
The next item I got was the PEI mussels in a classic garlic, onion, white wine, and cream sauce. They mussels were cooked well so they were firm, but not rubbery. The sauce they were in was the true star of the dish. I was a little thinner than what I would have made myself, but it tasted fantastic. This is where all that extra bread came in handy. They didn't even need to rinse the plate after I got through with it.
For dinner I got the Bruges Burger with coleslaw and an order of the pomme frites. The burger was cooked medium rare, like I like it and the shredded short ribs mixed with the creamy gruyere was a delightful little pop to the sandwich. It was a good burger, not the best I have had, but I wouldn't hesitate to order it again. The fries were also done properly as well. They were double fried and seasoned well (take note Pittsburgh, crispy, salty fries are invading and I am telling them where to find resistance fighters) and the garlic mayo added the perfect bit of zazz to go with them.
For dessert we had a stout infused Belgian waffle with a homemade chocolate-candied walnut ice cream. It was good, and a manager told me it was an experiment, but I felt it fell a little flat. The stout just made the waffle taste burned, but the ice cream, the truly good part, covered up the flavor well. I would liked to have seen perhaps a fruit sorbet with the stout waffle, or maybe a Lindeman's Framboise, or Kriek infused waffle with the same ice cream.
All said and done, I really enjoyed my visit to Park Bruges. I wish that I could have rated them higher, but it was just a few flaws that kept them out of the top slot. I gave them the "Yay, I'm a fan!" rating because the one or two little misteps kept them out of the realm of "Woohoo! As good as it gets!". Park Bruges may not be as good as it gets, but they are pretty damn close. I look forward to my next visit.
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