Belgium

5 Beers to Try Now at Witchcraft Tavern & Provision Co.

Lately, I've been finding the best beers in some unexpected places. On Monday night, it was a jaw-dropping line-up at the brand-new D&T Drive Inn, where the guys behind Down House have renovated a neighborhood icehouse and installed a huge tap wall of eccentric draft beers to rival the records in i ... More >>

Happy Birthday, Lon Chaney! A Playlist For a Monster

As resident Houston Press astrolabe polisher, chirurgeon and goth expert, the world of old horror-movie actors falls under my purview. My heart is given most to Boris Karloff, because any man who can rock horror and narrate the Grinch is more badass than any of us will either be. That said I want to ... More >>

This Week In Food Blogs: Barbecue Wars in Spring

H-Town Chow Down: Can't beat 'em? Call in the local government to squash your competition. At least, that's the story told by Albert Nurick at H-Town Chow Down, where The Woodlands-based blogger reports on the barbecue wars between celebrated trailer CorkScrew BBQ and its brick-and-mortar neighbor u ... More >>

How Not to Screw Up Homemade Mayonnaise

First things first: If you've never had homemade mayonnaise, hie thee to Jeannine's Bistro or Cafe Brussels immediately and experience for yourself what real mayo is supposed to taste like. (PROTIP: Eat it with fries.) It's slightly tangy from lemon juice, and a darker chamois color than the wiggly ... More >>

Mellow Mushroom: The Best Bar in Spring (Also Offers Pizza)

Mellow Mushroom -- the Georgia-based pizza chain which opened its first Houston-area location off Steubner Airline a few months ago -- just might be the best bar in Spring. It also offers great pizza. I say this only partially tongue-in-cheek, as Mellow Mushroom -- the subject of this week's cafe r ... More >>

Tasting the Unconventional: 10 of the Best Eccentric Ales

We recently had a handful of friends over to help christen our new home. And we decided since they were kind enough to come visit, the least we could do would be to use them as guinea pigs for a host of oddball beers sitting in our beer cellar -- from gluten-free strawberry beer to sours. While I'm ... More >>

What Does "Comfort Food" Mean Across the World?

"Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are." -- Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin A lot of people have a problem with the term "comfort food." It's far too arbitrary, they argue. It changes from one part of the world to the next. Ice cream and brownies aren't nearly as popular in China as ... More >>

Where to Eat on Christmas Day

Your stress-free dining guide to the holidays.

The Rest of the Best: Houston's Top 10 French Fries

Guys. Hey, listen. We need to talk. It's about the annual Best of Houston® issue. I think you know what you did. But the problem, you see, is that you keep doing the same thing almost every single year. Something has to change. Y'all keep voting for McDonald's as "Best French Fries." Every. Sing ... More >>

Rest(aurants) In Peace: Notable Closings of 2012

Some restaurants just couldn't wait for the Mayan apocalypse on December 21, 2012 and decided to implode all on their own, while other restaurants simply expired of old age and waning interest in a city that's constantly chasing after the next big thing. Instead of a toast to the restaurants we'll ... More >>

The Continuum of Gimmick Beer: Ska Mole Stout

I think I may have come full circle with the idea of mole beer. First, I was hesitant, thinking it was nothing but a flight of fancy, doomed to fall short. Then, I tried New Belgium's Cocoa Mole Ale. I really, really enjoyed it. It's been a blessing and a curse, though, because it's led me to try o ... More >>

Roy de la Garza on The Broken Spoke Fire and What's Next

Roy de la Garza was already having a bad month before a fire destroyed his restaurant: His partner at The Broken Spoke Cafe, Catherine Duwez, had left unexpectedly to start a rival Belgian restaurant a few months prior, and business was down. "Cathy kind of threw us for a loop when she went over to ... More >>

Houston's Top 10 French Fries for National French Fry Day

I think I'm firmly on record as thinking that most National ______ Days are dumb. But there are a few I'm happy to celebrate, like National Tequila Day (coming up on July 23) or the recently passed National Fried Chicken Day. That short list also includes National French Fry Day, because I will neve ... More >>

Date Night at Dolce Vita Pizzeria & Enoteca

When it comes time for date night, I want two things, and two things only: good food and flowing wine...Wait, and my fiancé, I guess. Okay, three things and three things only... Back home, our usual date night took place at one of the hole-in-the-wall Italian joints that are everywhere in NYC. So ... More >>

Why Texas Should Reopen Its Horse Slaughterhouses

It's been five years since the nation's last horse slaughterhouse was shut down. The Cavel horse slaughterhouse in DeKalb, Illinois, closed after Congress banned USDA inspections of horse meat -- effectively ceasing operations at the few abattoirs in the United States that dealt in horses. If the me ... More >>

Upcoming Events: A Week Full of Beer

Read on for our picks of the best beer dinners next week.​In case you hadn't heard, it's Houston Beer Week, y'all. The week-long celebration of craft beer and local breweries kicks off tonight with a kick-off happy hour at Ziggy's Downtown, from 5 to 7 p.m. The restaurant will be offering $2 ... More >>

Houston Beer Week 2011: Bigger, Better, Beer-ier

Read on for a full -- and we do mean FULL -- schedule of HBW events.​The second annual Houston Beer Week kicks off this year on an auspicious date: 11/11/11. That's when the big craft beer festival will celebrate its sophomore year with a kick-off happy hour at Ziggy's Downtown, from 5 to 7 p. ... More >>

Brew Blog: New Belgium Lips of Faith Super Cru

I thought I was writing about this beer a while back. Sort of. Though I can't find what I did with it, I really did have a paragraph or two written about New Belgium. If I remember correctly, it waxed nostalgic about the first party I went to that featured beer. One of my former Bookstop managers (w ... More >>

How To Survive An Outdoor Concert Disaster: Ten Semi-Helpful Tips

​The summer festival season is winding down, but even as that stops, the fall festival season begins. The weather will be getting nicer, and it will actually be pleasant to be outside, so we're looking forward to it, especially with Austin City Limits, our own BestFest and Fun Fun Fun Fest all ... More >>

Brew Blog: Left Coast Una Mas Amber Lager

Confusion is nothing new.​I'll be perfectly honest about this. I picked up a bottle of Left Coast Brewing Co. Una Mas out of simple confusion. Even as I sat down to write this column, bleary-eyed from not enough sleep and still clearing the cobwebs from my brain, I confused myself. I penned an ... More >>

Pierre Celis, Brewer of Hoegaarden and Celis Beer, Dead at 86

Flickr user wolfworld​Pierre Celis, the "King of Belgian White Beer", died over the weekend. He was 86. In spite of several unfavorable transactions with major brewing companies, Celis is widely considered one of the forbearers of the craft-brewing movement in America. His self-named brewery ... More >>

European Travel Tips For First-Time Bands

​Local favorites the Wild Moccasins embark on a six-week European tour this weekend. Rocks Off knows how daunting international travel can be, especially when you're on a multi-country blitzkrieg that exposes you to numerous languages and many differing cultural mores in a relatively short per ... More >>

Fruitcake and 4 Other Foods with a Bad Reputation

jeleneDiscouraged by its bad reputation: the fruitcake. ​How does a food item get a bad reputation? Does it cut class to smoke with trans-fats in the parking lot? Sleep around with carbohydrates? Often it's an association with a particular era in history or social class that gets a food placed ... More >>

Brew Blog: Le Petit Saison Ale from Twisted Pine Brewing Co. of Boulder, Colorado

​Regular watchers of Brew Blog will know that we're big fans of Belgian beers. Now, given that it's such a small country, you'd be forgiven for assuming that Belgium has about five beers. But during a visit there a few years back, we were told that the country lays claim to 692 styles, a numbe ... More >>

Central Market’s Beer & Chocolate Pairing

Surely, this is heaven-approved

We're Buzzed About Houston Beer Week

foshydog​From October 11 to 17, local taprooms, eateries, breweries and beer aficionados will join forces to pay homage to all the creative combinations of hops, malt, yeast and water - better known as beer. The first ever Houston Beer Week will be eight days of beer magic taking place in Hous ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: Catherine Duwez of The Broken Spoke

​Yesterday we spoke with The Broken Spoke's (1809 Washington Avenue) chef and owner, Catherine Duwez, about her culinary background. Today we continue our conversation. Eating Our Words: We hear you make some amazing homemade mayonnaise. That must make you pretty popular with diners. Catheri ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Catherine Duwez of The Broken Spoke Cafe

​Eating Our Words ventured out to Belgian café The Broken Spoke (1809 Washington Avenue) to speak with owner/chef Catherine Duwez, formerly of Café Montrose. In addition to satisfying our stomachs with a plethora of delicious dishes, she also enlightened us on the differences between Belgian ... More >>

Ingredient of the Week: Chicory

StimpsonJCat ​What is it? Chicory is a versatile, edible, flowering plant. The leaves are used for salad, and the roots can be found in coffee as an additive (or a substitute in some cases). With Houston's proximity to New Orleans, we usually think of the famous coffee at Café du Monde just ... More >>

Brewery Lineup Posted Here: Brewmasters International Beer Festival

Marty.FMYes, this is a Homer beer-label mosaic. ​This morning I was visited by the Beer Fairy. If you haven't had the pleasure, just imagine a miniature Mike Ditka, aviator glasses and all, in a non-descript sports jersey and tutu yelling "Da Beers!" The reason for tiny Ditka's visit: Da Brewm ... More >>

Houston Slammed By European Travel Blog: We're Boooorrring

But...but...there's the Kemah Boardwalk!!​Among world cities, in which category does Houston rank second only to Brussels, the capital of the European Union? Tedium, at least according to the European Union-funded wiki blog OpenTravel. According to "Chili," an English-language challenged scr ... More >>

This Week in Deliciousness

Ceviche is always best when served on a salt puck.​Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where there can never be enough varieties of the Newton. We're working on a Boston Cream Pie Newton that should be ready before the end of the year, assuming we can get our taste tes ... More >>

Capsule Art Reviews: "Bert Long's RED Book", "Cosmos", "Group Show: Shoman, Benhelima, Forero, Zet, Wilson & Wolfson"

Capsule Art Reviews: "Bert Long's RED Book", "Group Show: Shoman, Benhelima, Forero, Zet, Wilson & Wolfson",

"Keep It Slick: Infiltrating Capitalism With the Yes Men", "Round 32: eco, xiang, echo: meditations on the african, andean & asian

Capsule Art Reviews: "Bert Long's RED Book", "Group Show: Shoman, Benhelima, Forero, Zet, Wilson & Wolfson", "Keep It Slick: Infiltrating Capitalism With the Yes Men"

Brew Blog: Brother David's Triple

​ Our historical excuse for sampling a beer this week comes from March 17, 1916, which the governor of North Carolina declared Belgium Day (it sounds happy but was meant to spur donations after the devastation of World War I). Anyway, we're always suckers for a domestic Belgian imitation. Thi ... More >>

Brew Blog: Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale

​This week's adventure into a random beer (Brother Thelonious Belgian Style Abbey Ale from North Coast Brewing Co. in Fort Bragg, Calif.) has one key justification. This past Sunday, December 13, was the day in 1789 on which the Austrian Netherlands declared independence as Belgium, starting ... More >>

Holiday Beers

​If holiday cocktails aren't your game, there are plenty of brewers suggesting you wish Jesus a happy birthday with their own drinks this month, and Block 7 Wine Company, 720 Shepherd, was happy to get folks started last weekend with a holiday beer tasting. We found it well worth the $5 cove ... More >>

Mussel Mania

Ride your bike to the Broken Spoke for some awesome moules frites and a Stella.

Summer Drinks: Perrier Menthe

Belgian Waffling

A street hustler sells his child, then fights to undo his mistake

Un-French Frites

Mussels and fries, monk beers and Belgian pride abound at Cafe Montrose

A Matter of Taste

Best Beer Selection

The Ginger Man

Amplified

SideCar Band Jam

From Brussels with Love

A charming new cafe sprouts in Montrose

Brussels Sprouts

Blowing His Own Horn