A few weeks ago I had a delightful lunch with my wife at the Belgian Café, a delightful new Belgian bar in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia (kind of a Monk’s north, for those who know the popular Belgian bar in Center City Philadelphia. When Monk’s moved in to the former 16th Street Bar and Grill I was pleased by the new pub while mourning the old. The same applies here – the Belgian Café replaces the recently closed Tavern on Green, a great funky bar with a good selection of both wines and beers.
But I digress. I may talk …read more

I’ve been mulling for some time what kind of beer to drink on New Year’s Eve, and I’ve settled on two. Interestingly enough, according to this article beer is now the drink of choice for New Year’s Eve over wine and spirits.
The first is a Belgian Ale, perhaps maybe even a nice flavorful triple. Why? Many of the Belgians are a little sweet and more highly carbonated than say a German lager, and provide a slightly “champagne-y” alternative to, well, champagne. The only thing I have in my basement is a Flying Fish Grand Cru, but if I were making …read more