Today we are excited to welcome a local blogger to Family Friendly Cincinnati – Erin, of the blog, A Bird and a Bean! Erin stops by the site to share her family’s recent experience at Taste of Belgium, in downtown.
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The family and I woke up on a recent weekend to a torrential downpour. Actually it had been raining for days. Days and days and days. Since it was raining, my husband decided it would be fun to get out and try a new breakfast place. I’m not sure why those things are related, but it seemed like a good idea. Rain = new breakfast place. OK, it means I don’t have to cook…I’ll go with it.
We ventured on over the bridge to Taste of Belgium. You can’t really see the rain in the picture, but believe me, it was CRAZY! The bean got so drenched on the walk into the restaurant (from puddles so deep that the bottom of his shorts got wet!) that he was freezing cold and therefore whiny (FUN times). The waitress was so sweet and brought him an apron to cover up with and suddenly he was a happy little camper again. 🙂
On the weekends this place is usually really busy. I think the weather was keeping people (wiser than us) away. It was still hopping, but not standing room only. We got to sit at the community table with another group of people right in the middle of the open prep kitchen. We could watch them making all of the waffles and cutting the berries. It was great. There were giant industrial sized mixers and tools on the walls. The kids thought this was great.
The menu has great options with crepes and waffles of all kinds.
There were plenty of child friendly options, like fruit and yogurt parfaits and Nutella banana waffles.
The Bean went for Nutella and banana, that kid loves his chocolate. And the Bird decided to go with berries and whipped cream, who can resist whipped cream. My husband got a McWaffle, a waffle sliced in half and used to sandwich egg, apple wood bacon and Swiss. He also got a side of frites (fries) that came with a spicy aioli for dipping. These were all delicious. But, mine was the winner. I ordered the Waffle ‘n Chicken. A perfectly seasoned, crunchy, juicy chicken breast with a waffle and blue cheese side salad. The mixture of Ohio maple syrup and Frank’s hot sauce was an amazing combination. We didn’t eat again until dinner!
The waffles at Taste of Belgium are not a light, fluffy waffle like you might be used to. They are true Belgium waffles. In 2007, Jean-François Flechet brought back a 120 pound cast-iron waffle-maker from his native Belgium. Each waffle they at Taste of Belgium is baked individually in a specialized cast iron press, just like they were centuries ago. Taste of Belgium has perfected an old family recipe, passed down for generations. Their waffles are made from a thick dough and they use a coarse Belgian beet sugar that caramelizes inside the waffle iron giving it a unique texture and delightful sweetness. You will not be disappointed.
I’ve had the delicious waffles before. Every time I go to Findlay Market, I stop by the Taste of Belgium booth and at least have a sample! But, I had heard so much about the Bistro in Over The Rhine, I knew we had to try it. It’s is a full service restaurant. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.
If you are looking for a unique weekend brunch place, head on over to Taste of Belgium’s Bistro on Vine in OTR! They also have a large selection of Belgian beers and a wide selection of Genevers (Belgians national alcohol).
Coming soon. Taste of Belgium will be opening a location similar to the Findlay Market location in Northern Kentucky at the end of July. They will be located in Florence at the new Friendly Market. YAY for all the KY folks. (including me!)
They have a few locations and you can check out their website for more information.
They offer full service catering, too!
You can follow them on facebook or twitter.
Bistro on Vine | 1133 Vine St | Cincinnati, OH 45202 | 513-381-4607 Hours: Mon: 7 am – 3 pm | Tue-Thu: 7 am – 3 pm & 5 pm – 10 pm | Fri: 7 am – 3 pm & 5 pm – 11 pm | Sat: 7 am – 11 pm | Sun: 9 am – 3 pm Findlay Marke | 1801 Race St | Cincinnati, OH 45202 | 513-381-3280
Thanks for having me post about our breakfast! It was fun being over here at FFC!