Jan 21, 2005  |  By: STEPHANIE POTTE  | COMMENTS     

EXECUTIVE CHEF BART Vandaele has created a contemporary masterpiece with Belga Café, the newest addition to Barracks Row.

Located along a five-block section of 8th Street, SE, Barracks Row (named for the Marine barracks on the strip) has undergone a radical transformation in recent years, with city officials and locals hoping to attract more businesses to an otherwise residential area.

The restaurant sits across the street from the lesbian bar Phase One and the Shakespeare Theater, and is consistently packed with diners eager to sample the café’s eclectic cuisine.

When I arrived, the atmosphere was bustling, energetic and seemed Euro-chic. The restaurant’s layout — with an open kitchen and 14-person “community table” near the rear — makes the most of an otherwise rectangular space.

The dark wood tables, chrome accents, tiered ceiling and exposed brick wall blend to create a flavor best described as Northern European modern and disarmingly inviting. The Belga Café crowd is lively but urbane, and the limited elbowroom is soon forgotten in favor of contagious ambience.

FORMERLY THE EXECUTIVE chef to the Dutch ambassador, Vandaele opened the restaurant in October. Its menu offers a mélange of traditional and contemporary options, with a wide variety of time-honored Belgian entrees — largely influenced by German and French cuisine — sharing the spotlight with several Euro-fusion dishes created by the chef.

While traces of Belgian cooking are preserved, such as using beer in sauces and sprinkling most dishes with plenty of fresh herbs, the Eurofusion dishes often incorporate Asian ingredients and presentations.

For starters, I recommend the Kip & Krab Sigaars. These flavorful, deep-fried rolls combine a European croquette-like filling and a crispy exterior and are served with sweet and sour and creamy curry sauces.

As a vegetarian option, of which the menu has few, try the Flemish-style poached asparagus served with a very basic egg-parsley-butter sauce. The simplicity of the dish allows each fresh ingredient to shine.

Also of note is the Brussels endive soup with cream of curry. Nothing highlights Belgium’s prized vegetable more than this light soup, served warm and freckled with curry.

THE MAIN ENTREES feature meats like rabbit, duck breast, squab, and Belgian steak. The steak is served with a generous helping of “real” Belgian fries piled into a cone-shaped chrome basket.

If you’re craving surf, try the pan-seared scallops. Beautifully presented on a teardrop plate, the scallops are plump and succulent, and rest atop a sour sauce balanced by the naturally sweet carrot mousseline. For a traditional Belgian favorite, order the mussels, which are served in a large pot with your choice of six different sauces.
And don’t forget to check out the beer and wine menu, which features a wide range of Belgian beers in bottles and on tap.

Belga Café currently serves lunch and dinner, and offers a “special Belgian beer event” on Tuesdays and brunch on the weekends built around a “Belgian waffles and chocolate” theme. The hours vary, so call ahead.

Reservations are highly recommended. Appetizers range from about $5-$10; dinner entrees from $15-$25; and desserts from $5-$10.