Of course, traveling makes one hungry so we got to the airport in Boston with plenty of time for a decent meal! You can't expect to keep your energy up on airplane food! We found a cozy little place in Terminal B, called Bonfire, owned by celebrity-chef, Todd English. The menu items range wildly in price, but we both managed to find moderately priced choices so we asked for a table!
I always like to start a vacation off with a cocktail, and the Cable Car caught my eye! It seemed to represent the bartender's creative idea of a Side Car, one of my favorite drinks! Containing Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum, fresh sour mix (always a plus!) and Triple Sec, this libation was served in a cinnamon-rimmed cocktail glass, with a slice of fresh orange. It did taste a bit like a Side Car, and was quite refreshing! Happy vacation to us!
We opted to share a salad before our main courses arrived, and the Bonfire Blue salad sounded pretty darn good. When the plate arrived, I was happy to see we had made a great choice for sharing. Two halves of a head of iceberg lettuce sat atop tomato slices and Spanish red onions. The lettuce was slathered with creamy dressing and large chunks of rich, blue cheese. We each dug into our wedge of lettuce and thoroughly enjoyed the start to our meal! Perfect for two!
As we finished our salad, the entrees arrived. While the menu boasted burgers, sandwiches, and even a filet mignon option, I was intrigued by another list of menu choices....the Bonfire Taqueria. There were a few different options to choose from, but I opted for the Baja Style Fish Tacos, made with fried Mahi Mahi, caper aioli, and topped with a radish and jalapeño slaw. I was pleasantly surprised when the dish came, because there was also a large dollop of guacamole! The tacos were flavorful and tasty, and the Mahi Mahi was fried nicely...not greasy or heavy, but light and fluffy, and delicious! Once we had enjoyed the heck out of our first vacation meal, we headed to our gate, eagerly awaiting our flight to London.
As predicted, the food on the plane was the opposite of appetizing, so it's a good thing we ate prior to boarding. However, by the time the first leg of our travels had come to a close, my tummy was rumbling! Once we cleared security at Heathrow, we were surprised to find that we had time for a quick "brekkie" at one of the terminal eateries, Giraffe! This place reminded me a bit of Disney World, for some reason, but they boasted smoothies and that sounded like it would hit the spot!
I am not a fan of banana, or anything banana-flavored, but every smoothie included the fruit so I was brave, and decided to order one anyway. The "Hippy Hippy Shake" was made with pineapple, passion fruit, mango, banana, passion fruit and pomegranate juice. While I could still taste the banana in the smoothie, it was a pretty tasty smoothie, and quite refreshing for a middle-of-the-night snack, if we're talking about the time zone I'm on right now!
For breakfast, I had Scrambled Eggs on Toasted Focaccia with roasted tomatoes! The focaccia was salty, with a lovely hint of rosemary in every bite. It was also toasted to perfection, and the scrambled eggs, while a tad overcooked, made the bread just soggy enough to make it worth eating with a fork, in a good way!
They gave us very quick and friendly service with a smile, and then we were off to the gate for our departing plane to Brussels. By the time we finally arrived in Brugges, I was ready for a shower so we headed to the hotel to wash up before heading out to explore.
We stopped in at a local "watering hole" called Cafe Craenenburg for a beer and a waffle...Belgian Waffle! The beer that my husband ordered for me was called Kriek and was brewed from dark cherries. It was delicious, and I'll be looking for it back in the States. Even a beer hater would love the flavors of this one!!!
As for the waffle, I ordered one with cherries on it, and boy, I sure am happy I did. They were fresh, pitted cherries, cooked down to have a soft, decadent consistency while still maintaining their original shape! They were warm and the juices seeped into the waffle, creating a natural syrup! My first real Belgian Waffle was a big hit!
After our snack, Matt wanted to visit the local brewery where they make the beer he had just enjoyed. We made the short trek, and opted to share a Quadruple Ale by Straffe Hendrik. It has a dry taste with spicy notes, but it is very, very strong! Good thing we shared one!! I do like the chocolate-y after taste I get from each sip of this one!
Now that we've successfully obtained a slight buzz for the strongest half a beer I've ever drank, it's off to find sustenance in the form of dinner!!! We wandered around the area where most of the restaurants are located, browsing menus and noticing how early we were to start looking for dinner. We were off in our times though, so we'll save local customs for tomorrow. We settled on a Flemish restaurant called 'T Huidevettershuis. We decided to both order from the three-course price fixe menu entitled Flemish Heritage.
I opted for a "bouillabaisse" as my starter, it was not what I traditionally associate with the term. Instead, I received a rather dark fish broth, with tiny shrimps, and a small fillet of fish, topped with some caviar. It was tasty, but by the time I had finished the bowl, I was getting a bit tired of the fishiness present in each bite.
For my entree, I opted for the Eel in Greenery, because the other option was venison, and I don't particularly like it. I was a bit skeptical about the dish I had ordered but it seemed to be a Flemish delicacy so I gave it a go! Oh my goodness, I am so glad I did!! The eel was buttery, flaky and full of flavor. It was so very different from the eel you find topping sushi rolls in the US! It didn't taste like chicken, like I normally compare it, at all! It was a beautifully cooked piece of seafood that just melted in my mouth!
For dessert, we had a sinful chocolate cake with a delicious scoop of ice cream. I couldn't place the flavor but it was so delicious and creamy...I will definitely be focusing on some more desserts tommorow!
That was our first day in Bruges, and at the end of it (by end, I mean 8pm) we were beat and went back to the hotel for some R & R. Tomorrow's a new day!!!
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