Hard to put your finger on it, but it’s really tasty

Belgo takes a bit of time to try and explain to you what it is. In fact, it takes the first paragraph of their website’s index to describe what a brasserie is. I’m not too worried about what hours food is served, or if the menus are printed or just listed over the counter. But both my date and I were unsure what to expect when walking into the place. We were pleasantly surprised.

She had honestly thought that Belgo was a pub, and that we would be served up dishes that were heavily fried or sloppily grilled. I thought that Belgo, having only seen it from outside, would be a stuffy expensive evening. Belgo proved that, while not the most economical stop along Stephen Ave, it’s amazingly well put together.

There is a bar you can saddle up to. It’s relaxed yet classy. The music might be a bit too loud but not oppressive. Your conversation will not be overrun by tunes. There are flat-screen TVs tuned to sports channels. It’s a mix of bar and restaurant where if you want you can get a slightly private corner or booth, or get a large group together watching the game.

Simply put, the food was fantastic. We started off sharing the bacon wrapped prawns on truffle gazpacho salad. The large firm juicy prawns were really set off by the salty crisp bacon perfectly baked with no squiggyness, and a clean salad to clear the pallet afterward.

For mains, we both went with the “Red Meat”, Belgo’s own style of choose your own adventure steak. Choose your cut and how it’s prepared. The New York Strip, done peppercorn style, was fantastic, medium rare with good color in the interior and juicy as all get down. The Sirloin, simply done up with green beans and french fries, was an honest meal pulling no punches with generous amounts of sides. The cuts were perfectly prepared, seasoned just right, and tender. A sizable meal, we passed on desert being very contented with what we had enjoyed.

The menu is well assembled, with a fair number of seafood plates and other choices that looked just excessive. The Seafood Tower should quiet any voracious pescatarian you have in your ranks. There are not many vegetarian options on the menu however, and although Belgo is not a steakhouse you need to know that it is a meat heavy service. The prices can be a bit heavy as well, averaging about $25 a main. But there is value in the quality of the food.

Belgo is a bit upscale, fun, and served up great dishes. I have to recommend this place if you are looking for more class than just the bar down the street, but with more comfort and fun. And steaks, good steaks.

I’ll go after their sandwiches next time. Or their mussels. Or another steak. Hard to say.

Belgo Brasserie
501 8 Avenue Sw
(403) 265-6555

Tags: Belgo

This entry was posted on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 11:23 am and is filed under Food & Flavour. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.