Do you enjoy beer? Good, then you'll enjoy Belgian-style dining. Not to suggest that every dish is drenched in the delightful brew -- although several are -- but the drinking experience does upstage the food. After all, Eulogy, Philly's only real Belgian-owned restaurant, boasts over 200 beers to choose from while only offering 39 options for starters and entrees. You can't argue with the numbers.
The beer selection is touted as "the 200 greatest beers you've never had," and my experience showed that the assertion is accurate within .5% deviation, which is impressive. The comprehensive menu includes each beer's style and origin, as well as ratings from two different sources for the bottled options. Guided by my waitress' suggestions, I sampled several Belgian brews throughout the course of the meal. All were good and many come in festive bottles. She also shared a fun etymological anecdote about the Delirium Tremens draft. Apparently it's named for the condition experienced by alcoholics in withdrawal (delirium, restlessness, seizures, etc.). The shakes are so cool.
The food is less exciting. The menu offers standard "tavern fare" like chicken fingers and Buffalo wings along with typical Belgian dishes and some pricier Chef's Specialties. The foie gras and cheese board (market price) presents an interesting selection of cheeses, although the foie gras was a tad too tough. It was my date's appetizer, Chef Richard Harris DiPietro's original Crispy crab ($10.99), that stole the show during our culinary pregame. Our traditional Belgian entrees of Beer mussels ($7.99) and Waterzooi ($17.99), a creamy Belgian fish stew, were good enough, although the fish in the Waterzooi was noticeably overcooked. The dessert menu is, to be frank, trite, with its unimaginative pie choices such as the "peanut butter silk dessert" and the "banana split dessert (both $4.99). That's not to say it wasn't tasty, but it was a tad too Perkins-esque for my taste.
With the deep red walls, dim lighting and basketball game showing on the flat screen in the bar area, the atmosphere was that of a dressed-up tavern. The casual surroundings and genuinely friendly staff make for a great laid-back meal. Even if the food is a little mediocre and a little over-priced, it's well above average for a bar.
