3 days, 4.3 waffles

Brussels, Belgium. Where water cannot be had for free and most places charge to use the toilet. Still, with chocolate shops offering samples upon entrance that soon add up to double digits of pieces eaten within an hour, fries dipped in andalouse sauce, street waffles candied and crunchy on the outside but soft and doughy on the inside, and beer that's literally cheaper than water - who can really complain?

Before I showcase the food, here are some sights:

 Mannekin Pis

 Atomium

 the Wiener bus: an opportunity for friends and I to showcase our immaturity, spawning jokes such as "Are we going to ride the Wiener?" and "Where does the Wiener terminate?"

 Came upon some neat graffiti:

and my namesake beer:

 We also spent a day in Bruges, the cutest. city. evar.

  and now, the food:

A fantastic first trip - looking forward to many more :)

more signage

 just across the street from Parliament

yes, this is indeed the stance I take when trying to slip into the tube just in time

and to note some differences:

Off to gorge myself in waffles, chocolate, fries, and beer in Brussels tomorrow 'til Sunday - have a great weekend!

I saw the sign

...it opened up my eyes I saw the sign." I realize it's only the novelty of this city that suddenly makes me so perceptive to signage, but I'm so tickled by them all:

  I quite liked the rotund-ness of the skirt on this women's bathroom sign at Heathrow

  and I thought this female was looking particularly butch

 represent

  

no false advertising here (also take note that the McChicken is a "slut")

McLaren's! Oh wait, not the bar from HIMYM?

  I want to go to there

  wuddup Panera font?!

more to come :)

RAWR I'M A TOURIST!

Well, it's high time I posted some of that stuff that makes it onto the postcards here:

 Big Ben

  

Houses of Parliament

  

 London Bridge (much lamer than one might imagine)

 Buckingham Palace

 The London Eye

 telephone booth

 Tower Bridge

Victoria Memorial

Wellington Arch

Shakespeare's Globe Theatre

Trafalgar Square

Westminster Abbey

I adore this city :)

Good Eats (sans Alton)

Well, I hate to say it, but food in London has so far mildly lived up to its reputation of being...ahem..."inferior"...to other types of cuisine. I mean, sure, it's been "good". But who wants "good" when you're spending almost double the amount you naturally would (damn you, currency exchange)? Ohhh nonono, I would much rather commiserate with my friend Tony the Tiger, I want my food to be "grrrrrrrreat!". Anyone who knows me well enough (or, really, anyone who's spoken to me for even 5 minutes) will know I take my food very. seriously. srsly. I still have an abundance of restaurants and classic English dishes to try, so I hope I'm speaking entirely prematurely and all this will become rubbish (see that English jargon I just snuck in there?) in the coming weeks.

Here's a bit of what's been had so far:

(disclaimer: these "critiques" are coming from a girl who would  relish in eating taco bell every day)

at Helva (29-31 Greenwich Church Street, Greenwich Village SE10 9BJ) 
I had the kofte, which was ground lamb with onions, green peppers, herbs and spices, served with couscous.
I actually really enjoyed this - the lamb was really flavorful and cooked well, while the couscous had a great lighter and subtler flavor that paired really nicely with the grease from the meat. The carrots, radish (um..that's radish...right? I'm too much of a carnivore), and spicy salsa-like side were refreshing and complemented the density of the meat.

At the Embankment Cafe (25 Victoria Embankment, London, WC2N 6PB)
My first taste of the "Traditional English Breakfast" - grilled tomatoes, sunny side up egg, mushrooms, beans, sausage, and bacon served with wholemeal toast and English breakfast tea. I quite enjoyed the variety of it all. A friend and I shared this with a Tomato and Mushroom sandwich. While the flavors were all there, I thought it would have been much better if served with a crustier toasted bread - it was all a bit too mushy.

at Bench'o (151 Earls Court Road, Earls Court, London, SW5 9RQ)
I had the greek moussaka, which was ground beef with potatoes and covered in cheese, served with a salad and roasted vegetables. The entree was preceded by a baguette with pesto. The baguette was wonderful, the pesto was...different. It tasted a bit more like hummus to me, so I'd be interested to know how it was made. Overall, a pretty hearty meal.
 

I recently spoke with a British girl who recommended a number of foods, so we'll see how it goes. As for this weekend, I'm off to test a burger place that claims to have burgers like that of the States. Then, off to a Moroccan/Tunisian restaurant to assist a friend in her "research" for an article she's writing. Please feel free to leave any suggestions of foods and/or restaurants I should try :)

Mmmm...food.