Take a bite of Belgian cuisine at Highland Park cafe
Background
Bryant Street already had a buzz as a dining destination when developers asked Point Brugge Cafe owners Jesse Seager, wife Amy and her parents, Elaine Wolfe and Barry Silverman, to join the mix.
The owners were already looking to add a second location similar to their popular Point Brugge Cafe in Point Breeze, which they opened in 2005. They liked the idea of being a neighborhood restaurant in a neighborhood of restaurants, says Kevin Hunninen, the executive chef at the new restaurant, Park Bruges Cafe.
Hunninen, a Squirrel Hill native, had already spent four years working as executive chef at Point Brugge Cafe before moving to serve in the same capacity at Park Bruges, which opened on Feb. 1. Earlier experience at local kitchens included working as a line cook and, later, sous chef at the former Bruschetta on the South Side and at Isabella on Grandview, where he began as No. 2 chef before moving into the head chef position.
He's happy to demystify the differences in spellings of the restaurants' names -- Bruges in Highland Park and Brugge in Point Breeze. Belgium is a bilingual country, so those who use Flemish spell the historic city "Brugge," while those who use French opt for "Bruge."
The menu at Point Brugge emphasizes Belgian cuisine and beers. Bruges was chosen for Park Bruges, because, says Hunninen, "When we started (creating) menus (for Park Bruges), we were looking at a little more focus on French bistro food."
By the time they decided to continue the Belgian emphasis, the restaurant was already committed to the single G.
Atmosphere
"We are definitely a neighborhood restaurant," Hunninen says. "But we also want to have a range for people to eat here every day or for us to serve as a special-occasion restaurant."
The restaurant seats up to 68 diners, if you count the chairs at the bar. There's another 12 seats available on the sidewalk outside the entrance for use in pleasant weather.
No reservations are taken, so it's best to get there early in the evening, as tables fill up quickly. Bare-wood tables and floors add to the overall decibel and energy level.
But it's still possible to carry on a conversation without raising your voice or getting distracted by the dialogue at nearby tables. If it really annoys you, ask for a table in the rear where acoustic tiles lower the volume.
Service is swift, professional and attentive, though our soup order did get forgotten on a recent visit.
We're willing to overlook it, because our waiter recommended an unfamiliar Belgian beer that was a big hit and happily substituted mahi-mahi for the flounder that was listed on an otherwise-attractive menu item.
Menu
Hunninen describes the menu as "European-inspired bistro" with French and Belgian items being prominent throughout lunch, dinner and brunch offerings.
But that won't restrict him from taking occasional forays into cuisines as diverse as Southwestern U.S., Creole, Moroccan or Algerian. Right now poutine, the official street food of Montreal, is topping Bruges frites in two choices -- a classic Montreal ($8) version of Amish white cheddar curds and beefy gravy or Carnitas style ($10) with pulled pork, cheese curds, scallions, cilantro and gravy.
Mussels are a popular item at Point Brugge and that interest continues here. They're available with your choice of classic white wine or spicy Creole sauce in a 1-pound-appetizer size ($11) and, as an entree, Moules Frites ($17), 24 ounces of mussels, sauce, a hunk of crusty bread and a pile of the equally popular Bruges Frites.
We denied ourself that familiar treat to try a new item from the Alsace region of France: Tarte Flambee ($13), an extended oval of crispy flatbread baked in Enrico Biscotti's Strip District ovens, then covered with bits of well-cooked bacon, creamed leeks, chunks of mushroom and tangy Maytag bleu cheese.
If the evening is raw and wet, diners would be foolhardy to pass up red wine-braised shortribs ($22), a meaty, hearty medley of fall-off-the-bone beef, tiny fingerling potatoes, tender baby carrots and onions.
Once we arranged the fish substitution, we also enjoyed fresh fish of the day ($26) that had lured us with its promise of a Moroccan potato-pepper ragout. The large piece of mahi-mahi was buttery and moist. Pleasantly supporting it was the fresh-looking vegetable stew made from bits of red tomato, tiny diced bits of potato, bright-green spinach leaves and acid-green slices of banana pepper, finished with a lime-infused olive oil and cumin seeds.
Susie Teron and Anna DiPaoli create desserts for both Point Brugge and Park Bruges. The two we tried were worth every fat gram and calorie. A flavorful crust encased quarters of softly cooked, cinnamon-flavored apples on the Apple Tarte Tatin ($7) that came with a ribbon of caramel sauce and a mound of whipped cream. Chocolate cake ($7) was a moist, delicate, deep chocolate slice held together by a light icing and covered with a more-seriously rich layer of indulgence.
After a quick peruse of the brunch menu, we're planning a return visit to sample intriguing options such as Liege Waffles ($11), with powdered sugar, seasonal fruit or chocolate, and Moroccan Beaked Eggs ($13), eggs poached in spicy pepper-potato ragout served with Merguez lamb sausage.
Additional Information:
Park Bruges Cafe
Cuisine: Belgian and bistro
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturday and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sundays
Entree price range: $16-$26
Notes: No reservations, accepts most major credit cards, extensive list of Belgian brews on tap and in bottles, sidewalk dining. Brunch available on Saturdays and Sundays. Look for beer-related events and wine-paired dinners, beginning in mid-summer.
Location: 5801 Bryant St., Highland Park
Details: 412-661-3334 or www.pointbrugge.com
