Belgium is famous for two of the best ingredients in food: chocolate and beer. But there's a lot more to the nation's cuisine than that. As part of our YEAR OF BELGIUM, OC is sampling the best curry ketchups, Waterzoois, and moules-frites our own hometown of New York has to offer.
Looking at the enormous glass and stainless steel Apple store at 14th Street and 9th Avenue in the Meatpacking District, it’s hard to imagine the building once housed one of New York’s original Belgian restaurants. The neighborhood has changed a lot since Markt, the brasserie which now resides in Chelsea, first opened in 1998. Markt, meanwhile, has remained classic. "If we changed our menu, our regulars would scream," Sam, a manager, told me on a recent visit. Dark wood, gleaming brass, and soft lighting set the mood here, transporting regulars, tourists, and casual visitors alike to Belgium, even if just for the length of a meal.
The restaurant's menu is wide-reaching, pulling from all parts of Belgium, and all-inclusive, with dishes listed in Flemish, French, and English. In addition to lunch and dinner, the restaurant offers brunch on the weekends, where you can have dishes like Pancakes au Sirop d’Érable (American-style pancakes with butter and syrup) or Slaatje Van Witloof en Veldsla (Green salad of Belgian endive and mâche.)
The long bar at Markt holds special significance. Markt was one of the early adopters of Stella Artois in the U.S., carrying the pilsner 14 years ago before Stella Artois became just Stella. Now, Markt carries Maes pils instead, a golden lager that is dry and hoppy. Although it is a top-selling beer in Belgium, it is lesser known in the US., and Markt aims to change that. Maes pils appears paired with a lobster salad, the lightness of the beer cutting through the rich lobster and the bed of avocado salad on top of which the lobster lays. The beer also shows up in a mousseline for an omelet with crab and asparagus.
The omelet is part of the brunch menu, a substantial selection of dishes that covers all the bases: omelets; "American-style pancakes"; exquisitely light waffles with the perfect amount of crunch, soups; salads; raw bar options served with traditional cocktail sauce, a Belgian cocktail sauce, horseradish, and a red wine and shallot mignonette... Although the menu favors seafood-lovers, even the pickiest eater is sure to find something to eat.
MARKT
676 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10010
MAP
Heeseung Kim is a writer based in Brooklyn, New York
Photos by Jonathan Baskin
