Saturday, May 26, 2007

Waterzooi Belgian Bistro

This Belgian style bistro, located in Garden City, NY, has always been a favorite of mine. The atmosphere in the back is very nightclub'esque, with a crowd of young folks who enjoy the dimly lit, but colorful bar. I prefer the dining room, toward the front, which is always welcoming to guests of all ages.

The trademark dish is the "moule pot," essentially a giant pot of steamed mussels, served with frites, traditional Belgian fries, done perfectly crispy on the outside, but soft and potatoey on the inside. Before ordering be warned, one pot will satiate about three averaged sized individuals, or about six skinny individuals.

The pots come come in a vast array of international variations, from traditional Homard, with creamy lobster and scallions, to exotic Thai with grilled pineapple and spicy coconut broth.


I usually go with the paella:





Served with shrimp, Little Neck clams, crawfish, chorizo, chicken and rice in a saffron broth, this dish rivals the fare served in Spanish and Portuguese restaurants. At the top, is a well done paella; Digging further, the mussele content gradually increases. When one finally reaches the bottom, a lovely soup of saffron flavored broth, and leftover bits of mussels, clams, and rice is to be had. It is a good match for the loaves of crusty french bread served with the meal.




Also not to be missed is the Sweet Potato Gnocci.





While I will admit I'm not usually a fan of gnocci, this restaurant's take on the traditional Italian potato pasta is beautifully done. The gnocci has a sweet taste and a nice chewy texture, without the cheese flavor found in many Italian restaurants. The combination of the gnocci with andouille sausage, fresh peas, and rosemary cream makes this starter more of a meal than some of the entrees listed lower on the menu.




Waterzooi in Garden City

1 comment:

Cassidy said...

Hey that Paella dish looks amazing! I'm going to have to try it the next time I'm in town. Are you familiar with Sevilla in the Village? This resturant has been a family favorite since the 60's.

You might be a big fan of their seafood in white sauce served over saffron rice. Their rice is less then extraordinary but I visited the restaurant with a family from Valencia Spain and they were really impressed with the white sauce seafood dish.

Although they protested that Sangria can't be white, they finished off a couple "jarthes" of it.

Charles and W 4th I believe are the cross st.