Laura Palmer lives on in this Twin Peaks themed/decorated restaurant located in central Brussels. And it.is.Phenom!
HOWEVER... I'd like to take this opportunity to perhaps be the first semi-hipster ever to say that I don't like David Lynch. Not one bit.
And it's not that I don't 'get him'... I definitely get him, I just f*cking hate what I get.
First off, all that stupid slow jazzy music with the constant ding of little cymbals at seemingly inappropriate times. HATE it. Worst signature ever.
Second, (and this is where I'll end it so as to make this entire thing a rant, but just know that I could go on) watching a work by David Lynch feels like homework. I keep waiting for the turning point where I'll see the genius like everyone else supposedly does, but it never comes and it always ends with me being mind-numbingly bored for 2+ hours, then trying to Google wtf just happened, then STILL not knowing what the point was. Do they make Cliff Notes for these things?
Personally, when I hear people say they love David Lynch I can't help but think that David Lynch is off somewhere laughing at them (definitely NOT with them) for being able to make money off fooling people with nonsensical hullabaloo... and other words that only your grandmother would use. Is there anyone out there that can confidently explain (the confident thing is key because anyone can just fudge up a half-assed explanation) that sh*t to me? And you have to be able to wrap up details... no sweeping things under the rug.
Aaaanyway... I guess we can get back to this Twin Peaks eatery that for whatever reason, thrilled me when I saw all the nods to David Lynch's cult television hit, Twin Peaks. There was the nicely framed photo of Laura Palmer on the bookshelves, the Twin Peaks town signage, it was warmly nostalgic of my days spent curled up on the couch with my laptop, Twin Peaks on Netflix, and a confused look on my face trying to figure out wtf was going on with that lady with the log. Anybody know? Anybody? I thought not.
So this place has a menu that is the absolute most refreshing thing after 2+ weeks traveling through the Czech Republic and Germany where your choices are typically brown gravy and meat or beige gravy and meat, or white gravy and meat.
We went right when they opened (at like 11am or something spectacular for non-early risers like myself) and partook in their brunch-y menu of hearty, colorful, stacked bagel sandwiches and burgers. They even have a few vegetarian and vegan option... which are few and far between in other countries.
My dining partner and I both ordered coffee, which was fresh and perhaps the tastiest we'd had all trip. Our coffees were served in mis-matched mugs, his had a cartoon image of a log cabin and mine was an ultra 80s touristy mug from Florida... it was at that point that I understood that this was an 'American-style' restaurant and to that I could only be thankful... if for nothing more than for the first time in our 2+ weeks of traveling, the menu was in English and I could read everything on it and know exactly what I was getting.
Our server was so sweet and cute and spoke the most delicate English ever. I think that may be my favorite accent... when people who normally speak French, speak English. So soft and soothing.
My partner and I split the Hannibal the Cannibal bagel sandwich, that ironically is vegetarian - also FANTASTIC. And the Super Mario Burger (also a veggie burger) that was OUTSTANDING. One of the tastiest meals of entire trip. So good, in fact, that we almost came back for dinner with another couple, but since the hours here are kind of (totally) weird, we did not.
Rachel is not at all handicap accessible... or it is until you have to go to the bathroom when you have to walk down the slender-est, steep-est stairs I've ever seen inside a building. There's one bathroom with a toilet and a door and it opens into an open area with a sink surrounded by three urinals - no door, so there's a good chance of seeing some wiener while you wash your hands.
The prices were nominal for the size, quality, and freshness of our food and overall this was the most affordable place we dined in all of Belgium.
Rachel (greater than sign) David Lynch. read more