Vrij(e)dag Friday! - Food-tripping at De Blauwe Schuit

One of the nicest things about living in a tiny burg like Leuven in Flanders is that it often has a lot of things to surprise you even though you've been a resident for some years.  This takes the form of oft-overlooked cobblestone alleys leading to cul-de-sacs with a cute and cozy cafe with a charming terrace and hearty comfort food.

De Blauwe Schuit is an example of this kind of hidden gem.

The anata and I met up with dear friend T at this establishment, tucked away in an almost nondescript corner of the Vismarkt.  For a plain facade, it actually makes it up with the cute sailing-and-flying-travel-themed interior (de blauwe schuit - the blue barge) and an indoor garden (open during summertime) with centuries-old gingko trees and the resident peacock, Joos.

From my tumblr.

The place has a good selection of Belgian beers (with a stray German one, Erdinger)--from the big-hitters of AB InBev (e.g., Stella Artois), Trappist brews and various streekbieren (I swear by the honey beer Barbar and the sweetly smooth Slaapmutske from the western part of Flanders).  But since we came here at around lunchtime, we opted for a more culinary type of get-together.

De Blauwe Schuit offers typical Belgian pub fare--gegratineered ajuinsoep (gratinized onion soup, which has my stamp of approval), croque monsieurs and its variants, pastas, bolletjes met tomatensaus (meatballs in tomato sauce)--but I often judge the place by its stoofvlees, Flemish beef stewed in beer, served with fries and a side-salad.

Butter-soft beef that melts in your mouth? Check. Richly flavored sauce, redolent of onions, laurel, thyme with the interesting prickle of mustard and pepper? Check. Crisp fries and fresh salad? Double check.  Their stoofvlees passed my muster with flying colors, even though I think the fries could have been cut thicker.

Price-wise, for onion soup and the main dish, plus their homemade iced tea, the meal cost around 20 EUR.  Not bad for a weekend lunch, but for students on a budget, this qualifies as an occasional extra treat.

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De Blauwe Schuit

Vismarkt 16
3000 Leuven, Belgium
+32 16 22 05 70