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Do you believe Vail village looks like a Bavarian resort with many hotels having German names? Mountain Village offers luxury, convenience and breathtaking scenery. In spite of all this Vail is a ski resort and skiing is the ultimate experience there. Vail ski resort is the perfect family resort which provide to adults as well as children. Your children will have many opportunities to learn skiing if they have not previously learned it.

In order to truly enjoy the local flavor, you have to figure out where the locals eat. The best way to get this information is from the locals themselves. You can check with a shop, a person walking on the street or even your hotel. They will surely tell you where you can enjoy the best local food at reasonable prices. After all, no one wants to pay an arm and a leg for a meal!

No trip to Colorado is complete without the famous Elk Stew. After all you are in the Rocky Mountains and you should taste the local fare. The best place to try some delicious elk stew is the Half Moon Saloon, which is located in the West Vail Mall. This place is also a favorite of the locals and you can enjoy your stew while live entertainment goes on.

However, there are also other Vail restaurants that offer many other dining options right from Mexican to Italian, to French and American. Even wild game and fondue lovers will find a restaurant to satiate their hunger.

Vail is truly a melting pot of many cuisines and there is something available for everyone. Vail boasts of over 100 restaurants and eating options. The Vail Mountain, itself, has 18 mountain restaurants catering to different clientele. Whether you are looking for a four-star dining experience or a casual one, you will find a restaurant.

If you happen to visit Vail in early December, do not forget to check out some restaurants that offer fixed price dinners at just $30 per person. This is quite a bargain considering that a meal in Vail can cost twice as much. West Vail has the most fantastic sushi and Asian cuisine that one can eat. All you have to do is go to Nozawa. The best Sunday buffet in Vail is available at the Terra Bistro and you can laze around enjoying the sun after a hearty meal. If you looking for reasonably priced Italian food, then head off to Ti Amo at Eagle-Vail.

Two famous Vail restaurants are the La Tour Restaurant and Sweet Basil. La Tour offers contemporary French cuisine. It is located in Vail Village and well worth the trip. Also in the village is Sweet Basil specializing in creative American cuisine. Many locals also visit this restaurant. Sweet Basil offers brunch on Saturdays and Sundays and the best part is that the bar is open right through the day.

After eating in all the restaurants and having a tiring but fulfilling day on the slopes, you may not feel like eating out. However, you can try A La Car service which specializes in delivering carryouts from restaurants all over Vail. You will really value this service when you do not feel like budging out of your cozy room.

• Assortment of three Fondue cheeses
• Emmentaler (1 pound), Gruyere (1 pound) and Appenzeller (1/2 pound)
• Contains the necessary cheeses in the perfect ratio
• Imported from Switzerland
• Complete with a recipe for the perfect fondue

Product Description
Fondue is a traditional Alpine specialty, blending the distinct flavors of three classic melting cheeses: Emmentaler, Gruyere, and Appenzeller. Careful amounts of white wine, Kirsch brandy and special spices are then added to create a delicious hot meal. With its bold flavor and creamy texture, fondue is perfect for a main meal or as an appetizer, and is always a hit when the weather turns cold. This set of gourmet cheeses includes the correct ratios to make a clas… More >>

Set of Fondue Cheeses by igourmet.com

You could be forgiven for wanting to visit Brussels for the eating choices alone. The city centre has a sprawling medley of restaurants serving up fine cuisines and ales and no trip to Brussels is complete without visiting a speciality Belgian Chocolate Shoppe and stocking up on sweet treats for the journey home.

Food & Restaurants In Brussels

From the traditional Belgian & French fare in and around Grand Place to the more exotic ethnic options such as the enjoyable Italian fare offered by the string of restaurants in “Little Italy” (along rue Franklin), Brussels is choc-a-bloc with engaging dining opportunities.

Of course, we all know that Belgium is associated with Moules (mussels) et Frites (Chips) but it’s also regarded for a number of additional dishes that have been shaped by a variety of influences including the French, Spanish and Dutch who all ruled over the land at some point in History. In fact Belgians culinary history can be traced back to the middle ages.

You can enjoy starters such as Croquettes aux Crevettes Grises (shrimp) and Fondues au Fromage (a type of cheesy croquette). A speciality Belgian bread that is sweet is Choesels and Ardennes pate is a pate comprised largely of pork and garlic. Then there are main dishes such as Filet American (served minced and raw mixed with onions and several spices). The Belgians do enjoy their red meat and it can form the basis of many a meal. Ragout d’agneau is a braised lamb dish that’s marinated with herbs. Pheasant and rabbit are also used in some speciality dishes like Faisan a la Brabanconne and Lapin dishes.

Anguilles au vert is an eel based soup and Andouillette a type of sausage.

You may expect to see Brussels Sprouts somewhere – and you would be right (Choux de Bruxelles). Chicory is one of the most used vegetables in Belgian cuisine, featuring in foods such as Witloof where it’s wrapped in cheese and ham.

You can round things up with Damme Blanche – vanilla ice cream served with a thick chocolate sauce. Or opt for other sweet delights like Profiteroles or Tarte tartin (apple pie served with cream).

There’s no shortage of quality restaurants in Brussels – you can feast on fresh fish in the Lower Town, enjoy dinner at any one of the high-class offerings along rue Antoine Dansaert – in fact you can venture to practically any part of the city and be within five minutes of a good place to eat.

For Tradional Belgian Food…

For pleasant food at reasonable prices, Chez Leon in Grand Place delivers – As you may expect it offers the Moules et Frites type menu and children under the age of 12 eat free.

Similarly, Chez Patric (Rue des Chapeliers) is popular with the tourists who want to sample traditional Belgian fare as is Brasserie de la Roue d’Or which is on the same street. La Rose Blanche (Grand Place) is known for its stews or you can opt for La Brouette for grander Belgian fare.

Italian

Noted for its warm atmosphere and exquisite food, A’mbriana (Rue Edith Cavell) serves up quality Italian fare are reasonable prices. Nearer to Grand Place is Rugantino and Senso (rue Franklin) offers well presented food but is somewhat on the pricey side. Also along Franklin are Pappa e Citti and Napoli.

Asian

While Brussels has a fairly high number of Chinese & Vietnamese restaurants, Indian fare is not as widely available and one of the best options is La Porte des Indes Avenue Louise).

La Cantonnaise (rue Tenbosch) and Hong Hoa (rue du Pont la Carpe) are among the favoured Chinese options while La Citronnelle is an interesting Vietnamese restaurant along Chaussee de Wavre.

Spanish

Tapas Locas (Grand Place) draws in a younger crowd and tends to be pretty good, cheap fare and Casa Manuel (also in Grand Place) is also a nice place which serves Portugese fare as well as Spanish.

Other International Restaurants

Le Forcado (Chaussee de Charleroi) is one of the few pure Portugese restaurants in Brussels. Along Rue des Grands-Carmes is Canita Cubana, which as you might suspect offers a wide range of Cuban cuisine. In the mood for African? Try Gri Gri located on Rue Basse.

Beers In Belgium

Belgium is the beer producing capital of the world, and offers a variety of hundreds of different beers. In fact, bars in Belgium often have a separate menu just for their beers. Depending on who you talk to, Belgium produces anywhere between 400 to 750 different varieties of beer.

Brussels also hosts the “Beer Weekend” which is on for three days every September. With reasonable beer prices and free entry, this is a must for beer lovers everywhere.

Some of the different types of beers include:

Blanche Beers – The most prolific blanche is Hoegaarden, which aside from being light in colour have a distinct citrus flavour and have a low alcohol content.

Trappist Beers – such as Chimay go back to the Middle Ages and are strong, yeasty beers with up to 11% alcohol.

Lambic Beers – are the most common in Brussels. Non-malted wheat beers, Lambics have around 5% alcohol strength. A derivative of Lambics are Gueuze beers which are a blend of Lambic beers. You’ll also come over Kriek beers which are Lambics that have a fruity flavour (very popular in summer).

If you’re really into your beer then consider a visit to Musee Bruxellois De La Gueuze – one of the best breweries in Belgium. Here you can take a tour of the beer production process (and taste a pint or two on the way).

It’s not just the staggering variety and flavours of beers that’s interesting in Brussels – equally, the ambience where you can enjoy your liquid nectar can and should be part of the whole Brussels experience. Having your pint in an old brown café or within one of the many historic Art Nouveau buildings is simply a joy to experience.

Say cheese! In the Auvergne region of central France this can mean any one of five great cheeses to have achieved the status AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlee) and a guarantee of quality. In fact no other region of France can lay claim to as many AOC quality cheeses.

The principal cheeses are: Bleu d’Auvergne, Cantal, St. Nectaire, Fourme d’Ambert and Salers.

Each of these five cheeses has gained PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) accreditation, guaranteeing products of the highest quality. PDO identifies products whose character is linked to a particular region and each product is regularly analysed to ensure that they continue to meet the required standards. Since 1992 PDO has been recognised at a European level.

Bleu d’Auvergne is probably one of the great blue cheeses of the world. Milder than the more famous Roquefort, it has been made since the mid 1900′s in the traditional manner from cows milk. The blue veins were traditionally formed by the addition of mould from crushed rye bread. Today, the veins are created by the addition of penicillin Roquefort and later pierced with wire. The cheese is then placed at the entrance to one of the many caves found in the area for ripening. Today, production is limited to six dairies and only one farm, which manufacture over 6,000 tonnes per year. Great to eat in salads or by itself, good Bleu d’Auvergne has a firm but creamy texture and should spread easily onto bread or crackers. Other great dishes to use Bleu d’Auvergne include ‘Blue Cheese Potatoes Au Gratin’ and ‘Pear and Blue Cheese Tart’, best washed down with a sweet wine, montbazillac or sauternes for example, to counteract the somewhat salty aftertaste.

Cantal cheese is defined according to its age; Cantal jeune (young – ripened from 30 to 60 days), Cantal entre-deux (medium – ripened from 90 to 210 days) and Cantal vieux (mature – ripened for over 240 days). Younger Cantal has a mild, buttery flavour whilst more mature versions have been likened to cheddar, although Cantal has a softer texture. The cheese (and the region) gets its name from the highest peak in the region, the ‘Plomb du Cantal’ at over 6,000 ft. and has been produced for over 2000 years. Two types of Cantal are produced. Cantal Fermier, is made from un-pasteurised milk and is farm produced. Cantal Laitier is made from pasteurised milk and is the main commercial dairy mass-produced version. Both types use milk from the Salers breed of cow. To produce the distinctive flavour of Cantal the cows are only provided with hay (for feed) in the summer months. It is a versatile cheese and can be used for example in omelettes, salads, soups, truffade (a traditional Auvergne dish made with sliced potatoes) and cheese fondues.

The production of St. Nectaire is limited to 70 towns located in the volcanic Monts Dore region. Farm produced St. Nectaire is labelled with an oval green sticker, and the dairy produced version by a square green sticker. The Salers breed of is again the cow of choice for both traditional and commercial dairy production, with the farmsteads using un-pasteurised milk as opposed to the commercial use of pasteurised milk. The farmhouse St. Nectaire is firmer than the mass produced version. Another difference between the farm and factory versions is that the farms use milk from a single herd of cows but the dairies may use milk from several different cow herds. This can have a great effect on the taste. The herds dine on the rich mountain flora found at heights of over 1000 metres. Good St. Nectaire will have a nutty, fruity flavour and is best accompanied by a hearty Bordeaux to complement the tangy finish.

Fourme d’Ambert is a very mild blue cheese, less well known than Roquefort or Bleu d’Auvergne, but is nevertheless a fine all round cheese. According to legend this cheese was in production at the time of the Druids and the Gauls and its main market soon became the town of Ambert whose town hall is in the shape of a circle, like the cheese itself. Made from cows milk Fourme d’Ambert has a musty scent, but its flavour is mild and creamy. To appreciate the lighter flavour of this cheese it is best enjoyed simply with a crust of bread or as dessert course accompanied by a sweet wine such as Sauternes.

Salers completes the set of Auvergne AOC cheeses. Another product of the Cantal region, it is the only Auvergne cheese that is not factory produced (as well as farm produced). It is made using un-pasteurised milk from (as you would expect) the Salers breed during the summer pastures (15th April to 15th November). As such cheese production must take place twice a day as soon as the cows have been milked. It is another ancient cheese estimated to have been produced in this region for over 2000 years. It is a firm cheese with a fruity flavour said to be at its best after maturing for nine months.

Cheese heaven! If you would like to experience the great Auvergne cheeses at first hand, and appreciate their diversity of form and flavour, you can embark on the cheese road – officially and more eloquently known as the ‘Route des Fromages A.O.C. d’Auvergne’. Follow the brown ‘Route des Fromages’ signs to nearly 40 gourmet stops to learn about and enjoy all of the cheeses of this beautiful region.

Happy tasting!