Quadrupel Brasserie

I first heard rumor of Quadrupel Brasserie last summer, the inevitable "coming soon" tag that is understood to mean - by anyone who has ever waited for a restaurant to open - "hopefully in the next few weeks but most likely sometime within the next year." I walked by it in December and the paper had come down from the windows. It looked beautiful inside: dark wood, gorgeous lamps, small tables, and an intimate bar tucked away in the back. It looked like a fantastic place to spend a cold evening just before Christmas. 

Then the next day the paper was back in the windows and weeks passed by. No one seemed to have any more information. Thankfully, a couple days ago I heard from a friend that it had finally opened. Last night, after having a few happy hour drinks with my friends Kevin, Carla, Tracie and Tim, we decided to stop by and have a drink and some snacks. 

The bar was full but we pulled a couple tables together and sat down. Quadrupel's specialty is Belgian beer - they have over 70 in bottles and four on tap. I have not been a drinker of Belgian beers in several years. There was a time when I loved trying new ones, but these days I stick mostly to Guinness. Alas, when in Rome. Or Brussels, I suppose. I ordered a large bottle of Delirium Nocturnum.

For food we ordered some pommes frites, a sampling of sausages, and the pork and pancetta meatballs. Tim picked out a selection of cheeses for us: Fog Lights, Mt. Tam, and Point Reyes Blue. I was most excited about the pommes frites; Belgian fries, when done properly, are as addictive as anything you will ever eat. These looked beautiful when they arrived, served with a trio of dipping sauces. And they were delicious, although a tad limper than they should have been. (I enjoyed them more than the Belgian fries at The Slaw Dogs, but they need be to crisper to compete with Green Street Tavern, my favorite fries in Pasadena.)

The sausages were excellent, served with two mustards, sauerkraut, and pickled vegetables. (The carrots were so good I put them on a piece of bread with some cheese.) The meatballs were a bit disappointing, much drier than I expected. The bacon-tomato sauce that accompanied the meatballs was delicious, however, and we cleaned the bowl with the grilled slices of baguette. The cheeses were perfect; not surprisingly Tim did a superb job of selecting them.

We perused the dessert menu but did not order anything. The lavender creme brulee caught my eye but that will have to wait for another visit.

Despite the fact this was only Quadrupel's second night, they still did a great job. The service was excellent and I have no doubt the two disappoinments - the slightly undercooked fries and dry meatballs - will be corrected. (And neither of those were bad - they were still good and we ate them all.) I certainly will return; this is precisely the kind of restaurant that I hope succeeds in Old Town.