Beer Me at The Globe

Beer lovers from Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County and all of Southern California are making their way to The Globe Dine Bar in, of all places – Garden Grove, situated in central Orange County in a community known more for it’s strawberries than Belgian beer. But historic downtown Garden Grove is where Belgian born and raised husband and wife team Michael Pauwels and Marijke Adam decided to settle and open a restaurant and gastro pub. Always the trail blazers – Pauwels and Adam owned and operated Harlequino Tex-Mex, only the second Mexican restaurant in Belgium in 1992 until they decided to move to warmer and sunnier environs and landed in Southern Cali.

When asked, “Why Garden Grove?”, versus one of the beach communities that might seem a better choice for a gastro pub, Michael auresponded with three reasons that we all love to hear: lots of sunshine, an abundance of parking, and not a strip mall location – the small town feel of this historic stretch of Garden Grove was as as close to the ambiance of village cafes and pubs in Belgium that they could find in Orange County.

The Globe Dine Bar proudly pours 30+ Belgian craft ales including authentic Trappist craft beers and 18 rotating and seasonal Belgian craft beer on tap, all served in signature glassware and poured following Cicerone rules. What is that, you ask? I looked it up: a cicerone is a beer pourer with a pedigree, someone put through the paces similar to a sommelier and, as craft brew sales grow the designation is catching on, particularly in brew-centric establishments. A cicerone aids patrons in selecting beers based on their preferences and pair it with menu items. They also oversee the cleanliness of draft lines and ensure that glassware is handled correctly, as in a glass should be rinsed a final time before being used “lest any soap residue play havoc with the brew”. {Source: Wall Street Journal}

Entering The Globe, you cast your eye around to the “vintage” red leather booths and tables with retro salmon-colored chairs, reminders of the past, the ebony bar lined with colorful taps and glistening bottles pulls you to the counter where you’re greeted by bartender Pauwels. We purposely arrived early to be able to chat with Pauwels who greets regulars by name and will gladly share his passion and knowledge of Trappist and the beers of Belgium with anyone who is interested enough to ask. We immediately had that feeling of European “sit down and stay awhile” hospitality and proceeded to do just that.

Besides European hospitality and ambiance, The Globe, as the name suggests, brings a global flavor to the OC in its decor and its food. Maps adorn the wall, tables are decorated with mementos, coins, photos and graphics to depict different countries of the world and the menu offers globally inspired, seasonal cuisine and monthly specials featuring the cuisine of a particular country. When we visited in February it was Asian-inspired dishes with a nod to Chinese New Year. Even though Beef Rib Nasi Goreng sounded delicious, we already knew what we wanted to try, namely the pork and duck rillettes, charcuterie board, and the abundantly stuffed Crêpes Duck Confit  that I’d read about – all pictured below for your pleasure.

Leffe blonde beer crepes with duck confit, wild mushrooms and melted leeks ($10)

Charcuterie Platter with housemade pâté and cured meats ($14)

Chimay Triple White

Pauwels carries only Belgian beers with specialty glasses and  I couldn’t resist ordering the Cuvée des Trolls just to sip from their whimsical glass (opening photo). The Cuvée Des Trolls; Belgian Strong Pale Ale style beer is brewed by Brasserie Dubuisson Frères sprl in Leuze-Pipaix, Belgium. Light body, medium carbonation with an aftertaste that is a combination of sweet grains and light citrus hops. It, and the Triple White Chimay (above), were great beers to drink with the hearty duck confit crepes and salty robust flavors of charcuterie.

But the OUTSTANDING beer of the evening was La Trappe Quad Trappist –  centuries of beer making experience by Trappist monks is evident in the deep and spicy notes of this full bodied, malty, russet beauty which had been featured in The Globe’s Tasting February Brewmaster Tasting Event. You and I missed it so, note to self: don’t miss the March Brewmaster Tasting Event (details below)!

To the beer connoisseur, Belgium offers the largest variety of beer styles in the world: everything from pale ales to lambic, Trappist, and Flemish reds. I consider myself a casual appreciator of craft beers, but I have an inquiring mind and adventurous palate and always make it a point to experience the food and drink specialties of a particular country or region and, a Spring 2010 bike/barge tour that began in Amsterdam and ended in Brussels afforded me to the chance to do a little hands on research of Belgian beers and Belgium’s other well known product: chocolate and Belgian waffles – what a great country! If you can’t get to Brussels or Bruges to do your own beer research, The Globe Dine Bar is the next best thing 🙂 I know I’ll be back, if not for the Brewmaster Tasting Event this week, at least during March to taste one of the Chef’s Specials. Michael says they may even break from tradition and offer Guinness in honor of St. Patrick – but you’ll find no green beer being poured 🙂

The Grand Place, Brussels

Brewmaster Tasting Event

On Draft, Wednesday, March 06 from 6:30pm

Dupont Monk’s Stout