JF

our owner

at Taste of Belgium,

Jean-Francois,

is the BEST.

He's the best kind of owner to work for:

one with HEART.

he's the atypical American Success Story:

began making waffles in Findlay Market years ago

was so enthusiastic about them

that they were a HUGE hit 

and now he owns a popular, up and coming, bistro in OTR.

He's FANTASTIC.

he's got his hands in to everything!

If the food needs to be expo-ed....he expos.

if tables need to be bussed....he busses.

If guests need to be chatted with....he chats.

He's the BEST.

and he never leaves an issue unknown.

so he texts me, 

when i close,

to just check in and make sure everything is a-okay.

the texts above are from us.

:D

i freaked him out and he called immediately.

"you are just kidding, right?" he says in a very flat tone.

Phil, the head chef, of course, is standing in front of me, flabbergasted and laughing.

I tell JF that I am indeed kidding, and that Phil thinks this is hilarious.

JF breaks out into a relieved laugh

cracks a few jokes

and thanks me for my work.

He's quite a swell guy, if i do say so myself. :D

fancypants lunch

i used to think that i loved breakfast.

i used to think that i adored it.

and i did.

i mean, it's good, right, it's delicious.

there's nothing wrong with breakfast.

but then two things happened to me.

the first -

i went to Taste of Belgium.

for lunch.

for heavenly, deliciously lunch.

incredible.

in the midst of my day, i find myself

in a beautiful, contemporary restaurant

poised

posh

perfect

and so quietly shocked that i'm having such a nice time!

and then

the second -

jean robert's Table.

have you been?

i can't believe i have.

i had a business lunch there one day.

and by "business lunch," i mean,

i met a friend and asked questions about jobs and it was during the business day.

BUT SERIOUSLY.

srsly the nicest restaurant i have ever been to in my life.

AND I LOVE ME SOME NICE RESTAURANTS.

and then it hit me.

sure, breakfast is great and wholesome and healthy and wonderful.

and dinner, too, is super special and nothing compares to Special Dinners on Special Nights.

but, lunch?

Lunch takes the cake, my friends.

If you've got yourself a fancy-schmancy lunch, you've got yourself the best day of your life.

anything can happen on a Fancy-Lunch day.