If you get that reference (actually, “kneel before Zod!”), then you might need to get outside more often for some fresh air (it’s from Superman II). Lynn, Keith, and I visited the Belgian restaurant Zot, off Head House Square, in Philadelphia, last night.

Zot offers more beer choices than most people can compute in an evening: “150 different types of beer from Belgium, Britain, Ireland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, Russia, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Peru, Jamaica, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, China, Australia, Canada and, of course, The USA.”

DJ Keith was already out of hand by the end of his first glass of Brigand.

At Six O’Clock
John Berryman

I lift—lift you five States away your glass,
Wide of this bar you never graced, where none
Ever I know came, where what work is done
Even by these men I know not, where a brass
Police-car sign peers in, wet strange cars pass,
Soiled hangs the rag of day out over this town,
A juke-box brains air where I drink alone,
The spruce barkeep sports a toupee alas—

My glass I lift at six o’clock, my darling,
As you plotted . . . Chinese couples shift in bed,
We shared today not even filthy weather,
Beasts in the hills their tigerish love are snarling,
Suddenly they clash, I blow my short ash red,
Grey eyes light! and we have our drink together.

Keith and Lynn toasted our discovery of a fine new restaurant.

Chef Bernard Dehaene is superb. We decided to eat at the bar. We started out with some corn chowder with Crème fraîche. Tasty.

Brigand! We worked on a provocative bar tab as well.

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” – Benjamin Franklin

And, of course, we had several buckets of mussels, with all sorts of flavors. I finished off three: The Voodoo, the Snob (crab meat, lobster, and cream), and . . . I forget the name of the third, but it had Grand Marnier and oranges. Altogether, we knocked back eight kilos of mussels!

It was my thirtieth year to heaven
Woke to my hearing from harbour and neighbour wood
And the mussel pooled and the heron
Priested shore

– Dylan Thomas, “Poem in October”

If you’re sitting home in Philadelphia with nothing to do one night, consider a visit to Zot, the city’s newest and possibly finest Belgian restaurant-bar (though we will always reserve a deep fondness for both Eulogy and Monk’s).

“Mussel-ing In. Zot bests the rest with 30-plus versions of this Belgian standard. Better than standbys like Monk’s, Abbaye, and Eulogy.” Jason Wilson, Philadelphia, September 2007

“Philly’s best Belgian pub.” The Week, August 17, 2007

“In a bevy of Belgians, this new one, with a native chef, stands out . . . . You don’t have to be a Belgian madman to appreciate Zot.” Craig LaBan, Philadelphia Inquirer, June 4, 2007

“Zot pushes the idea of Belgian cuisine to another level . . . . This large handsome restaurant has an upscale menu that beautifully reflects Belgium’s reputation for French cuisine with hearty German portions . . . . Simple but superb.” Joe Sixpack, Daily News, May 25, 2007

“Three tips of the toque to Zot.” Phyllis Stein-Novack, South Philly review, March 22, 2007