how could i not love my job when it comes with sweets, great people, awesome design and cool experiences? last weekend i had a beyond wonderful time hosting an afternoon for brussels chocolatier ELISABETH – inviting four inspiring bloggers to come along for good coffee, a little wander through brussels’ charming streets and a dessert workshop.
the afternoon started at cute mobile coffee bar VROOM VROOM run by the lovely elfya, whose macchiatos and lattes were the perfect company for some delicious meringues and mini melo cakes. ELISABETH is not a traditional chocolatier, in that they don’t produce the sweets themselves, but rather go around scouting the best local artisans for each different product. everything is made in or around brussels, and each of the four elisabeth stores has its own specialty – from meringue to nougat to chocolate to gingerbread… my personal favorites are their cuberdons, and their melo cakes with salty biscuits – i swear i’ve dreamed of both after tasting them for the first time.
we then took a short walk from the saint michel cathedral to the streets surrounding the ‘grote markt’, a rather touristy area in the heart of brussels. i didn’t think of this area as very interesting before i met the ladies behind elisabeth, but now they keep surprising me with cool addresses and places that go straight to my ‘must come back and bring my camera some time’ list. because of the touristy image of the neighborhood, i had never noticed the elisabeth boutiques before, but they are true gems and totally visit-worthy even if you’re a local. even if it’s just to admire the cool branding by BASE DESIGN, who succeeded in giving a little edge to the sweet label and have developed the loveliest packaging for them.
after tasting our way through all four boutiques, we were off to culinary hot spot LES FILLES. i hadn’t been to their restaurant/shop/atelier before, and i had no idea i was in for SUCH a treat. the atmosphere cozy and relaxed, the accessories and decorations retro and colorful, it is an amazing place for everything from brunch to the reason why we were there – a foodie workshop. as ambassador for belgian design label SERAX, i couldn’t not go and borrow parts of their beautiful new collections for the workshop. we ended up styling the desserts on parts of the new colorful JANSEN+CO tableware, some of my favorite sleek PIETER STOCKMANS designs and really pretty marble trays.
we learned how to make three awesome (and wonderfully simple) desserts using elisabeth ingredients, though i may or may not have been too hypnotized by the glorious pastel kitchenaids to really develop my non-existent cooking skills. i was in awe of what the other bloggers created though – it must be so much fun to be so creative in the kitchen. for now i think i’ll stick to stuffing my face with cuberdons – and perhaps JULIE, LOUIE, PATRICIA or PIETER will some day invite me to taste their desserts…
photos by stephanie duval