Food and Drinq

Mike Naessens is ready to roll at his bright, new Beneluxx (33 S. Third St. in Old City). "I’m going to try to open the doors tonight (10/10) even if the menus aren’t up to 50 cheeses, 50 wines, 30 beers and 20 chocolates," he tells me. He hopes to be up to snuff by the weekend. The Inquirer's peripatetic Rick Nichols stopped in Tuesday night for a look-see, but lacked a camera. Naessens adds: "Being a Kerouac fan (Subterraneans) and location in a basement (New York/ European feel) and the fact the beer and wine samples are served in Erlemeyer flasks I came up with the saying, 'A subterranean exploration of chocolate, cheese, beer and wine.'”

Meanwhile, Naessens provides his working menu:

STARTERS
Noble Blue Mac and Cheese
Beer Cheese – Five cheeses blended with a blonde ale beer and smart popcorn
Seasonal Soup
Mixed Marinated Olives
Pate
Assorted Cured Meats & Seasonal Cheeses
SALADS
Mesculin Salad
Beneluxx Salad – mixed greens topped with roasted beets
Caesar Salad
MINI PIZZA –
Roman – Homemade Mozzarella Cheese, prosciutto, fresh basil, and “ugly” heirloom tomatoes
Iberian – Chorizo with La Peral Blue Cheese, port Dijon cream, Spanish onions and peppers
Pissaladiere – French style featuring onions, olives, shrimp, fennel and goat cheese
Deutschland – Potatoes, Onion, Beef, Egg, Cheddar Cheese
FONDUES (four ounce portion includes dipping bread)
Traditional Swiss Cheese Fondue-Grùyere and Emmenthaler Swiss cheeses,white wine, garlic, nutmeg,lemon and Kirschwasser.
Cheddar Cheese Fondue - Aged, medium-sharp Cheddar and Emmenthaler Swiss cheeses, lager beer, garlic and seasonings.
Featured Cheese Fondue- Chef’s choice of seasonal and special cheese fondue. Ask your server for pricing.
Fondue accompaniments
Fingerling Potatoes $4.49 Apples $3.49 Chirizio $5.49 Fresh Vegetables $4.49 Garlic Herb Chicken $5.99 Beef Tips $6.99
Cibus Hilleli (Hillel’s Snack)
Croque Monsieur Bechamel – Ham, Gruyere Cheese and Classic Bechamel Sauce
Medianoche – Roast Pork, Ham, Swiss Cheese, Pickle and Mustard
Portobello Panini – Meaty Mushroom, herbed goat cheese, sweet red peppers, hummus
Parma Panini – Prosciutto, fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh arugula
Chicken and Spinach Panini – with garlic, fennel, chicken and spinach
La Robiquette, sausage in a galette crepe
Wild Boar with port wine and five spice marinated cherries
Venison with vanilla infused pineapple and reduced balsamic vinegar
Duck- with seasonal melon , shaved Grana Padano, and truffle vinaigrette
Beer Brat – with beer demiglaze