Miel & Olive at Gare du Midi Sunday Market
Crepe Miel Olive Fromage
Told by many that the Sunday Market at Gare du Midi was perhaps the very best way to explore Brussel’s unique ethnic constructs it was on that advice that a visit was paid before the crowds got big on the 29th of May, and finding the concentration of persons covering everything from American Tourists to Refugees from war-torn regions the selection of goods cuts an equally wide swath of intrigue, everything from bargain-basement underwear and cleaning products located next to unpasteurized cheeses and cured meats.
Truly a spectacle, the food options a bargain even when compared to smaller shops and food stands spread throughout Europe, suffice it to say one could eat at Gare du Midi for a month of Sundays without sampling all the options, yet for those willing to follow their nose there is one stand that stands heads above even the artisan rotisseries, a sizable tent demarcated only by a few small whiteboards with small mention of the name “Miel & Olive.”
In essence a large deli, the collection of olives, pickles, spreads and cheese arcing from Greek to Turkish to Indian and more, those merely passing by the sea of bowls may not even notice that there is a line and seating on the back side were it not for the heavenly aroma lingering, and with one elderly woman hand-stretching dough over a hot griddle to make several sorts of bread, crepes and confections the line moves fairly quickly with prices that border on impossible, just €3 netting a nearly 300g roll of hot, soft bread stuffed with fresh white cheese, olive in tapenade and a liberal dollop of honey that may just be one of the best compositions of sweet and salty textures available anywhere for such a bargain.
