who wants to go exploring downtown?

i picked up a copy of the newest independent and stumbled on a tiny ad for a cafe in downtown raleigh called benelux cafe. having spent the majority of my summers overseas with my family in holland, the word "benelux" immediately caught my attention. it's the name given to an economic zone in europe consisting on belgium, the netherlands, and luxembourg, kind of a pre-eurozone collaboration of countries if you will. so i went to their website to see what kind of things they serve, and now i'm desperate to go - it's a DUTCH CAFE!


first, it's located in historic city market downtown. that means it's surrounded by cobblestone streets - i love it! second, they serve authentic dutch pastries - YUM. i know holland isn't known for its food, per se, but let me tell you - the dutch know their sweets. (how do you think i got so many cavities? sweets re in my blood - my dad's childhood home is now a candy store, for cryin' out loud!) third, they use all sorts of dutch words on their website including "lekker koffie" (delicious coffee), a place to park your "fiets" (bike), and "stroopwafel" (which doesn't have an english equivalent but is basically the most authentic dutch treat you can eat).

must. go. soon!