ragic but probably true, the name of this Belgian restaurant likely came to fruition after one too many Belgian beers. Adding validity to these ruminations comes from Resto’s inspiration, which has largely been rumored that it stems from owner Christian Pappanicholas’s love of Belgian beer.

While certainly not the ideal circumstances for the creation of a restaurant, at least this isn't the worst thing to ever come from an over-indulgence in Belgian brews. The tin ceilings, lighting straight from Grand Central Station and cream plastered walls give the restaurant a distinctly New York vibe and patrons will be delighted to know that the Belgian menu doesn’t solely concentrate on incorporating Brussels Sprouts into every dish (though that ingredient would make for a spectacular Iron Chef episode).

Rather the menu serves refined Belgian and French dishes (such as lamb belly with snap & English peas, tendrils, leaves, and goat cheese; or beef cheek carbonnade with mustard spiced carrots, frites) and even has a delicious Sunday brunch, complete with Belgian waffles and the necessary toppings.

While the food served at Resto falls under the "gourmet" heading, this is not a restaurant that inexperienced diners should feel intimidated by. After all, "resto" is French slang for casual dining. You won't want to wander into the dining room wearing hot pants and a wife beater, but there's no need to worry about following unrealistic levels of decorum. And as you may have gathered from the opening rant, there is an incredible selection of Belgian beers on tap. Who knows, perhaps while sipping on one of these tall frosty brews you'll get a genius idea like Christian Pappanicholas did all those years ago. Maybe the idea will even turn out as well as it did for Pappanicholas. It's unlikely, but possible.-PB