Fermentine

In the name of the wood fire, and of the kneaded dough, and of the holy appetite. Amen! Straight out of his converted trailer docked in the courtyard of the Maakleerplek coworking space, and after a stint at the nearby Korst bakery, Dan Vanheukelom now tirelessly crafts incredible sourdough pizzas with plumped up and slightly charred crusts, in accordance with Neapolitan doctrine. Meanwhile, his accomplice, Patricio Van Gemeren (ex-De Superette in Ghent), handles the starters and finishing touches from the open kitchen of their brick-and-mortar restaurant. Our most recent lunch there featured a handful of broad beans from De Wikke, served with finger-lickin’ good zucchini tempura and pesto made from veggie tops – so delicious it had us shamelessly wiping the plate clean with sourdough from the aforementioned Korst; followed by an explosively flavorful margherita pizza made on dough kneaded with flour from the Molens Vanden Bempt mill in Oud-Heverlee, and topped with juicy tomatoes, mozzarella from BoerEnCompagnie, along with a summer version that combined eggplant, garlic and caramelized onions. After all that, we didn’t have any more room for dessert – rhubarb granita or strawberry tartlet the day we went. // Jeanne Jaco

FEELING THIRSTY? Daan also happens to be a winemaker… and he offers up his own Belgian wines, including pinot noir and pinot gris from Buggenhout (€42-46 a bottle), along with a Jura chardonnay from the Domaine de la Borde (€61), and a German riesling from Brand Bros (€40). Playing the no-low game? Opt instead for an elderflower lemonade (€4.50).
PRICE: Pizzas €16-20, desserts €10.