As any beer connoisseur can tell you, Belgians were the trendsetters long before the term "craft beer" entered the American vernacular. More and more people are rediscovering the beauty of Belgian beer - those spicy whites, seductive blondes (a/k/a duvel, translation: devil), yeasty and full-bodied lambics, pack-a-punch dubbels and tripels, and the distinctly flavored Trappist beers stamped by monks. They're ceremoniously served in tulip glasses or flutes, and their malty, fruity, or flowery flavors spin elegantly on your palate like Rudolf Nureyev on stage. Redbones (55 Chester Street, Somerville, 617.628.2200), the beer-heavy barbecue headquarters, always makes sure that Belgian imports are represented among their 24 draft brews, and they've stepped up their bottled offerings to at least five. But the crowning jewel was bestowed on the city when David Ciccolo, owner of the Publick House (1648 Beacon Street, Brookline, 617.277.2880), opened the Monk's Cell there in March. The room, adjacent to the main bar, is devoted to Belgian beer, with six rotating draft lines and at least 150 bottles to choose from. Even non-brew-centric restaurants make it a point to offer at least one of these elite brews; at the Butcher Shop (552 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.423.4800), they account for four of the nine bottled beers on the menu. We'll drink to that.
