Most of the time, these reviews are scheduled many weeks in advance, but when we found ourselves in the Loop on one of the glorious fall evenings that have blessed us this year, we spontaneously ducked into Brandt's Café.

The storefront and sidewalk café have been a fixture in the Loop for almost 25 years, and the Brandt family legacy stretches back even further, to a liquor store run for decades in the same location by the father of café founder Jay Brandt and to a club that Jay Brandt's parents ran in the old Gaslight Square.

Every few years, or even every year or so, I get an announcement that the staff or menu or format has changed; the most recent of these was an announcement of a new chef and menu in July. The current website description touts "an eclectic selection of global-fusion cuisine," but I think that's an unfortunate bit of exaggerated marketing-speak that masks Brandt's more straightforward charms.

The Belgian beer selection, for example, is superb — and the rest of the beer list should satisfy all but the most jaded beer fans. The by-the-glass wine selection is huge, and the "close-out" wine list often has considerable bargains. Live music covers a range of styles but doesn't drown out the ability to chat during a good meal.

And both of our recent meals were good — just not great. Appetizers include crab cakes ($12), spinach dip ($8) and chicken wings ($8). The wings especially were excellent, roasted instead of fried, and the two other dishes were much better than average. But the fact remains that they all can be found on perhaps 100 menus in town.

Crab lasagna ($16) was a bit more toward the adventurous side, with a good portion of crab layered in with a chunky tomato sauce and ricotta and a garnish of finely sliced sautéed snow peas. In this case, the line between good and great wasn't crossed because the dish was served somewhere between lukewarm and room temperature.

Flatiron steak ($14) was executed much better, with slices of the meaty, full-flavored shoulder cut first spiced with a rub and then served with nicely caramelized shallots on toasted, thinnish slices of French bread.

Barbecued salmon ($13) made the most of a sprinkling of smoked paprika by being cooked to a crispy, delicate edge on each of its faces.

We don't usually graze the sandwich selection for a dinner review, but the bacon, egg and cheese melt ($7) seemed tempting enough to merit a diversion. In the best possible way, it's an Egg McMuffin raised to a transcendent level, with a fried egg served with a relatively bold style of Gouda cheese and thickly sliced pepper bacon on a rustic slice of sourdough. (The menu recommendation to accompany it with a Bloody Mary shouldn't be ignored.)

Unless you're already a connoisseur, the best way to introduce yourself to the extensive Belgian beer selection is through something called the paddle, 4-ounce pours of St. Bernardus 12, Gulder Draak, La Chouffe and Delirium Tremens served on what looks a bit like a small fraternity paddle. On our visits, Brandt's also was offering a relatively rare Belgian called Gouden Carolus that rewarded us with a subtle but distinct flavor and aroma of anise over and above its sweet, spicy and flowery notes.

One evening's entertainment was early vintage rock 'n' roll; the other's was more bluesy. Each provided a swinging background that made us want to linger; but be warned: The menu asserts management's "right to limit table time to 45 minutes when there is a wait."

There were a few people lingering at the entrance while we ate, and we lasted well over an hour without management exercising its right. And we figure that, the overwrought menu-style description notwithstanding, Brandt's itself is going to linger in the Loop for many more years.