I've been living in Belgium for six months, and I have been told by many Belgians how much better I must like the bread here than in the United States, where I am from. Well, the U.S. has really bad bread to be sure. But it also has very good bread. The bad stuff is mostly the bread available in super markets and chain stores. In fact I have found Belgian bread to be disappointing after all the hype I got from Belgian friends about their country's bread. Bread available from the two bakeries nearest too where I live in Ghent lacks the texture of really good artisan bakeries that can be found in most towns and cities in the U.S. Certainly New York City has excellent bread widely available--there are French, Italian, and German bakeries scattered throughout the boroughs of the city--plus great bagels throughout. It is hard to believe that Belgians living in NY City cannot find good bread. In fact it is unbelievable. So far the only really good bread I have found in Ghent, outside of restaurants, is from Le Pain Quotidien--which is a chain.