I, for one, welcome our new waffle overlords
As David and I prepared for our now weekly Findlay Market trip, I tucked the camera in my messenger bag.
"Why are you bringing the camera?" David asked.
"I want to do a review of Taste of Beligium."
"That's a litttle outdated, isnt it? After all, everyone already knows about the waffles."
"Well, I thought so too, but I was talking to some co-workers and they were totally missing out. So we need to spread some liege waffle gospel."
We both thought that everyone already knew about the waffles. However, after a conversation with some co-workers, I was horrified to hear that they hadn't heard about the waffles.
Jean-Francois Flechet was first spotted with his waffles in Findlay market in 2007. Since then, he has spread his waffle empire across the map, opening an additional location in Columbus, and working with various vendors and stores accross the city to feature liege waffles.
Once that wonderful smell started filling Findlay, word spread fast about this "waffle-man" and his crazy delicious waffles. But simply cornering the waffle market and being able to make Cincinnati foodies begin salivating at the drop of some dough was not enough for Jean Francois. He has seemingly gone mad with tasty power and Taste of Belgium now offers crepes, pastries, calzones, pot pies, quiches and hand tossed pizzas.
....and french onion soup. ($4) In a massive bread bowl. With gooey gruyere cheese, melted via small blowtorch.
iphone picture taken before we dug into the melty cheese.
at this point I stopped stuffing my face and remembered I had brought the camera
eating french onion soup is an embarrasing process, but you get over it.
at this point I stopped stuffing my face and remembered I had brought the camera
eating french onion soup is an embarrasing process, but you get over it.
The waffles are unlike any waffles you've been served on a Sunday morning. Made with coarse beet sugar, they get crunchy and caramelized in the cast iron wafflemaker.
the waffle machine
veggie crepe
Hand-tossed pizza dough--made with beer
"fair trade on steroids"
calzones
in this case are mini quiches and pot pies, including locally raised rabbit pot pie on some days ($5). To the left and out of the picture are enough sweet pastries to make your head spin
"What are we going to do tonight, Jean Francois?"
"The same thing we do every night, Laura. Try and take over the world. With waffles."
What the hell, if we didn't blog about anything in Cincinnati thats already been blogged about there'd be nothing left to blog about.
ReplyDeleteBesides, every blogger every day could talk about Taste of Belgium every day and it wouldn't get old.
Hot damn are those things delish!
And now I know why they say "A picture is worth a thousand words." Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteI have been struggling with a waffle craving for a week now, and I thought I was going to get the best of it. But then you had to post that veggie crepe, and, well... thanks a bunch! ;)
ReplyDeleteI tease. But that's my lunch tomorrow.
I'm not in love with their waffles. They smell great, but that is as far as my love affair goes. Once I put that hard, stiff, dense thing in my mouth and get past the tasty caramelized outside I tend to instantly regret that decision.
ReplyDeleteHowever, your post has made me crave some french onion soup like no other!
i love these waffles. just before the waffle man began his venture in cincinnati my wife and i had just returned from bruges. didn't think we'd find waffles that good here in the states. or here in cincinnati. we lucked out with the waffle guy right here in river city.
ReplyDeleteI love Taste of Belgium waffles, and I can't wait to try there onion soup! I had no idea they had anything besides waffles, crepes, and pizza, because there are no signs stating otherwise!
ReplyDeleteJust an fyi, you can make Liege waffles at home. My boyfriend made me some for my birthday using a recipe he found online. http://howidealwithmycrazylife.blogspot.com/2010/02/blizzard-for-my-birthday.html