I will never look at waffles the same way again, which is definitely saying something because nothing makes my tummy happier than homemade waffles for breakfast (Jared and I are big-time fans of Saturday mornings spent with waffles and Whad’Ya Know? on NPR because we’re nerdy, ahem, awesome like that). But the waffles (or lieges, as they call them) at Bruges Waffles and Frites are so ridiculously amazing, my concept of waffle has been forever changed.
Bruges was actually featured on an episode of Man vs. Food a while back (Adam skipped the waffles and downed a gigantic “Machine Gun” sandwich and a side of frites instead). It’s a tiny place (so tiny there’s no inside seating) in downtown Salt Lake, across the street from Pioneer Park. Amber hadn’t been there before either, so we walked in, told the folks we were newbies, and they quickly gave the rundown of what we had to have: vanilla lieges with crème fraiche and fresh strawberries, a medium-sized order of frites (we went splitskies and still couldn’t finish them) and San Pellegrino limonata. So basically we ate sugar for breakfast, with a side of fried potato fluff. And it was divine.
These are a far cry from the usual Saturday morning waffles. Amber described them as more of a dough than a batter, and she’s totally right. The recipes I’ve found for lieges since eating at Bruges yesterday morning (I’ve been obsessing over these things for a solid day now) all call for yeast, warm water and flour for starters. The vanilla flavor also makes these guys taste super special, along with the chunks of pearl sugar that pop up from bite to bite. And because these bad boys are so decadent, the crème fraiche and strawberries go really well on top, with the tartness of the berries knocking out some of that sweet.
But then again, we also had a cone of frites to keep us from entering sugar shock too quickly. Check them out.
I’ve been raving about the waffles all day, but the frites are pretty great, too. Apparently they’re fried twice (I know, so bad but so good), which makes them super duper crispy on the outside but light as air on the inside. They shouldn’t be so much better than regular French fries, but they are. It’s unexplainable, though taste buds don’t tend to concern themselves with reasoning — they just dig good eats.
So there you have it: another delicious stop along this Salt Lake City adventure. I promise I’m doing more than eating all day every day, but aren’t food stories the most fun to share? Although I can’t with good conscience recommend eating at Bruges every day (I’m pretty sure buttons would start popping off pants by day 4), it’s well worth the splurge every once in a while. Add it to your list, my friends. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of waffle — and I’ll be dreaming of it until I return.
XO,
Katrina
Those waffles look AMAZING!!! I am enjoying your blog. 🙂 The food from your trip is just about enough to make someone want to travel to Salt Lake City. I hope the rest of your trip goes well.
Thanks for reading, Edy! Those waffles are reason enough to make the trip to Salt Lake. It took a lot of willpower not to go for a second one before heading home. 🙂 Hope all is well with you and your family. Your baby boy is adorable!