Fun Time Douglas and Even More Fun Time Douglas spent the weekend of November 29th, 2015 in secret studio mode crafting a covert birthday present for their Mother. When the sisters finally emerged from their seclusion of the darkroom and print studio they boisterously brunched together at Daravara.
Fun Time Douglas had recently tried the lunch-dinner menu’s clubhouse waffle-which and upon realizing the difficulty of comparing a savory chicken and waffles meal to a breakfast waffle she was enthusiastic to try the pub’s sweeter brunch fare.
The buttermilk butter was all aces in flavour, what an ingenious idea. The sister’s agreed the exterior of the waffle could’ve used that extra light crispy finesse as the waffle was a touch soft although not at all soggy. The customary side of bacon was of another calibur: thick cut, smoky, crispy, and bursting with bacon flavour.
The break for sustenance was very enjoyable, Daravara has great atmosphere, the friendliest of staff, and they know how to knock out some pretty tasty waffles: sweet and savory.
So, Fun Time Douglas (Dougie) visits Calgary frequently and needed to redeem the previous waffle experience in the city to the south (read at your own risk here). The Council also welcomes back the guest waffler, Even More Fun Time Douglas (a.k.a. Arelasaurus) for her comeback. This time Arel’s reconnaissance delved deeper in the Calgary’s waffle scene and she reviewed reviews and cross-examined recommendations. So, the sisters embarked to a new establishment called, Buttermilk Fine Waffles. On 17th Avenue the restaurant had a youthful appeal with a hip design, not exactly Dougie’s style as she leans towards the classic diner aesthetic, but Arelasaurus dug it. The service was cafeteria style so the Dougie-Duo sat at the bar to see the waffle action as it happened. Arel marvelled at the high tech orange juicing machine and Dougie made note that this establishment was solely dedicated to waffles. Noble, indeed.
Notably, Buttermilk has been the first restaurant with good coffee (special note: coffee was not had at Cha Island, so it’s exempt from this statement and besides Dougie has it on good authority that the coffee is excellent). The coffee comes from local Calgary coffee roasters Phil & Sebastian. Other important features are not just the waffle prep system, high tech waffle irons, and friendly staff but the real maple syrup and a revelation to Dougie, pre-melted butter. Genius.
Arel ordered the Ham Waffle served with ham, asiago cheese, grana padano, and green onion. Her main comment was, “the toasted cheese is DYNAMITE.”
Dougie ordered The Classic, of course. Served with the pre-melted butter and real maple syrup. What did she think about this hip new waffle? Well… The notes read:
“Evenly cooked and golden! Crispy outside! Fluffy inside! The pre-melted butter was an excellent bonus accompanied by the real maple syrup. It was a lovely balance of a slightly savory waffle with sweet syrupy goodness.” What else could be said about this waffle, it’s everything Dougie had been looking for.
17th Ave & 4th Street SW Calgary AB
The Classic – Oct. 12, 2015
The HAM – Oct. 12, 2015
Lemon & Blueberry – March 28, 2016
Pumpkin Cheesecake – Oct. 10, 2016
Pecan, Ham, & Rueben – Oct. 22nd, 2016
Fruit & Cinnamon – Nov. 19, 2016
Ratings:
Fun Time Douglas: 4.9/5
Even More Fun Time Douglas: 4.75/5
Why a 4.9/5 and not a 5? That would mean subscribing to the value system that perfection is attainable, a state of unflawed completeness. There are certain implications of believing that the subjective can be perfect. After all, the subject of the waffle is indeed subjective.
Since the Dougie-Duo was sitting up at the waffle bar the owner of Buttermilk overheard Dougie’s enthusiastic praise and he shared some waffle secrets, which will not be uttered here. He’s running a great business down there at Buttermilk Fine Waffles with Movie Mondays and a modest collection of board games.
Perhaps needless to say at this point but Dougie visits Buttermilk Fine Waffles almost every time she visits Calgary, which, as it was mentioned already is quite frequently. In fact, during a summery June night of some serious karaoke Dougie discovered (after raving about waffles to her karaoke cohorts) that these pals also had a deep appreciation of waffles. And thus the Calgary Waffle Club was formed as an extension of the International Supreme Council of Waffles. It should be noted that the YYC Waffle Club does some serious research but we tend to convene at this favoured establishment for revelry and waffles.
The menu has a great selection of sweet and savoury options with a seasonal waffle adding variety making a trip to Buttermilk Fine Waffles an absolute treat. These waffles could not come more highly recommended.
Thanks for reading this slightly longer, but warranted, Waffle Log Blog post. See you on the flip side, wafflers!
Veronica visited her sister, Even More Fun Time Douglas (a.k.a Arelasaurus), in Calgary. Arelasaurus is a real solid big sister and she did waffle recon and based on proximity to her workplace and availability. She chose a place with “Waffle” in the name, “Sweet Life Waffles and Crepes”. The sisters embarked with enthusiasm because surely a place with waffle in the name means they are committed to the waffle and take it seriously? Not so! Veronica does not hold Arelasaurus responsible. Her recon was solid. The sisters ordered the “Regular Joe” waffle and the Council will let Veronica take it from here:
Warning! Explicit Content: extreme disappointment and strong language
“What the fuck man!? With waffle in the name there are certain simple expectations. This waffle was too soft, not even warm–let alone hot–when it was served, and there was no butter. No butter? No butter in the entire establishment? Reheated but still cold waffle? A fucking faux pas. Even the bonus of real maple syrup couldn’t help this shitty waffle with crumbly texture.”
Arelasaurus’s note, “The bacon was excellent” and Veronica agreed, though bitterly and added, “Maybe the crepes are more their steez.”
