Tag: waffle

Brunching Down

Place: Daravara, Edmonton
November 29th,  2015

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.

Rating:

3.5/5

Chicken & Waffle-wiches

Place: Daravara, Edmonton
Date: August 14th,  2015

Accompanied by her professional work day colleagues Dougie dared to order an intimidating sandwich at the chosen lunch out location. The ginormous Waffle Clubhouse from Daravara was a feat (and feast!) to behold. The size certainly made it a challenge to consume if one was to respect any semblance of decent table manners. So, “fuck it” Dougie thought, “I’m going in” and tackled this behemoth foregoing utensils and etiquette.

Cheddar cheese oozed from the inside of the waffle, a surprise to Dougie, a pleasant surprise. The waffle was golden in colour, fluffy and cheesy, had a nice crisp exterior, and was quite savory. Acknowledging that this “waffle-wich” was probably accurately served without syrup Dougie still longed for the touch of sweetness to accompany the mouth-watering meats: juicy chicken breast and thick smokey bacon.

It is important to note that this was Dougie’s first (official) chicken and waffles and the analog waffle log blog reads, “not comparable” to the traditional breakfast waffles. However, since the inception of the International Supreme Council of Waffles the chicken and waffles scene has exploded in Edmonton and abroad. So, the Council recognizes the chicken and waffles pairing to be judged among all other waffles.

Anyways, overall, it was an exciting waffle experience though the difficulty of navigating the waffle clubhouse into one’s mouth makes it a dicey decision to revisit. Unless you enjoy a challenge for lunch.

Not that this is relevant to the Waffle Log Blog, but, Daravara has the best french fries in town. I have no dedicated french fry blog but I feel confident in stating this. Fry Fans come at me.

Rating:

4/5

It’s A Cake Date

Place: Gama Cafe, Edmonton 
Date: April 28th, 2015

Picture a charming fantasy cafe, one that a child’s doll house might look like, plush velvet couches, pristine white furniture, and adorable treats on the menu.

Included on the menu are waffles. These waffles were very unique in their almost too-perfect gleam looking almost porcelain and fitting with the overall theme of this establishment, Veronica noted. She took a few slow and measured bites assessing this waffle because of it’s unusual appearance. This waffle was what Veronica would describe as “cakey”.

“Cakey” is not a quality that Veronica looks for in a waffle. Light, airy, crisp, and so forth are generally the qualities she seeks. It’s important to note that this dense waffle tasted quite good, sweet but not too sweet, and was served beautifully with plenty of butter, syrup, and a helping of whipped cream.

This waffle gets a nod for creativity and distinct style in a world of waffle homogeneity. Despite it’s one-of-a-kind qualities the rating that appears below is due to it’s consistency being less than desirable and lack of warm crispy outer waffle according to Veronica’s rubric. 

Rating:

2.5/5

Valkyrie Breakfast ECCC 2015

Place: The Bookstore Cafe, Seattle
Date: March 29th 2015

Fun Time Douglas was on her second annual (by the time you read this she will have returned from her fourth annual) trip to Seattle for the celebrated Emerald City Comic Con. This road trip is a must, in Fun Time Douglas’s opinion, for comic lovers as ECCC has a very excellent contingent of comic creators in attendance. Also, at this particular point in time Fun Time Douglas was a part-time employee at her local comic shop (LCS) and connected to a network of ladies and non-binaries who also worked in LCSs. This network is called, The Valkyries. It was at ECCC 2014 that this contingent of The Valkyries first met for breakfast to share a meal before the geek filled day started at the convention. Continuing the tradition The Valkyries met at The Bookstore Cafe, downtown Seattle, for breakfast on March 29th, 2015 and Fun Time Douglas ordered the waffle.

Overwhelmed with the excitement of seeing new and old online friends Fun Time Douglas did not take very good notes about this waffle. She wasn’t overwhelmed by the waffle itself, though it was a good vehicle for the toppings served. Notably, the strawberry rhubarb compote and real whipped cream toppings were a sweet and tart treat on the taste-buds. The cafe itself was charming with excellent staff accommodating our large reservation with grace and efficiency.

Fun Time Douglas enjoyed the waffle quite a lot but enjoyed the company of her cohorts most of all. The Bookstore Cafe’s breakfast was excellent fuel for a nerdtacular Saturday at Emerald City Comic Con. To learn more about The Valkyries, who they are, what they do, and more you can find them on social media on Facebook and Twitter. Fun Time Douglas highly recommends following them on Twitter for New Comic Book Day (#NCBD and #ValkRecs) updates and book suggestions! 

Rating:

3.5/5

Business & Waffles

Lunch conferences are overcrowded, dinner meetings are a drag, but breakfast business, or business breakfast, is a delight.

Place: Artisan Resto-Café on Whyte Avenue
Fall 2015 

This meeting of the International Supreme Council of Waffles (ISCoW) was a multipurpose meeting so the notes are brief because Critical Bill and Dougie were met by the Admiral to speak on other business.

The Council also notes that the Admiral is an unexpectedly harsh judge of waffles though a very generous judge of character. Translating his review into a colloquialism you could say the waffles were not ‘the business’.

“Here’s the skinny,” Dougie reports, “A+, crisp and fluffy. An excellent delivery system.”

The Admiral: 3/5
Critical Bill: 4/5
Dougie: 4.5/5

Bringing Down the House of Pancakes

 

Place: IHOP, The International House of Pancakes, on Gateway Blvd/Calgary Trail
Summer 2015

The Council recognizes the guest Waffler: Pete the Patient Pirate. Bill and Veronica were joined by Pete to attend the International House of Pancakes after Google reconnaissance revealed that there was indeed a Belgian waffle on this pancake house menu.

Three coffees, three waffles, and the traditional side of bacon were ordered and the council began their noble task. On every table the International House of Pancakes provides a stainless steel carafe of coffee and four types of syrup; included are an old fashioned syrup, blueberry syrup, raspberry syrup, and a butter pecan syrup. Veronica utilized the four quadrants of the round waffle to sample each type of syrup with butter. Both Veronica and Bill noted that IHOP was stingy on the butter portions though Pete countered stating that it was a satisfactory helping of butter. Veronica was particularly critical of these waffles, more critical than Bill even. She reported that the blueberry and raspberry syrups were no good and too sickly sweet and the old-fashioned and butter pecan were O.K. She noted that the biggest failure of this waffle was that is was unevenly cooked. Critical Bill noted that the bacon was excellent value but the carafe supplied coffee was wildly over priced considering its stale drip coffee taste.

Ratings:

Critical Bill and Pete the Patient Pirate: 3.5/5
Veronica: 2/5

And now a message from Mitch Hedberg about pancakes:

The Admission of Reliability

Simplicity sticks.

Place: Albert’s on 99th Street (again)
When: Summer 2015

The International Supreme Council of Waffles (ISCoW) believes in the quest for the best waffle but as we are only human we acknowledge, for the love of waffles, that sometimes when the craving strikes it is best to satisfy the craving with a reliable source.

Sly and Bill returned to Albert’s on 99th in hope of recreating the simple golden crisp yet fluffy waffle they enjoyed before (with generous serving of bacon). However, Bill and Sly were left somewhat disappointed. The Council recognizes these collective comments, “the inside was soft, too moist.” An important lesson was gleaned; consistency is an essential attribute in the quest for the best waffle.

And Critical Bill made the closing remarks,

“why is the middle of my waffle so soft when the rest of my life is so hard.”

Rating:
Bill & Sly agreed: 3/5

An Endorsement & A Review from Guru Lou

A review to follow featuring DJ Guru Lou’s first appearance, but first, current affairs:

Dougie ended up at a show in a location that can best be described as a room resembling a basement from the 1970s. It was there that she ran into guest Waffler DJ Guru Lou.

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“The Waffle Log Blog has inspired me to up my waffle game at home. I’ve just been using batter from a box.” said Guru Lou late on Saturday night. “It’s all about the butter and syrup.” Guru Lou added.

“The waffle is the vehicle.” Dougie nodded, sagely.

“Exactly,” Guru Lou said confidently and astutely added, “And, like, a Sunfire is a vehicle and a Ferrari is a vehicle. One is obviously better.”

DJ Guru Lou was one of the International Supreme Coucil of Waffle’s earliest adopter of the ISCoW’s standards and acute appreciation of the waffle’s delivery service. We are humbled that the Waffle Log Blog is inspiring higher standards and appreciation of the vehicle food.

The council thanks DJ Guru Lou (also read as: Bong Sample) for his musical contribution (read: granting Dougie permission to hijack the tracks) to the Waffle Log Blog Video (read: the video too long to actually watch) on the home page.

Place: Barb and Ernie’s, Edmonton AB
Wafflers: Fun Time Douglas, Critical Bill, Pete the Patient Pirate, and DJ Guru Lou
When: Summer of 2015

A long loved and lasting establishment in Edmonton, Barb and Ernie’s Old Country Inn was the destination and waffles the prize. The hospitality was supreme and service delightful, however, with only one in-house waffle iron the council put some strain on the kitchen. Without too much delay the council was feasting on beautifully topped waffles and accompanying sides.

Pete the Patient Pirate: Satisfied. The toppings of strawberries and whipped cream were delectable and the waffle had prime syrup soaking abilities. It was soft and squishy, and not too heavy.

DJ Guru Lou: It’s too big but nice and round. Easy 4/5 sans honeydew on the plate. Honeydew is bullshit.

Critical Bill: Soft in the middle. Could’ve been crispier.

Fun Time Douglas: Too soft, needed that extra crisp on the outside for a better syrup barrier. A bit unevenly cooked. Overall excellent balance of sweet and savoury flavour. Note: the atmosphere of this establishment is like the comfort of a Grandparent’s home, cozy as heck.

Unanimous four cheers for the bacon, A+ all around in that department.

Closing remarks from Guru Lou, “There are two Bus Drivers here. If it’s good enough for the Bus Drivers, it’s good enough for me.”

Ratings:

Pete the Patient Pirate: 4.7/5
DJ Guru Lou: 3.5/5
Critical Bill: 4.2/5
Fun Time Douglas: 3/5

Coming soon: the origin story of Pete the Patient Pirate!

A Diner Delight

The Founding Council Reconvenes and Commits

Place: Albert’s on 99th Street, Edmonton AB
Wafflers: founding members Critical Bill and Sly
When: Mid-March 2015

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Sly and Bill met during Sly’s staycation for a much deserved mid-week-waffle-Wednesday meeting of the International Supreme Council of Waffles. The experience opened with classic diner décor, the ironic impersonal but friendly wait staff, and shitty drip coffee that no diner should be without. Based on the agreed merits of the waffle*, this meeting of the council was simple, quiet, and pleasant. Critical Bill reports, “no complaints, light and crispy waffle” and Sly’s remarks were, “whipped butter is always a bonus.” (note: the waffle was served plain, to the council’s approval, with butter and syrup, not as picture above). It was at this meeting that the side of bacon was added to the Waffle order. Though, no proclamation was decreed it was silently understood that the side of bacon would accompany future waffles, permitted by availability. The council would like to note that given the simplicity of the Albert’s waffle it was a bit pricey but the bacon helping was plentiful.

This waffle experience might be reminiscent of the simpler time that Bill longs for.

Ratings:
Critical Bill: 4.5/5
Sly: 4/5

The Spirit of the Waffle

A Friendly Waffle Off

In the early Spring of 2015, Fun Time Douglas was invited to judge two waffles in “The Spirit of the Waffle Competition” (qtd. Josh Wild Card Black). Jojo and J-Dog prepared their batter, toppings, and provided their own waffle irons. This was truly Iron Chef Edmonton, in Jojo’s 123rd Street apartment and I was the Chairperson. So, representing the International Supreme Council of Waffles (ISCoW) I drafted my rating rubric to establish the playing field. The friendly competitors were not informed of the criteria beforehand to uphold their waffle creativity.

The Waffles that were prepared are:

  • J-Dog: The Pina Colada: the batter contained coconut and was topped with a coconut cream and pineapple sauce
  • Jojo: Vegan Banana Caramel: a banana based batter waffle that was topped with a caramel sauce and fresh blueberry jam

Each waffle was tasted with the creator’s desired presentation and toppings and judged based on its entirety. Then the waffles were also tasted with only butter and syrup as toppings and judged as a control-variable-waffle.

The results:

J-Dog’s Pina Colada Waffle:

  • Colour: Golden 5/5
  • Outside Texture: Crispy 5/5
  • Inside Texture: Fluffy 4/5
  • Overall Flavour: Coconut is a win 5/5
  • Toppings: 5/5
  • Butter/Syrup: very good waffle iron, deep pockets for delivery 5/5

Jojo’s Vegan Banana Caramel Waffle:

  • Colour: Warm Brown 4/5
  • Outside Teture: Crisp but not light 4/5
  • Inside Texture: Banana made it soft and moist 3/5
  • Overall flavour: Complimentary flavours 5/5
  • Butter/Syrup: butter was delicious, like on banana bread 5/5

J-Dog’s Pina Colada: 29/30

Jojo’s Vegan Banana Caramel: 25/30

Both performed exceptionally. But it was the crispy golden outside, fluffy inside, and excellent butter/syrup vehicular properties that made J-Dog’s a success. Though, J-Dog almost lost points for smack-talk. Jojo maintained her quiet confidence and was not goaded by J-Dog’s barbs. She was a most gracious of hosts.

ISCoW thanks KPop, Space-Cate, & Josh Wild Card Black for their participation in this friendly waffle off.

Both Jojo and J-Dog presented creative and tasty waffles that will be forever remembered by the International Supreme Council of Waffles.

Fun Time Douglas, signing off.