5 Questions With... Waffles de Liege

Honestly, I've been rather disenchanted with the LA Nouveau Food Truck Scene for some time now. Sort of been there, done that. Then two fellas named George Wu and Lawrence Tai came along and introduced the Waffles de Liege truck, a four-wheeler entirely devoted to those delicious Belgian waffles chock full of secret sugar crystals. Since I have the fondest of memories chomping down on similar Liege waffles as I strolled the rainy streets of Europe (true story), I just had to talk to these culinary wizards...

1. Neither of you look Belgian, so why Belgian Waffles?

Lawrence: Growing up in LA, both of us were fortunate enough to be surrounded by amazing eateries inspired by cuisines from around the world. Naturally, when we ate our first Liege waffles (as compared to the Brussels waffle, which is commonly known as the "Belgian" waffle), we loved the natural sweetness of the waffle and how easy it was to eat without extra toppings. After witnessing the recent growth of specialty food trucks, we put the two together and founded Waffles de Liege. As non-Belgians, we were never discouraged by the idea of serving Liege waffles because it wasn't like we had never tried or heard of Liege waffles before. That didn't stop us from putting in a lot of time in the kitchen, both to perfect the recipe as well as the optimal baking time and temperature. Our liege waffles are so good, after your first bite, you're going to know exactly why we wanted to do this sort of food truck.

2. You're entering a crowded LA food truck scene. What will enable you guys to stick out and succeed?

George: Being LA's first waffle truck definitely helps. It's also easy to identify what we sell from our name and everyone loves waffles! This gives us a very unique opportunity to enter a crowded market with some momentum. Obviously we put a ton of effort and time into testing our waffles and making sure they're true to what we've read and researched. We also use all natural ingredients and never freeze our dough! At the end of the day our customers will be the ultimate measuring stick on how we're doing in terms of taste and quality. Great food aside, it's just as important to be a great company. It's extremely important to us for our customers to appreciate both our menu as well as our company values. We do our best to take care of details. We use all biodegradable disposables (utensils, plates, clamshells, etc), we purchase American every chance we get, we love supporting local businesses, and above all else, we strive to create an environment that fosters professional and personal growth amongst our employees. There's a lot of things we want to do and do well and it will take time, but that's what makes the whole venture so rewarding and exciting!

3. Have you guys tried NYC's popular Wafels and Dinges food truck? If so, what say ye?

Lawrence: Unfortunately we have not but we'd love to try them. Their website was the first page opened when we began researching back in September. We've read a lot about them and love what they do. We respect and admire the loyal following they have created. Most importantly, they helped to give Liege Waffles a good name by defeating Bobby Flay on Food Network's "Throwdown!"

4. What stop locations do you guys plan on hitting up most?

George: Nothing specific comes to mind but in LA county, we're going to try to be in the following cities/areas as much as possible: Downtown LA (Miracle Mile), Torrance, UCLA, USC, Hollywood, Echo Park, City of Industry, PasadeVenice, and Santa Monica. Once we get our OC health permit, we're going to visit my alma mater UCI, Fullerton, and Santa Ana. Aside from those planned locations, we also try to fulfill location requests. To hear that a community loves our waffles so much that they'd take the time to request us is very cool and humbling.

5. On a serious notes, have you ever met someone stupid enough to not like waffles?

Lawrence: Well, we're firm believers that everyone has different tastes and we respect that. With that said, if there's anyone reading this blog who doesn't like waffles, make sure to come down to our truck and we guarantee that you'll absolutely love our waffles!

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Track Waffles de Liege's roaming location here.

Oh, Snapp

I guess not even the "Race" is immune to overt product placement.

Not gonna lie though: I totally want to try the Amazing Race flavor.

UPDATE: 31Ten Finally Solves Santa Monica's Pizza Problem

UPDATE (4/23/11 - 12:22 P.M.): It saddens me to report that pizza maestro Noel Brohner has left 31Ten after a mere three months in hopes of opening up a joint of his own in the near future. Brohner says he is looking in both the Santa Monica/Venice and West Hollywood areas. Excited for his new spot, but definitely disgruntled the beachside's best pizza may never be the same... More updates to come.

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ORIGINAL POST (1/21/11 - 9:30 A.M.)

Santa Monica is a great place to visit/live/love. Unless you want pizza. A city bestowed with great burgers, seafood, people watching and views, the Monica seems to have it all. Except for pizza.

The city does not receive low marks on their pizza exam for lack of trying. Hell, there's a pizza spot on almost every damn corner. Dagwoods, The Slice, Abbot's Pizza, Wildflour, to name a few. There's even Joe's Pizza, the Bleecker Street transplant, perfectly located smack dab across the street from the mighty Pacific. With their signature sweet sauce, Joe's makes a mean pie. There are a few problems with Joe's though: inconsistency and the aforementioned location. New York-style floppy 'za is meant to be served in slices and Joe's consistently over reheats their slices. I would say three out of five times this occurs; which, in turn, toughens up the crust and makes the slices impossible to bend properly. So if the only way to receive top notch Joe's pizza is by ordering a whole pie, well, that leads me to problem number two: location. This serene setting obviously comes with a lofty monthly rent; subsequently, the pizzas are flat out too expensive. $21 for a large pepperoni pie (*I think it's a "large," they only have one size) is probably $3-5 more than any other top pizza joint in LA. Which is no big deal every once in a while, but if it's the only pizza joint in town worth eating, then it slowly takes a major hit on your wallet.

Which is why I was so delighted (check that, ELATED) to find a new pizza joint opening in Santa Monica. Actually 31Ten is more a bar/lounge serving tastes from all around the globe, but it will quickly be known for its wood-fired pizzas. And rightfully so - they will soon be known as the purveyors of the best pizza in Santa Monica.

The pizza oven portion of the kitchen is headed by Noel Brohner. How does a Jewish kid from the Valley end up running a wood-burning pizza oven for Italians (31 Ten is owned and run by the guys behind Venice Beach's Ado)? Let's just say Noel did his homework. An almost two year odyssey of schooling, apprenticeships and observation at the likes of the French Culinary Institute in New York (to learn about artisanal bread/dough making), pizza kitchens in Napoli and Roma and finally an extensive excursion working at the West Village's famed Neapolitan pizzeria, Keste.

All that training has paid off. Cooked at around 900 degrees (note: they aspire for Keste-like 1150 degree temperatures!), the little-too-large-for-one-person-but-I-ate-it-myself-anyway-pizzas take a little less than two minutes to cook. Then, out comes awesomeness. Perfectly Neopolitan leopard-spotted throughout, the tasty and spongy crust lets off that somewhat burnt aftertaste all great Italian pizzas do. The toppings are top notch also. Pictured above is the Prosciutto and Funghi. I also recommend the Pepperoni and Peppers. The sauce, although slightly chunky, is very light and not overpowering.

All in all, a great pizza. And hopefully the future of the Santa Monica Pizza Landscape. And yes, I capitalized 'Santa Monica Pizza Landscape.'

*P.S. Also looking forward to the new LGO pizza joint on the opposite end of Main Street. LGO's Pasadena pizzeria, The Luggage Room, serves some tasty 'za.

31TEN

3110 Main Street, Santa Monica

Apparently They Sell Challah at Coffee Bean

Who knew.

A Little Sunday Snack

Chicken Mole Burrito at Tacos Por Favor.

Komodo Restaurant Launch Party

On Wednesday night the Komodo team invited 200 Elite Yelpers, friends, family and, for some crazy reason, me, out for the launch of their very first brick-and-mortar restaurant in the heart of the Pico Kosher Corridor. Attendees were invited to sample a glimpse of what the restaurant plans to offer when it opens its doors next week.

Among the offerings:
- Bacon Wrapped Dates
- Tomato Burrata with Basil and Mozarella Cheese
- Grilled Cheese with Olive Tapenade
- Mini Crabcakes with Jalapeno Aioli
- Indonesian Pork Satay
- Grilled Cajun Shrimp
- Tuna Roll with Caviar

Komodo - 8809 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles

Pictures from the party below...

The party in full swing.

The kitchen preps for the party ahead.

The grilled cheese with olive tapenade.

Spicy tuna on cucumber.

Indonesian pork satay.

Burrata caprese skewers.

Six Things I Learned About Palm Springs Dude Food

My grandparents owned a handbag store on Palm Canyon Drive throughout my childhood, so it is safe to say I grew up in Palm Springs. I did not, however, eat well in Palm Springs. Bless their hearts, but my grandparents, like most geriatrics, put nary a thought into choosing where we would dine. It wasn't actually until I returned to PS the past few years for getaway weekends with my lady friend did I really begin to enjoy the city's finer cuisine. And, obviously, in 'finer cuisine,' I mean burgers and the like.

I just returned from another glorious weekend in the land of palms springing and, well, I learned six things about the desert city's dude food...

6. Stop at Hadley's for their famous Date Shake on your way into Palm Springs or on your way out. Or both ways. Hadley's is located in Cabazon, which is right off the 10, a mere few miles northwest of Palm Springs. Know this: there is nothing Palm Springs swanky about Cabazon, but it houses three great things: the best set of outlet stores in Southern CA, the freaking dinosaurs from "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" and this delicious Date Shake. Oh, that delicious shake. A simple combination of Thrifty brand vanilla ice cream, some heavy milk and fresh dates. Blended. Refreshing. Awesome. The end.

5. Palm Springs has Lappert's ice cream! Okay, I know it's not the original Lappert's Hawaii, but it's from the same family and aside from being manufactured out of the Golden State rather than the Aloha, it's equally enjoyable. For the unacquainted, what separates Lappert's from the other ice cream pretenders is a very high butter fat content and very little overrun (less air than average whipped into the batches). This creates an incredibly decadent and smooth ice cream. Note: not cheap though. Those small cups you see above were almost $4 each.

4. The Matchbox restaurant in Palm Springs is not as good as the original in Washington D.C. I have to admit almost downright giddiness when I found out they were opening a Matchbox in downtown Palm Springs. I had dined at the original D.C. location last year when visiting a high school friend and left the meal incredibly impressed. Cut to this past Saturday night. Despite getting literally the best seat in the house (according to the buxom hostess), the whole meal was just, ehhh. The chopped salad was okay. The chicken pesto pizza, while tasty, had an almost pita-like crust. I question if you can even really call it 'pizza.' And my main course, a maple chicken, was way, way too sweet. Above all though, the interior design and ambiance is much less formal than the D.C. spot. As our hotel concierge put it, "It feels like T.G.I. Friday's before it became T.G.I. Friday's."

3. All was not lost at Matchbox though. On the second floor, right off Palm Canyon, the restaurant stands as the best people watching spot in all of Palm Springs. And Palm Springs is a city chock full of people watching. The Matchbox bar also served Allagash Black, a great, dark, thick, chocolately beer. The polar opposite of their wildly popular Allagash White, the A.B. is one of the better beers out there. In fact, everything the Portland, Maine brewery does is pretty tasty.

2. In the past year or so, if you mention "Palm Springs" in conversation, anyone and everyone immediately says, "Have you tried Cheeky's yet?" Cheeky's, Cheeky's, Cheeky's. I long thought people's unabashed love for Cheeky's laid in the fact that Palm Springs doesn't really do breakfast well. Outside of a few top Jewish delis (Sherman's and Manhattan in the Desert atop said list), there really aren't a ton of places to get a solid desert breakfast. After enjoying the best breakfast I've had in 2011, I realize I was all wrong about Cheeky's. Holy shit this place is good. They change their menu weekly, so it's hard to make recommendations, but if the Yam Hash (with maple sage sausage, purple potato and poached eggs) is on the menu, order it! Even if you go more traditional on the menu and order the Custard Cheesy Scramble Eggs, you will not be disappointed. The fluffiest, cheesiest, custardiest scrambled eggs ever.

1. Tyler's Burgers is one of the best burgers in Southern California. Everything about Tyler's is cool. They don't have a website. Most of the restaurant lies under a shaded covering in the middle of a parking lot off Palm Canyon. The burgers are consistently tasty. People rave about the potato salad and coleslaw. They are only open during the "cool months." The only drag is the ever-present long wait, but, truthfully, I always enjoy the line because Tyler's really serves as a Palm Springs melting pot. You've got your elderly locals, the gays, your youthful desert kids, the LA weekenders, the European and Japanese tourists and even your burger connoisseurs. All under one makeshift roof waiting to bite into one of the tastiest burgers anywhere.

In Praise Of... Sarkis Pastry

The best baklava in town. Any town. Gooey inside, flaky phyllo, not too sweet, a delectable shaved pistachio salad atop... Sarkis can make any non-baklava'er a baklava'er.

Sarkis Pastry

1111 S. Glendale Avenue, Glendale; 818-956-6636

(Also locations in Pasadena and Anaheim)

Note: This picture doesn't do it justice. In fact, it makes it look rather turdish. Just trust me on this one.

In Praise Of... Essential Chocolate Desserts

The only thing wrong with Essential Chocolate Desserts is the name. Everything else is awesome. This includes the above beautifully decorated Moon Pie and their house speciality, Red Velvet Ding Dongs. Go there. Now.

Two locations:

10868 Washington Blvd., Culver City; 310-287-0699

10800 W. Pico Blvd. #187, Los Angeles (Westside Pavilion); 310-446-2181