The Waffle Bar

October 16, 2009 - 12:22 PM by

wafflebarI’m a big fan of waffles. Growing up in California, I used to eat the frozen Eggo Nutri-grain variety pretty much every day for breakfast. Drenched in butter and maple syrup, they weren’t healthy but it was something to look forward to when arising early on a dark winter morning.

Years later, on a business trip to Florida, I drove what must have been 30 minutes on a bland 6-lane city highway lined by endless strip malls and fast food joints to find an International House of Pancakes. It was my Harold and Kumar White Castle moment.

So I was filled with thinly concealed squeals of delight when a waffle bar opened up just a five-minute walk from my home in southern Jerusalem. That was a couple of years ago, but it wasn’t until this week that we hadn’t had a chance to sample the wares.

Waffles have apparently hit the big time here in little Israel. Our little Waffle Bar had a long waiting list and a crowd of gussied up Jerusalemites in tight black jeans and stiletto heals milled around jostling for a table (this despite the fact that the hostess had taken everyone’s names). It was a dichotomous uber-secular crowd, seemingly out of place in the increasingly observant Baka neighborhood.

We must have waited close to 45 minutes for our table. It was after 11:00 PM when we finally sat down. The Waffle Bar’s décor is nothing fancy – more like an Israeli version of a diner than a trendy Tel Aviv hot spot. The location itself used to be an Italian restaurant which was rarely full, and before that a Friday morning prepared food take out joint.

While the menu includes a range of full meals, you come for the waffles. There’s vanilla cream, apples and blueberry, Nutella chocolate and nuts, plus many more equally decadent delicacies. My wife and I actually ordered a sweet crepe with a side of vanilla ice cream. At NIS 40, it wasn’t cheap but it was quite yummy.

As we left around midnight with our tummies sufficiently filled, we remarked how sophisticated Israel has become. A nearly hour long wait for a table might be understandable for a new sushi bar in the Big Apple, but Jerusalem?

Fortunately, across the street is Falafel Oved, considered by many (including me) to be the best establishment in town for fried chickpea balls in a soft laffa (get it with the spicy garlic sauce). It’s not waffles, but it’s quintessentially Israeli. And the line is much shorter.

Tags: • Category: Food, Israeliness, Life 

Comments

2 Comments on The Waffle Bar

  1. The Waffle Bar | JewPI on Mon, Oct 26th 2009 6:27 PM

    2. [...] pretty much every day for breakfast. Drenched in butter and maple syrup, they weren’t healthy Read More » Share and Enjoy:Tags: day, eggo, maple syrup, waffle bar, waffles Categories: Blogs, Israelity, [...]

  2. dara z on Sun, Feb 5th 2012 5:41 AM

    3. i went to waffle bar when i was in israel ladt winter…. it was so so so good and amazing and i thnk it would do great the states.. especially teaneck nj

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