Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Waffling over dessert?

Walking home from dinner at Fatty Crab tonight, my mind turned to the trucks: the Dessert Truck, Treats Truck, Mud Truck, et al. I wondered if that waffle guy might be outside Trader Joe’s like he sometimes is.

Then, weaving in and out of the throngs of 14th Street shoppers, I saw red lights on the curb up ahead. Could it be? ‘Twas: the Wafels & Dinges Truck.

It’s a common story by now: guy enters mid-life and is unfulfilled with corporate career. Chucks six figures and launches absurd dream: food on wheels. There you have it, a truck peddling Belgian waffles on a night when you’ve slurped down curry soup.

It boils down to two choices: the Brussels Wafel or the Liege Wafel. The former is the traditional option, “Crunchy, light and yum yum.” The latter, the one I went for, is “Chewy, rich and flavorful.” (The chewier the sweet, the better.) Sparkling with sugar crystals, spongy and served warm, this is a quiet dessert. Simple in flavor, satisfying in texture, and subtle in size.

Unless you dip in to the Dinges: strawberries, whipped cream, nutella, dulce de leche, maple syrup and Belgium chocolate fudge can all be added to your Wafel to create a gluttonous dessert, or a “Wafel of Massive Deliciousness.” If only I hadn’t already eaten a gut-bomb of a dinner…

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