Apparently I am not the only person who loves syrup, because the place was packed; it took a little while for our group of six to get a table. The menu varies week to week, but there are always plenty of options. On this day: Le Classic, Pumpkin Spice, Orange Chocolate Marble, The West Mocha, and gluten-free (which came highly recommended). I chose The West Mocha waffles and imagine my delight when they were served in awesome animal shapes!? At that point it didn't matter what they tasted like.
cow waffle |
But, luckily, they were delicious: there was a hint of coffee and it was just chocolatey enough. I tend to make myself nauseous (in the best possible way) by cooking pancakes with more chips than batter; now I've seen the light. Well, not really; but, these were still great! And, in addition to the delicious flavor, the waffle texture was the perfect proportion of crisp to soft.
chicken waffle |
My only complaint is that there was some confusion as to which toppings came with which flavors. And, by confusion, I mean that I unfortunately did not get any of the chocolate sauce or whipped cream I spied at the cooking station! I will definitely inquire next time, and/or make a special request. If there is chocolate sauce and whipped cream to be had, you know I'll have it.
barn waffle (admittedly lower on the coolness scale) |
I also tasted a friend's pumpkin spice waffle and it was very good. But, let's face it; as much as I like pumpkin, chocolate beats pumpkin in my book any day of the week. Also, the pumpkin waffle was square! How can that compete? It can't.
where the magic happens |
Now let's talk about the Mac & Yease. I generally don't like to mix sweet & savory, but I decided to give it a go and I'm so glad I did. As it turned out, the chef, Ayinde Howell, was so busy that my mac came out early enough that I was able to enjoy it apart from my waffles; in other words, perfect timing. I love Daiya, so I understand if you're not convinced that Nutritional Yeast, when used in recipes to replicate cheese, can work. Well, let me assure you that it does. Besides the cheesy, creamy/crispy, very mac 'n' cheese like texture of the dish, it was also phenomenally seasoned. Do not pass this up. Really. A friend ate two servings in one sitting and another was day-dreaming about it days later.
I admit that the price is a bit steep for breakfast at a counter-service cafe, however gourmet it may be; so, make sure to print out your free waffle coupon. The brunch includes two, so with the coupon it will be three! Who doesn't need an extra waffle? I know I do.
This is a bit hagiographic don't you think?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, are you suggesting that vegans are saints?
ReplyDeleteHaha not in the least. I know far to many vegans! What I'm suggesting is that The West Cafe Brunch is only slightly better than Mexican Radio...
ReplyDeleteUpcoming post spoiler alert from Anonymous!
ReplyDelete