This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.

One of my colleagues asked me if I had ever tasted a Belgian waffle. "Of course," I said. "My wife occasionally makes them for me." He said, "I don't know if you've ever really had a waffle like the street vendors sell in Belgium. Let me buy you one."

We went to a wonderful little eatery across from Pioneer Park in Salt Lake City. I was introduced to Pierre Vandamme, the proprietor of Bruges Waffles and Frites, and my friend was right: I enjoyed a waffle quite different from what I perceived to be a "Belgian waffle." These are delicious, yeast-raised treats made from a generations-old family recipe with only the finest all-natural ingredients, including specially imported Belgian pearl sugar and rich Belgian chocolate.

Pierre is a native of Bruges, Belgium. Street vendors there make and sell waffles that residents and tourists alike enjoy while strolling down the street.

On my visit to the eatery, I discovered you can order waffles in plain or cinnamon with a variety of toppings to choose from so I ordered a cinnamon waffle with sliced strawberries. I noticed several diners eating waffles that had been hand-dipped in smooth, imported Belgian chocolate. Delectable!

Also on the menu are the famous Belgian frites, similar to our American french fries. You can order them on a plate with a bowl of carbonnade, a hearty Belgian beef stew, or take them in a paper cone and eat them as you leave the restaurant. Frites can be enjoyed with a selection of several dipping sauces.

Pierre told me that he came to Utah with his wife when her work transferred her to Salt Lake City. He was a pilot but he and his wife started selling their Belgian waffles at the Farmer's Market and other special weekend events, and soon people were begging them to establish a permanent home. Bruges Waffles and Frites is the result, and business has boomed from the first day.

For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.

Bruges Waffles and Frites
336 W. Broadway
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
801-363-4444
www.brugeswaffles.com

Back