Waffling at Bruxie
Niche blogs have become somewhat of an amuse-bouche for the Internet surfer. What nocturnal bird of prey lover hasn’t toggled over to Fuck Yeah, Owls! to see the latest photo or felted wool teapot cozy featuring the darling taloned strigiformes. And who can start the day without a hilarious dose of Unhappy Hipsters or the creative genius of This is Indexed?
Wafflicious.
Food bloggers that focus on a singular dish are still more fetishistic, with entire sites devoted to bento, kebabs and ramen. But blogging is a desk job or sometime hobby that can be abandoned for large blocks of time without incidence. The intrepid souls who produce these craved-after foodstuffs day in and day out can leave their posts unattended for about as long as you would a toddler in a shopping cart.
Some OC entrepreneurs have kept the focus on proven trends: cupcakes, funnel cakes, frozen yogurt and custom burgers to name a few. Others bring new or seldom seen ideas to the mix. Bruxie is the latest, and they’re putting all of their money on waffles.
Bruxie Beat.
Forget about the abysmal waffles you’ve had through the years: cruise ship brunch fare sodden from a steam table bath, giant Lego brick-like side attractions on a Vegas buffet or that diner special that has soaked up it’s weight in boysenberry syrup. The waffles at Bruxie in Old Town Orange are nearly weightless, their yeasty crackle providing a gossamer wrapper for legions of sweet and savory ingredients.
Of course, some work better than others. Consider today’s special: tender braised short rib meat, creamy horseradish, bleu cheese drizzle and a layer of waffle fries. The waffle is wispy and buttery, it’s ample crenellations allowing meticulous distribution of rich short rib gravy. There was enough horseradish to give a pleasant sinus-clearing rush and the blue cheese fries added an extra layer of crispy funk.
If you jaywalk from Chapman University, you’ll be in good company with the backpack toting, Uggs and flannel-wearing crowd. Bruxie’s bike racks are filled with enough fixies and custom cruisers to provide a weeks worth of fodder for Bike Snob NYC.
Housed in a former Dairy Treet, the kitchen is smaller than the P.O.D.S. storage unit out back, but that doesn’t stop the staff from turning out waffles quickly for the ever present lines lines of students for whom bedhead appears to be a religious tenet.
Choose from six sweet and seven savory concoctions. The S’mores waffle was a bit cloying. Stick with the simplicity of the Brussels with butter, powdered sugar and maple syrup. The buttermilk fried chicken & waffle was dry and the coleslaw sparse. Better the juicy Angus burger with cheddar, tomatoes, pickles and mayo. Another day, a goat cheese, sauteed wild mushroom and arugula waffle drizzled with balsamic vinegar was my fave. These creations are highly perishable. Do not attempt to transport them farther than, say, the distance from the pick-up window to your mouth. Do you really need to make it a combo with waffle fries for two dollars more? Galley Girl says yes.
Bruxie, 292 N. Glassell St. Orange, CA 92866. 888-9-BRUXIE. www.bruxie.com Hours: 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. daily.
