Traditional Liege-style Belgian waffle. (Photo by Colleen O’Connor.)
’s and business is brisk at Waffle Up, a restaurant in the that specializes in authentic Belgian street waffles.
When you step up to the counter to order, you’re immediately given helpful information – like these waffles are Liege-style Belgian waffles, so they’re not served with syrup. You can’t even get syrup if you want it, because Waffle Up is all about authenticity, and in Liege they’re eaten as street food – hand held, just the delicious waffle with some powered sugar.
But this being America, there are lots of topping choices, from strawberry rhubarb compote to bacon, basil, and brie.
One of the co-founders, Tom McCarty, works in the open kitchen, making waffles on the cast-iron waffle iron imported straight from Liege.
He uses traditional Liege waffle dough, which is different from Belgian waffle dough. Liege-style is made from yeasted dough, and these waffles are more dense and chewy than traditional American waffles. One of the ingredients is pearl sugar, which melts and caramelizes on the outside when cooked, which adds to the layers of flavor.
Eating waffles here is a lot like eating them in Europe, and there’s a photograph on the wall of a bright-yellow food truck on the streets of Brussels, which was the genesis of the Denver company – traveling in Brussels, McCarty became entranced with the waffles, and started a food truck in Denver that proved so popular that they started a bricks-and-mortar place five months ago, at 300 Elati St., in a quiet neighborhood thatap mostly residential.
The menu has lots of variety – and it changes every month, to keep things fresh. Today, in the savory category, toppings include brie and apple butter, balsamic strawberry and goat cheese, and bacon and maple glaze.
Sweet toppings include salted caramel and bananas, Belgian chocolate with toasted coconut almonds, and dark chocolate raspberry balsamic jam.
Prices average about $6, with the traditional waffle with powdered sugar about $4.
The hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. (closed Monday.)
300 Elati St. 303) 744-0174
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