The timing couldn’t have been anymore perfect. Right before I left for Seattle, I posted about a lackluster Liège waffle served up at Holly’s Coffee. I lamented its pathetic texture and yearned for the real deal. The food blogging gods must have been smiling down upon me because on my second day in the city, I was riding on one of the city’s dependable public buses when I spied a shop specializing in “The Real Liège Waffle!” I made a mental note of the coordinates of Sweet Iron Waffles and swore to return the following day.
After a visit to The Crumpet Shop, The Astronomer, Rosalind, and I indulged in a second breakfast at Sweet Iron. The moment I walked into the shop and saw the Belgian waffle iron and smelled the caramelized sugar, I knew I was in the right place.
As is the norm in these here parts, all of the waffles at Sweet Iron are made with the best organic, local, and all natural ingredients. Most notably, the flour is from The Shepherd’s Grain, an alliance of progressive family farmers who are dedicated to sustainable agriculture.
We started off with a classic Liège waffle ($2.99) made with a brioche-style dough (all natural butter, flour, honey, yeast) and plenty of little pearl sugar beads. Finished with a light sprinkling of powdered sugar, the waffle arrived crisp, warm, and glossily caramelized. Its texture was slightly flaky, while the flavor was ever so sweet. Sweet Iron’s specimen was indeed “The Real Liège Waffle.”
Taking a walk on the savory side, we also ordered a basil and Val de Saone brie waffle ($4.99). Soon after the above photo was snapped, the cheese melted its way into the waffle’s crevices, yielding a sweet, savory, and herbaceous blend. Rosalind was on the fence about whether or not savory toppings went well atop a sweet waffle, but The Astronomer and I were certain it was a winning combination.
Thanks, Sweet Iron Waffles, for erasing the awful memory of Holly’s Coffee.
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Sweet Iron Waffles
1200 3rd Avenue, Suite 110
Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: 206-682-3336
yum! after reading your Holly’s post i was dying for a good gooey crispy liege even though your experience was less than satisfactory, this post has me drooling! why don’t we have a liege cafe in LA damn it!
i’m generally in the minority when i say/think the LA food scene pretty much has it all, but until something like this arrives i may be changing my tune.
Nastassia & Sarah – Syrup Desserts downtown is the closest thing we’ve got to a Liege Wafflerie. I visited the first week it opened and wasn’t too impressed with the waffles. The grilled cheeses, on the other hand, were delightful! Next on my waffle to-try list is Le Pain Quotidien.
This waffle looks amazing. I want to visit Seattle now.
I loooove Belgium waffles. I used to eat Manneken waffles every week at the train stations in Osaka. http://www.manneken.co.jp/index.html I wish we had a solid waffle joint here in LA.
I’ve heard Le Pain has great little Belgium waffles too! It’s a pricy place for the portion size, but the food is not too shabby for a chain.
A bite of perfection looks amazing!
Hi Gastronomer,
I am so trying these the next time I visit my friends in Seattle. 🙂 Thanks for sharing the wonderful pics and thoughts. 🙂
Oh those look amazing!
Now I want some waffles. I should not read your blog when I am hungry 🙂
Thank you for your post about Holly’s Cafe. We saw your picture and the fact that they were using our old logo (www.tastefrombelgium.com)
Not good for our image if they waffles aren’t good. They should have removed the logo from their menu by now. Let me know if you go back and see that they haven’t removed our logo.
We make our waffles from scratch in Cincinnati and Columbus.
If you want to check us out, our new website is http://www.authenticwaffle.com
the waffles with brie and basil look so very enticing! you and your second breakfasts… runner girl.