It’s a common scene in action movies. An in-the-know cohort inconspicuously makes his way down a rainy alley. He looks over his shoulder, then steps up to a closed door and whispers something to the pair of eyes on the other side. The door creaks open just enough for him to slip in and get a little closer to the goods.
While nothing illegal is sold through Waffle Window’s blue door, be full-warned that their waffles could very well become a new addiction.
The extensive list of toppings aside, the magic’s in the waffle itself. Bread & Ink Cafe owner Mary Fishback uses two ingredients that make these waffles so memorable: yeast and pearl sugar. The yeast lightens the waffles, giving them a donut-like texture inside. The pearl sugar melts down on the iron, then crystallizes immediately, a crunchy crust its only trace.
There’s no code word or secret handshake needed to get your hands on this good stuff. It’s just a matter of finding the blue door.
Waffle Window is on the corner of Hawthorne and 36th, just off the side of Bread & Ink Cafe. During the summer, picnic tables outside are occupied by waffle-lovers and crumble-laden paper plates. The other nine months of the year, the feast is brought into Bread & Ink in their picnic blanket clad section.
The plain, chocolate dipped, and a few others are veterans on the menu. The rest of the heaping toppings change with the seasons. This sweet seasonal one is worth racing over to the window for: Cherry Cherry Quite Contrary.
Tart cherry filling cascading down a dollop of smooth lemon cream cheese (think lemon cheesecake filling), topped with the staple, hearty dose of unsweetened whipped cream and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs. All sitting on top of a sugar-crusted waffle. The balance of flavorful cream, tart cherries, and the sweet, crunchy waffle blends together so well that it tastes like the combinations were meticulously planned by a panel of professionals. We ate one inside, then went back to the window to get one to go.
So we showed the idea of waffles as breakfast food to the door, now let’s introduce the savory waffle.
Behold, The Three B’s:
Bacon, brie, and basil…brie hiding underneath a crosswork of pepper bacon with chiffonade strips of basil and a spoonful of chunky, house-made peach jam on the side. If the list of the toppings hasn’t sold you yet, the contrasts will: warm waffle, cool jam; crispy bacon, creamy brie. It’s a happily unexpected experience.
Waffle Window’s stealthy location is one to be shared. At an awesomely low $2-$4 each, these creative combinations constantly change and rarely disappoint. If you ever find yourself on a dark southeast Portland street, I hope it’s the one that has the blue Dutch door.
Waffle Window, just off the corner of SE Hawthorne and 36th on the side of Break & Ink Cafe, Sunday-Thursday 8am-5pm, Friday & Saturday 8am-9pm.