Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Sunday in The Hills With Waffles

All my commenting on the other thread about how badly Forest Hills could use a decent place to have a good breakfast got me to remembering that this past Sunday I finally tried that Waffle truck parked on 71st Continental. I know, I know—some readers and waffleites—will be appalled that I had never tried it before. But the fact is I have been really trying to watch my calories, especially now with my, ahem, next birthday coming up which makes me feel way too old. Anyway, I am now a true believer in the Lord in heaven and all that is holy. It was truly delicious! And most surprisingly, so freakin' light. I was expecting to feel so stuffed and it just wasn't that way at all.

 It all left me thinking that, heck, if we don't have any other place right now nearby to get an awesome breakfast, at least we have Waffles!






12 comments:

  1. I tried it this weekend for the first time, too. I told my husband I would just take a bite of his... After 2 bites I wanted my own! :)

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  2. While I have never eaten at the truck in Forest Hills; I have eaten from the sister truck in Astoria and it was a fun sinful treat. I will also admit to being drunk at night and hitting the truck in the East Village with some friends I would describe these as an experience/treat; not something for my dining out rotation and certainly not a reason to walk up to Continental Avenue on a Sunday. But that is fine, because come Sunday night it drives away and comes back a week later. I bring this up, because I think this discussion dovetails with our back & fourth regarding regular dining establishments.

    How do you open a restaurant, invest $1 million plus, and some guy with a $100K truck pulls up across the street and starts selling prepared food. Now I know Waffles & Dinges is a multi million dollar operation and not simply some guy in a truck; but the entrepreneur that has rented retail space on Continental Ave and made a commitment to our neighborhood intends to be here for the long run. Yes I know these businesses have different clientele and that the food trucks are convenient. But you will never be able to nurture a small business that is selling convenient to-go food options to commuters when you have Halal vendors and Taco stands that have taken up permanent residence on Continental Ave.

    I guess my point here is if you want quality, you have to support the business that are here; and that they are the ones that deserve your support. If these businesses can thrive, more will follow.

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    1. Good point! But I don't think the trucks are offering convenience, at least not this one. Their food is actually really really good, as you point out. If it was lousy it wouldn't last a week. The competition is really about quality when it comes to eateries more than anything.
      I am eagerly waiting to see what takes the Liang's space on 'Restaurant Row." At least on that strip restaurants have a stronger chance of success since it's a dining destination for a large area of the Borough.

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    2. 100% agree with you Kevin. But the trucks do provide a positive spin: It brings to light that restaurants that offer sub-par offerings need to step up their game. If many restaurants offered amazing quality breakfast options, including some ridiculously delicious waffles like the truck, the waffle truck would have some stiff competition. I think given the option, I'd pay a few dollars more for the same waffle if my wife and I could sit in the restaurant and enjoy a nice coffee in the morning. So yes, the truck does cut into neighborhood businesses, but that will only continue if restaurants don't offer a competitive advantage.

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  3. The breakfast Gods have recently smiled upon Forest Hills. Both Jack & Nellies and Banter are offering up darn good Brunch fare. Jack & Nellie's is a bit limited, so you really need to be an egg fan (which I am!). Banter's Brunch is more diverse (http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/banter-2/menu).

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    1. Oh yes, Jack and Nellies and Banter do offer amazing breakfast treats. I thought Agora was pretty good too with their $14 brunch menu (which includes a morning cocktail), but my wife begs to differ. The neighborhood is slowly causing my tummy to grow in size. Good thing the new spinning class in our neighborhood is helping (now if I only went more consistently). Phew!

      BTW, Susan, your posts are absolutely delightful. You always deliver a fresh view on many hot topics in this thread. Do you have your own blog? I'd love to check it out.

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  4. I have to agree with your wife in regards to Agora ... sorry :(

    Thanks so much for the kind words. That's very nice to hear! I was a blogger from way back when (I had a health/fitness/nutrition blog from 2008 - 2012). It was tons of fun and actually was picked up in an issue of Oxygen magazine! With that said, it was also oodles of work. I don't think most folks realize the actual time commitment it takes to sustain a blog.

    I'm sure Drake may have a thought or two concerning that :)

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    1. The only thing I consider work is having to clean up the spam that accumulates every so often. Kind of like flossing.

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    2. Oh, and by the way Susan, if you ever want to contribute a post to the blog just email me. In fact, if anyone ever wants to write a post for the blog, just let me know.

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    3. You're right, after trying the new restaurants, I found the err of my ways.

      Congrats on the Oxygen article! My wife and I are very health conscious and could use a health/fitness blog with a focus on Forest Hills. We try to scope out good (and cheap) eats in the neighborhood that don't weigh heavily on our overall health. I find many restaurants are turning tides towards healthier eating but sodium is still a hidden killer. You can have a nice clean chicken and salad in one of these establishments and not realize the amount of sodium they used to get it to flavor. With that said, I can still enjoy a waffle of two, so whoo hoo to the Dinges! See you on the Fohi trails!

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  5. You just found you way to my heart. I have a medical condition (not heart related) that requires I greatly limit my sodium intake. I've written about it on an off on my blog, which is still live (although not current) - www.CatapultFitnessBlog.com

    A few tips on staying low sodium while eating out in FoHi -

    Tuscan Hills - If you let Roberto (the owner) know you need to watch your sodium, he'll definitely accommodate your needs and you seriously don't need to worry about hidden sodium. Obviously, his tomato sauce will have sodium in it. However, he'll cook you fish and meat dishes to order.

    Sushi Yasu - The sushi is so fresh you seriously won't miss the soy sauce (even low sodium soy sauce is ridiculously high in sodium). Stick with Sashimi and you can't go wrong.

    5 Burro - Order the shrimp fajitas, and just ask them not to add any salt. I eat the shrimp, peppers and onions with a little sour cream and a drop of guac. Pass on the beans, rice and flour tortillas (flour tortillas are incredibly high in sodium). Most of the meat is pre-marinated, so you want to avoid it.

    Other little tricks - bread is a killer when it comes to sodium content. Every now and then I like to treat myself to a burger at Dirty Pierre's. I take it off the English Muffin (which has ~ 250 mg/sodium) and pass on the cheese. Instead I get a nice side of sauteed onions and if you ask, they'll make you unsalted fries.

    Drake, thanks for the offer! Right now my blogging days are behind me, but I'll let you know if I get that itch :)

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