Food Review: Bruges in Salt Lake City

Tuesdays Farmer's Market have begun at Pioneer Park. I found myself there with Ava and Erin and across the street I saw Bruges. I've heard great things about this little place near 300 South and 300 West that only offers fries and waffles made in the traditional Belgian style.

Ava and Erin were kind enough to indulge my nerdy excitement over finding such a highly praised restaurant. So after enjoying some fresh cherries and raspberries, we headed over to explore Bruges.

The shop is TEENY! The counter divides the shop in half against the windows is a line of stools at a bar. Most of the seating is outside and the two person staff is constantly getting in each other's way behind the counter as they take orders, cook waffles, fry potatoes and cut fruit.

At just 10 minutes to close, the staff was happy to help us and they continued to take orders until 7:15 p.m. We each ordered a small frites for just $3 with a side of "mayo." I put mayo in quotes because what you really get is mayonnaise mixed with a bunch of yumminess.

I had the andalouse sauce-a combination of Tabasco, basil, peppers and lemon. The sauce was spicy without being overwhelming and the basil gave a nice balance to the heat of the Tabasco. The andalouse was my favorite of the sauces. My next favorite sauce was the mammouth. This sauce tasted the most like traditional fry sauce, but had a few other flavors mixed in like onion and garlic. I also sampled the aioli sauce a combination of mayonnaise and garlic and my least favorite.

The frites themselves were hand-cut and deep-fried to a nice deep golden color. A small is big enough to serve as a huge snack or small meal. The frites were delicious! Plus, you get them in a really cool paper cone so you feel like your eating an ice cream cone of fries.

Next time, I visit I'll try the waffles. They looked and smelled delicious. Judging from the line, it looks like Bruges has a permanent place in the hearts and tummies of Salt Lake City.

Bulky chicken

This whole not having money thing means I've been eating at home a lot more, which in turn means I'm learning more about the value of knowing how to make something yummy with the food stuff that's been in the cupboard for a smidge bit too long.

For example, adding chicken stock to the water for instant rice. It adds much more flavor and since I usually have some stock in the pantry it doesn't cost anything more. (Thanks, Andrew!)

Or learning the combination of paprika, cayenne and pepper flakes will make salsa just as spicy as the jalapeno pepper I didn't buy. Oh and if I add some cumin I pretty much can make anything taste like Mexican.

And of course, the best trick for getting by when you can't go out is butter. Seriously, just add a little extra butter and the extra richness will make you think you're eating out.

I almost forgot to mention the salt. Ava's cousin said, "If something tastes a little off I just add a little salt and it's better." It's true, kids. Seriously, a pinch of Kosher will you get you far.

Then there's the tested truth of buying in bulk to save money. Sure this means I've eaten chicken for nearly every dinner since last Sunday. Just switch up the spices from the cupboard. One night it's Mexican (paprika, cayenne, cumin) the next it's Italian (oregano, thyme, rosemary and basil) and another it's American (garlic, onion and barbecue sauce) . Thus the monotony of eating chicken is staved off for a few days.

That is until the Cheez-Its I'm eating run out and I'm back to more chicken with lots of butter and a little bit of salt. Maybe, I'll try Japanese chicken tonight. After all I have some soy sauce in my fridge full of condiments.

A photo is worth...

How many words?


Well, in case you were wondering that's a falafel sandwich.


You can pick up for $5.95 at the super cool and wonderfully cheap O'Falafel on the corner of 800 East and 2100 South.

The word on the street is the Turkish coffee is incredibly strong, thick and bitter. So if your like me and like coffee with your cream and sugar, it's a food adventure to take carefully. For more about O'Falafel you can read my previous review here.

*Sigh*

I'm just dropping a quick note of apology. My life has been slightly out of control the past few weeks. But I promise to keep blogging. Please be patient while I work out the kinks in my schedule. The lack of an at-home computer, full-time school and part-time work make blogging a bit more of a challenge than I anticipated.

Soon I will post something more substantial. In the mean time, check out The Soup Kitchen on Highland Drive and 2100 South. It's next to Wells Fargo and shares the parking lot with Fiddler's Elbow (maker of yummy pizza.) The Soup Kitchen is cheap and delicious. They offer free bread sticks, free water and a $3 cup of soup that make this place an excellent place for lunch in the autumn.

O'FALAFEL, ETC.

Is it more fun to say than schwarma? I think not, but falafel will have to do. I was really excited about the opening of this Mediterranean cuisine restaurant on 790 East and 2100 South in the old Saltimbocca location.

My friends were kind enough to humor me and we checked it out last weekend. Although, we arrived at 8:50 p.m. (they close at 9 p.m.). The guy at the cash register was in no hurry. The line in front of us was long and slow moving.

We placed our orders for Caesar salad, falafel, chicken and kefir. For the uninitiated falafel is essentially deep fried beans. It's surprisingly good. Served with pita bread and a cool yogurt dipping sauce. I found it very yummy. Although, the bright green color inside is surprising.

I was feeling adventurous so I also tried the kefir. It turned out it was grilled spicy beef strips. Although, it was good. It wasn't great and I'll probably order something else next time. The tomato sauce served with the meat was delicious. The rice was cooked perfectly, but it did need a little salt.

All of the vegetables were fresh and good, Goomba's salad looked amazing. The sauces were all delicious, I especially like the cucumber sauce Mrs. WP was served with her chicken. It was refreshing and cool and paired perfectly with the spice of the rest of the dish.

So although the kitchen was incredibly slow and we didn't even begin to think about leaving until 10 p.m. The family who runs the place was very kind. They were attentive to our table as they tried to figure out their own system for ordering.

The owner apologized personally to us for the wait. I think for being open for three days they have learned a lot. I'll give the wait staff and kitchen a couple of weeks to learn the ropes, but then I'll be back for more.

Plus, it's amazinly cheap. It was $5.49 for a falafel appetizer that was big enough to serve as one person's meal. For just under $7 Mrs. WP and I ordered our entrees and Goomba paid about $6 for his salad. Good food, a different experience, great people and cheap...the recipe for my kind of restaurant.