Bonté

May 12, 2007
Cuisine: Belgian, Desserts & Bakeries, Coffeehouses

130 S 17th St, Philadelphia 19103
Btwn Sansom St & Moravian St

Phone: 215-557-8510
Website: www.bontewaffles.com

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Belgian Sugar Waffles with Blueberries ($3.50)

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I once read that it takes three weeks to form a habit. If this is indeed true, my Bonté habit is coming along nicely. The Astronomer and I stopped by Bonté’s 17th street location to see whether mixing in some fresh blueberries into an already delicious waffle would bring the treat to a whole new level. Our conclusion? Mixed.

Like the original waffle, the blueberry waffle is made from a dough. Blueberries and sugar crystals are mixed into the dough, squished between a waffle iron, and served piping hot.

Since I wasn’t really in a snacking mood, I let The Astronomer choose the mix in. He wavered between pecans and blueberries and eventually picked blueberries because he loves berries with all of his heart. I thought the waffle tasted more ordinary with the addition of blueberries. The built in sweetness and flaky texture unique to Bonté’s waffles were subdued by the fruit’s tartness and oozing juice. My mix-in of choice would have been white chocolate because I love my sweets really sweet. While I have yet to try this mix-in, I’m hoping that melted chocolate won’t effect the waffles incredible texture because that would be a shame.

The Astronomer thought the addition of blueberries improved upon the plain even though it masked the waffle’s natural sweetness. Unlike me, The Astronomer likes his sweets a little tart and thus this combination really tickled his fancy. Even though he enjoyed the blueberry waffle more than the plain, The Astronomer highly recommends new Bonté eaters trying the plain first before experimenting with mix-ins in order to get a true sense of a Bonté waffle.

Two locations down, just one more to go…

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Bonté

April 29, 2007
Cuisine: Belgian, Desserts & Bakeries, Coffeehouses

922 Walnut St, Philadelphia 19107
Btwn S 9th St & S 10th St

Phone: 215-238-7407
Website: www.bontewaffles.com

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Belgian Sugar Waffles – made fresh, served hot, just like on the streets of Belgium ($2.75)

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Bonté currently boasts three locations in Center City on 17th, 13th, and 9th all along Walnut Street. Perhaps the city should consider changing the street’s name to Waffles Street? Now, that would be rad. Since I live on Waffles Street, I walk by Bonté often and would have tried it sooner if their most convenient location on 13th wasn’t always closed when the mood struck.

On our way to the Italian Market one Sunday afternoon, The Astronomer and I took a snack break at the Bonté on 9th. For our inaugural tasting, we chose the plain waffle. White chocolate, dark chocolate, blueberries, bananas, strawberries, and pecans are available mix-in options for an additional sum.

Approximately five minutes after placing our order, a piping hot waffle was brought to our table. It smelled delicious, but the charred spots were somewhat off-putting. One bite and it was obvious that the “authentic” Belgian waffles made at Bonté have little in common with the Belgian waffles we’re accustomed to.

First off, Bonté’s waffles are made from a dough rather than a batter. I peaked behind the counter and saw the waffle artist pressing pre-made dough onto the hot iron, which explains its density and irregular shape. Whereas regular waffles are consumed with maple syrup, Bonté’s have sugar crystals within the dough providing plenty of sweetness and a great crunch. In terms of texture, Bonté’s waffles are stiffer and denser than their fluffy, batter-made counterparts. The interior of Bonté’s waffles is wonderfully flaky.

The waffles cooked up at Bonté are special and delectable. With three ridiculously convenient shops, I’m going to start making Bonté a habit because their waffles sure are tasty.