Waffles not just for breakfast anymore
Now that the holidays are over, you’re probably spending less time at the malls. But if you do need to go to the Glendale Galleria and you love waffles, you may want to check out the new Goffles Waffles tucked away in a little corner on the third floor near Nordstrom.
Lately, I’ve noticed a trend of waffle-based cuisine popping up here and there, and I’ve been understandably curious. How can they possibly take this golden king of the breakfast table out into the brighter light of day and perhaps into the darkness of evening? Well, by adding things like Nutella, cheese, chocolate and all manner of sandwich fixings. Is it a successful metamorphosis? I’ll let you be the judge of that. Let me simply tell you what you’ll find at Goffles (short for “waffles on the go”).
The most commonly ordered item here is their Grilled Nutella ($3). This makes sense because sometimes, when your feet are dragging at the mall, all you really need is a sweet pick-me-up. The waffle is folded in half and re-grilled with Nutella (or cheese or peanut butter) in the middle. The Nutella’s creamy chocolate and hazelnut flavors are a natural complement to the fresh-cooked waffles. They always have small samples of it if you want to taste it first. They also have Waffle Stix ($2) that are pre-made and warmed up, so the waffles are not the freshest but they’re kind of fun with fillings or coatings like cheese, ham, chocolate and cinnamon-sugar.
If you’re feeling adventurous (and hungry), challenge the employees’ sandwich-making skills by ordering a Sandffle. The experience is very much like going to Subway except instead of a 6-inch long Italian roll, your sandwich comes on two 5-inch square waffles. Inside is a mile-high stack of lunch meat (such as roast beef, turkey or ham), cheese (like cheddar or provolone), tomato, red onions, romaine lettuce, green pepper, cucumbers, pickles and jalapenos with your choice of mustard, ranch dressing, mayonnaise and/or olive oil. I chose roast beef, cheddar and olive oil along with every vegetable possible, and it was quite fresh and healthy-tasting. Not a bad option in the world of mall fast food.
The sandwich itself costs $4.25, but for $7.25 (or $6.25 on a Tuesday or Wednesday), you also get a waffle dog (a hot dog wrapped in a soft waffle on a stick) and a flavored lemonade. I’m intrigued by these lemonades. The flavors are cherry, strawberry, peach, raspberry and mandarin orange. They remind me of boba, the fruity drink that has pea-sized balls of tapioca to slurp up an oversized straw.
Instead of tapioca, there is a layer of chunky fruit preserves at the bottom of the cup of icy lemonade. You, the drinker, have control over how much sweetness you want in each sip by raising the straw high and sipping or digging it deep into the fruity goo at the bottom before gulping.
If you’re looking for Belgian waffles with a crispy outside and a light fluffy inside, Goffles is not the place. These are more like home-cooked American waffles, and slightly undercooked ones at that. The batter is nice and the toppings are generous. But the best I can say about these waffles is that the whole experience is a sweet change of pace.
Lisa Dupuy has been writing local restaurant reviews since 2008. She can be reached at LDupuy@aol.com.
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Infobox
What: Goffles Waffles
Where: 3211 Glendale Galleria, Glendale
When: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday
Prices: Waffle Stix and Grilled Waffles, $2 to $3.50; Sandffles, $4.25; Combos, $4.25 to $7.25
Phone: (818) 242-7732 or www. goffleswaffles.com