Zinneken's Waffles | Cambridge

The Breakdown:

- Occasion: Casual breakfast, date, or afternoon hangout.

- Attire/ambiance: Casual; not much space to work, but good for sitting down and catching up with a friend.

- What to order: Any type of waffle with chocolate + fresh berries. 

Ordered the Strawberry Glamour - a dense, chewy Liege waffle smothered in decadent Belgian chocolate, fresh strawberries, and powdered sugar. Paired with a creamy latte, it was the perfect rainy-middle-of-midterms day pick-me-up.

These authentic Belgian sugar waffles are now pretty hard to come by – even in their homeland. They were first created in the 1700s as an adaptation of the popular pastry, brioche. What makes Liege waffles so unique is their oblong (vs. round) shape and sweet, crispy outer skin. 

A lot of skill goes into keeping the waffle irons within a certain temperature range to allow the sugar to caramelize perfectly. The result? A crisp, chewy waffle, completely encrusted with a caramel glaze and topped with fruit and chocolate. Pure bliss. 

A sweet story to go along with that: One day, my roommate surprised me in bed with a warm box of Zinneken’s waffles and the smell of freshly-brewed coffee. We were able to share an indulgent breakfast together before heading off to our Monday morning classes…Couldn’t have asked for a better way to start the week.