Bruxie (Gourment Waffle Sandwiches) - Brea, CA

Do you like waffles? I like waffles. On one of those travel shows, I saw that waffles were eaten sweet and salty in Belgium. So when I heard about this place, I really wanted to try it out. Waffles all day? Sounds great!

Roasted Mushroom & Goat Cheese

I tried the savory Roasted Mushroom & Goat Cheese waffle. There's goat cheese, basil, arugula, mushrooms, and a balsamic reduction. It's pretty much a sandwich but with waffles as bread instead. At first bite, there was hardly any goat cheese, and it didn't taste so great. After a couple of bites, you get into the more heavily spread goat cheese and the combination was perfect. Like this one a lot!! Just have to open up the waffle to spread the goat cheese more evenly for myself (since I like more evenly spread items).

Bacon, Egg & Cheddar

The Meat-eater liked his Bacon, Egg & Cheddar waffle as well. Asked for no mayo on this one.

Seasonal Creme Brulee

Afterwards we wanted something a little sweet and tried the Seasonal Creme Brulee. There's vanilla creme with burnt raw sugar pieces in it with the strawberries. The fruit is seasonal, so maybe there's blueberries or something during other times of the year. In any case, this was also good. I think having a whole one would be too much, but since we each had a piece, it was the perfect amount of sweetness.

So what do you like about waffles? If you like a flavorful sweet waffle, then this may not be for you. I cannot attest to how authentic these are since I have not been to Belgium. However, if you like a crispy on the outside, non-doughy light inside waffle (like myself), then you will enjoy these. There is no flavoring to the waffles as the food on it takes center stage. I think it's perfect this way, since the food inside is flavorful enough for me. Thumbs up!

Note: If you get something juicy, then the crispiness of the waffle will of course disappear quickly due to the moisture. Also these locations have enclosed patios with heaters for the winter. It's not a restaurant setting. Dress warmly if it's cold.

Bruxie

http://bruxie.com/

Eaten at Brea Location:

215 W Birch Street, Suite 1

Brea, CA 92821

714-255-1188

Sun to Wed: 9am - 9pm

Thurs to Sat: 9am - 10pm

Le Pain Quotidien - Newport Beach, CA

Wanting to eat healthy, I am always on the lookout for these types of restaurants/cafes to open. Luckily Le Pain Quotidien opened up in Fashion Island not too long ago. They source organic ingredients whenever they can and their breads are all organic. You can see them making bread sometimes in the kitchen too.

Mushroom, Kale, and Parmesan Frittata

A seasonal special, the Mushroom, Kale, and Parmesan Frittata was pretty good. It's made with organic eggs and includes organic mesclun salad with two pieces of bread. They also offer three types of jams to put on your bread. Get the jam, they're all good...and one of them isn't jam...it's more like a Nutella type spread. All so good.

Wild Mushroom and Gruyere Omelette

From the breakfast section, the Wild Mushroom and Gruyere Omelette also comes with a salad and two pieces of bread. This was gobbled  up pretty quickly...or someone was very hungry. =)

Prosciutto and Mozzarella di Bufala

For the meat eaters that like prosciutto, this was also very delicious (not from my experience of course). It's from their tartine section...which I guess is basically an open faced sandwich.

Baguette

Lastly, we had to get one of their baguettes to go. Usually it is a long roll as baguettes usually are, but maybe this was for the holidays? Very pretty...and I definitely like that you can yank your own bite sized piece this way. More crust is also gooood. Now this place can be a tad on the pricier side....pricier than a Corner Bakery, but if you can taste the difference (like we can) you will notice the food is definitely of a better quality.

Le Pain Quotidien

http://www.lepainquotidien.us/

#1103 Fashion Island

401 Newport Center Drive,

Newport Beach, CA 92660

(949)287-5592

Hours:

Mon-Sat: 8:00AM - 9:00PM

Sun: 8:00AM - 8:00PM