Monday, May 02, 2011

Bruxie (Orange, CA)

Bruxie
292 N Glassell St, Orange, CA 92866
888.927.8943
www.bruxie.com
Mon 05/02/2011, 07:05p-07:25p




Bruxie Exterior

After hitting up Marian the Foodie's sandwich and beer tasting at Bruery Provisions, we weren't quite full, and thus decided to make a quick trip up Glassel Street to try out the waffle-focused Bruxie, one of the hottest new restaurants to descend upon the north OC dining scene in a while.

Not surprisingly, the story of "The Bold Fold" begins in Belgium. Friends Dean Simon and Philippe Caupain were on vacation in the country, and were struck by the sheer quality of waffles they were able to find there. Inspired by the trip, the two decided to start a waffle batter business in 2005. Named Brux Waffles (after a shortened form of Brussels), the company focused on selling mixes to high-end hotels (including the Montage and St. Regis), restaurants, and cruise lines. Brux was a hit, and the partners soon began considering the possibility of a dedicated restaurant serving their waffles.

They subsequently brought on longtime compatriot Kelly Mullarney, now director of operations, who helped develop the concept. Simon, who's lived in Orange for over 20 years, chose to place Bruxie in its current location due to its proximity to Chapman University and the vibrant Old Towne Orange historical district. The threesome ended up making an undisclosed offer to the owners of the 61-year-old Dairy Treet building and, aided by Simon's wife Cindy, began renovations on October 1st last year. Bruxie, a portmanteau of Brux and Belgie (a slang term for the waffles), officially debuted on November 8th.

Bruxie Menu Bruxie Menu
The key to Bruxie, of course, are the waffles. Don't expect your typical doughy, sugary, pancake-y American-style versions here though. Rather, the restaurant specializes in a traditional Brussels recipe formulated by Caupain, who happens to be a Belgian native. The proprietary batter utilized is leavened by yeast instead of baking powder. This makes the waffles crisp, light, and airy outside, yet moist, creamy, and delicate inside. The waffles are also decidedly low on the sweetness factor, which is crucial in making them work in sandwiches. However, Bruxie also produces a thick, dense, sugary Liège-style waffle that has pearl sugar cooked into the batter; this one's not available in sandwich form, but is instead eaten with chocolate or Nutella.

In addition to the waffle sammies, Bruxie also pays homage to its building's former tenant by offering up an assortment of dairy "treets," the most intriguing of which is the genuine soft serve frozen custard, made with egg yolk and sourced from a producer back in Wisconsin. It's the basis for all of Bruxie's other shakes, floats, and desserts. Click for larger versions.

Old Fashioned 'Pure Cane Sugar' Soda - Vanilla Cream
To drink, we started with one of Bruxie's pure can sugar sodas [$1.95], produced for the restaurant by a local Orange County soda company. I sampled the Vanilla Cream flavor, which was reminiscent of A&W Cream Soda, but with a brighter, more intense flavor.


Carolina BBQ Pulled Pork [$7.95] | Slow-Roasted Pork with Cheddar Cheese, Cider Slaw, Bruxie-made BBQ Sauce
Bruxie offers a rotating selection of specials, one of which was this lovely pulled pork sandwich. Done up in a Carolina barbeque style, the meat was expectedly tender, yet not overly sweet, showing off a delectable pork-y savoriness augmented by the slight spiciness from the housemade dressing. The cheddar, meanwhile, added further heft to the sandwich, while the cider slaw did a great job in balancing the dish with its refreshingly piquant crunch.

Hot Pastrami
Hot Pastrami [$7.95] | Boar's Head Pastrami, Gruyere, Spicy Brown Mustard, Cider Slaw and Half-Sour Pickles
Next up was an experimental pastrami sandwich that I enjoyed even more. The pepperiness from the pastrami worked beautifully with the cheese, and I really appreciated the additional bit of kick from the mustard as well. At the same time, the same cider slaw used above once again worked wonders in moderating the meat, and the pickles provided an extra touch of tanginess to boot. Delish.

Banana Creme Pie
Banana Creme Pie [$5.95] | Caramelized Banana Cream with Fresh Whipped Cream
We finished with another work-in-progress, Bruxie's delightful take on a classic banana cream pie. Here, I really appreciated the restrained sweetness and almost ethereal body of the whipped cream, as well as how the waffles served to ground and temper the dessert.

Marian Bacol-Uba, Kelly Mullarney
Marian and Bruxie partner Kelly Mullarney.

Though Marian had been raving about Bruxie for months now, I'd always been skeptical about the place. The problem had to do with my preconceived notions about waffles, and how they just couldn't work as sandwich "bread." Well color me a convert--the waffles here weren't what I'd imagined at all, but instead performed wonderfully as vessels for a variety of fillings both sweet and savory. As for what's next for the Bruxie trio, rumor is that they're actually looking to open outpost #2, so be on the lookout for that.

Bruxie

16 Comments:

Anonymous Gastronomer said...

What a coincidence! I finally made my way to Bruxie last Friday night on the way to San Diego.

I liked the food. I liked the vibe. Bruxie is a winning little shack.

Monday, June 13, 2011 11:36:00 AM  
Blogger Joanna Park said...

Omgosh. Horrible idea to look at this post at 1:43am and starving. Looks delicious!!!! Definitely trying this soon :)

Tuesday, June 14, 2011 1:38:00 AM  
Blogger ila said...

LURV bruxie. since we moved the down the street, we've been eating here nonstop!!! you should try the green eggs and ham and the strawberry creme brulee next time...!!! AND the fried chicken one!!!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011 12:02:00 PM  
Blogger Michael said...

Marian has gotten to you! ;)

Tuesday, June 14, 2011 3:49:00 PM  
Anonymous Marian the Foodie said...

Michael: LOL! I'm converting them all one by one haha!

Kevin: They have a lot of new sandwiches too! The have a Proscuitto hash and eggs as well as the Green Eggs and ham. You need to try the new ones for sure

Wednesday, June 15, 2011 10:44:00 AM  
Blogger kevinEats said...

Cathy: Winning indeed! So where did you go in SD?

Joanna: Now what were you doing up so late? ;)

Ila: You moved down the street? When was this? Why?

Michael: What do you mean???

Marian: Yep those sound good too! Have the pastrami and cream pie become regular menu items yet?

Thursday, June 16, 2011 1:14:00 AM  
Blogger Michael said...

I am sorry, Kevin. It's too late to tell you that Marian is trying to take over the world via gourmet Belgian waffle sandwiches.

True story.

Friday, June 17, 2011 10:47:00 AM  
Blogger kevinEats said...

I don't think she limits herself to waffle sandwiches.

Thursday, June 23, 2011 7:52:00 PM  
Blogger Michael said...

It's a slippery slope. First, gourmet Belgian waffle sandwiches then American caviar cones. Sooner or later, she would take over the world with only a bowl of Pho and a bottle of Sriracha.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011 9:57:00 AM  
Blogger kevinEats said...

American caviar cones???

Monday, July 11, 2011 12:10:00 PM  
Blogger suzn924 said...

Wow you are serious if you even hit up Bruxie. Love this place. Try the Creme Bulee with strawberries also very good. For something similar try Original house of pancakes in Anaheim as well. Anaheim location is OG and better than the one in Orange. The Swedish pancakes with logonberries are a lighter and crunchy version pretty good. Dutch baby is also popular. After reading your post all I think about is eating..oivay to more belly fat.

Sunday, July 17, 2011 9:47:00 PM  
Blogger kevinEats said...

With all the positive press that Bruxie had been getting, I knew I couldn't hold out forever. Glad I checked it out though.

Will keep Original Pancake House in mind next time I'm craving pancakes!

Monday, July 18, 2011 7:26:00 PM  
Blogger Michael said...

Yes! American Caviar Cones!

You were thinking Olive Oil Bon Bons? No one, not even Marian The Foodie, could try to take over the world with Olive Oil Bon Bons!

Friday, July 29, 2011 10:01:00 AM  
Blogger kevinEats said...

Wait, how did Saam get injected into this conversation?

Tuesday, August 02, 2011 7:25:00 PM  
Blogger Sam C. said...

I just notice....you didn't try their chicken and waffle. you should try it next time when you have a chance. :-)

Sunday, October 09, 2011 11:48:00 PM  
Blogger kevinEats said...

Note that this meal occurred after I'd already had another dinner, so I had to limit my intake. Next time!

Thursday, October 13, 2011 1:12:00 AM  

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