Philadelphia: Reinventing the Most Important Meal of the Day

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Reinventing the Most Important Meal of the Day
April 2, 2004
By: Kristin Munro
kmunro@aroundphilly.com

First the McGriddle, now the gofra.

What what will they think of next?

First, you're probably wondering what a gofra is. It's no cousin or knock-off of the aforementioned McGriddle, which curiously condenses an entire diner menu into one neatly wrapped sandwich. The gofra- an Americanized term derived from the French word for waffle, gaufre, - is an authentic Belgian waffle; light and airy with a sugary, crusty glaze all over.

The street vendors of Belgium, who peddle waffles much like Philly vendors sell soft pretzels, inspired gofra creator and word originator Brad Messinger to bring the concept to Philadelphia. Bonte, his Parisian-style, basement-level caf鬠where he sells these tasty foreign imports, has created a citywide breakfast buzz since its September opening.

I dropped by one morning after the rush hour hysteria subsided to sample these curious pastries. Ducking down a few steps into the caf鬠Bonte was alive with post-workout java jonesers, mid-morning munchers, and, mon dieu, even a young couple animatedly chatting in French. Bonte automatically got points for authenticity.

Abandon your prior waffle notions because the gofra really isn't a waffle at all, save for its grid-like exterior. It's half the size of the waffle you're used to and served straight up, or with fruit or chocolate cooked into the batter. Skip the butter and syrup to avoid looking like a total American heel. Each gofra is served with a thin paper wrap for handling, should you want to go with your gofra.

Messinger took my order for two gofras, one chocolate and one strawberry, went straight to work preparing the batter and even brought them to my table. The result was golden brown dough with a fluffy inside and just enough sugar inside and out to make it sweet rather than rich. The chocolate gofra oozed semi-sweet decadence.

So what exactly is Messinger's secret?

The Belgian ingredients and the Belgian waffle iron are keys to the gofra, said Messinger. Without them, we would have a flat, dense waffle rather than the light, airy pastry we have at Bonte.

C'est fantastique.

» Go to Bonte