Juice Box colorful interior

The experience was quite pleasant, starting with the brightly-colored walls and various large pictures of fruit, which literally make you feel like you’re inside a giant juice box. (Yeah, I know they’re probably actually white or silver on the inside, but allow your imagination to follow me here.) The staff, including Hillary (chef) and Jenna (juicemaker/server), were incredibly friendly and were genuinely interested in our input on the food. This was especially the case given that we happened to be their very first vegan waffle customers.

The waffles were gluten-free, made with a blend including rice flour and oat flour. They plan chickpea flour in the future as well. They were relatively dense, with a nice level of moistness, not overly stiff, a good level of toastedness, and a wholesome-feeling texture. Excellent flavor balance as well, especially with several fillings: mixed berries, banana, and walnuts.

vegan waffles and breakfast burrito

They had some very minor sticking and breaking apart issues, visible in the picture, but this didn’t alter the flavor at all. (Not to mention that tossing it would have been wasteful–not all restaurants are so conscientious.) And this issue was already worked out by the time a second customer ordered them.

About the only recommendations I have for them would be to try just a little more leavening, even though I (and probably others) do sometimes enjoy dense waffles, and to offer a real maple syrup option for us hard-core waffle snobs, er, enthusiasts. I have no doubts they’ll have many satisfied vegan waffle customers.

Alongside the waffles, the tomato- and cucumber-based juice was refreshingly excellent, as was the vegan breakfast burrito stuffed with tofu scramble and several veggies. It created a well-rounded, enjoyable, and filling experience.

While The Zenith’s Sunday Brunch still remains my favorite recommendation for out-of-town vegan visitors to the ‘Burgh (just plan ahead for long waits), the three Pittsburgh locations that now include vegan waffles on their menus regularly or intermittently (The Juice Box Cafe, Oh Yeah! Ice Cream and Coffee Co., and The Waffle Shop) certainly have my attention. I’ll be visiting The Juice Box again for some tasty eats.

What are the favorite vegan waffle locations in your town?

Dave & Jen with a waffle-worthy bottle of syrup

Due to its location and efforts to minimize ecological impact, the event didn’t have a huge number of runners. Nonetheless, I was still excited to win the award given to the first finisher in each age class: a bottle of real maple syrup from neighboring Wisconsin. A prize just doesn’t get any more fitting than that! We’ve already gone through about a third of the bottle, which I agreed to share with Jen because she completed her first 10K that day.  All right, I may have shared it with her even if she hadn’t run…

While I most regularly use the darker grade B syrup from our Co-op, I have to say that this stuff (from Maas Sugarbush, which appears to have no information on the web) is also pretty darn tootin’ good. I’m not sure of the grade, but it’s a bit darker than some of the grade A amber syrups we’ve had, with nearly the same thickness as the grade B we normally use. It has plenty of maple flavor alongside the sweetness. On a hot day, it’s also great to mix a bit of it with some chilled hazelnut milk and a few ice cubes. If you’re ever in that region of the world, it’s worth taking home a bottle for your vegan waffles or pancakes, even if you don’t feel like running around on an island.

Cashew-based peanut butter fudge vegan ice cream

It’s based upon the cashew-based chocolate ice cream recipe from Jeff Rogers’ Vice Cream: Gourmet Vegan Desserts. Before getting Vice Cream, I never would have considered making ice cream from cashews. Talk about decadent! For this dish, I basically made the recipe slightly less sweet and more chocolatey, and swirled in some natural peanut butter and dark chocolate fudge sauce (any chocolate sauce would work) just before putting it in the freezer to ripen.What makes this ice cream stand apart from others I’ve made is the presentation. I usually store and serve ice cream in a deeper and narrower container; this is the first

A cool, refreshing topping for vegan waffles

time I’ve put it into a relatively wide and shallow container. I think it makes it look a bit fancier if you’ve got colorful swirls or other types of toppings in it. It almost gives it the feel of a frozen cake. Perhaps this will inspire others to serve their homemade vegan ice cream in an even fancier way!

I also give my sister, Sherry, credit for inspiration on this. On one of her visits a few years ago, I asked what flavor of homemade ice cream she’d like. The clear answer was peanut butter fudge. I discovered how fun it was to make it however peanut buttery and deep chocolately I wanted, and this remains one of my favorite flavor combinations as well.

Waffle Frolic Crew with Dave

Owner Alexis and Chef Marc kindly spent a little time talking with us while keeping up with the extra-heavy business of the annual Ithaca Festival. We ordered several items, with a few customized additions that were done very well.

Gluten-free vegan waffle with fried bananas, peanut butter, and carob ganache

First, of course, was one of their gluten-free vegan waffles with a vegan version of their fried bananas, peanut butter, and Marc’s special “Carob Ganache.” The flavors blended quite well, and it was rich without being overly sweet. I’ve had a few dreams about the ganache since then, and hope that they add it to the menu as a regular item, along with more vegan waffle styles and topping options.

Vegan grilled cheese with tomato soup

Alongside the well-topped waffle, we also ordered a bowl of their flavorfully spiced tomato soup made with locally-grown and organic tomatoes, and an excellent Daiya vegan grilled cheese sandwich with grilled asparagus and mushrooms. Plenty of savoriness, with great texture, and it definitely hit the spot. The asparagus was cooked just enough to caramelize the coating, while leaving a bit of the crispness. As you can see, we were so eager to start eating it that we forgot to take a picture first.

Alexis and Marc explained that after they began advertising that they were participating in the Global Vegan Waffle Party, some of their customers suggested that they add a few more vegan items to their menu,  including the grilled cheese. I was happy to hear this, and applaud Waffle Frolic for some delicious items. Be sure to check them out if you’re ever in Ithaca.

Cutest vegan waffle-eating kids

Dallas R. of Minneapolis, MN, US submitted several photos of cute kids eating vegan waffles. Two in particular stood out, with the tiebreaker being that the girls in this picture are actually eating their waffles, while the boy in the runner-up photo appears to favor the watermelon over the waffles (see album). Not that there’s anything wrong with fresh, juicy watermelon!

Another cute kid eating a vegan waffle

One of the kids from Jess and Cruelty Free WA’s Australian party also stands out, even though she doesn’t have the usual kid-like topping-covered cheeks. But that’s a bit of a technicality, as it’s likely only because she’s getting a little bit of guidance from an adult. I get more food on my face when I’m eating a waffle!

Best t-shirt worn by guest

Given the main ingredients in vegan waffles, there was little serious competition for “Guest with the best t-shirt.” The “Vegan zombie says gra-a-a-a-a-a-ainnns” shirt worn to the Cruelty Free WA party was quite fitting. I also liked the poignant “What kind of *&%$ eats a lamb?” t-shirt in the same album.

Ironic vegan waffles #1: vegan fish waffles

There was a tie for “Most ironic vegan waffles.” (But then again, given what they’re baked on, aren’t all waffles “iron-ic” to some extent?) The first was a photo of vegan fish waffles from Earl B. and the Tokyo Vegan Waffle Party, and the second was what appear to be cow- and duck-shaped vegan waffles from Dallas R.’s Minneapolis party.

Ironic vegan waffles #2: vegan cow and duck waffles

We actually have an animal waffle maker we received as a wedding gift, but it doesn’t produce a high enough volume for use at our party. Still fun to break out once in a while, though, especially for guests who enjoy asking questions like, “So, are animal crackers vegan?”

Most bizarre waffle party guest

The prize for “Most bizarre-looking guest” goes to Earl B. and the Tokyo Vegan Waffle Party. This flower-picking troll gnome hid near their waffle iron, waiting to steal a tasty treat when the cook wasn’t looking. It appears that he was caught! After iron overflow stained his beard, he attempted to charge the host with “battery.” He dropped his complaint when other guests accused him of making a horrible pun.

Host best coordinated with one of their waffle toppings

Lola R. of Sweat Records of Miami pointed out to me that “I’m the one who’s hair color matches the strawberries.” Thus, it’s only fitting that one of her pics gets “Host best coordinated with one of their waffle toppings.” She also exhibits exceptional physical coordination, given the ability to chop the strawberries while eating them. Not sure I could do that safely.

Great illustration of teamwork

The second picture from the Sweat Records party gets the award for “Great illustration of teamwork.” Many more pics are in her album. Given that one of my hobbies is composing music, I love that one of the parties was in a record store.

Vegan waffle with simple classic elegance

Waffle Shop, managed by Dawn W., Jon R., and others in Pittsburgh, captured one of their homemade cinnamon raisin vegan waffles with pecans. Dusted with a bit of powdered sugar and accompanied with strawberries, I thought it represented “simple classic elegance” in a vegan waffle.

The Waffle Shop artists also run a project called “Conflict Kitchen,” whose goal is to promote awareness about countries and cultures with whom the U.S. is at odds. Given the connections between eating habits and peace/violence, it’s quite fitting that one of their projects currently offers a vegan item.

That concludes this year’s review of Global Vegan Waffle Party photo highlights. Thanks again for your participation, and happy vegan waffling!

Collection of cuteness

Aletha A.’s Pontiac, MI, US vegan waffle party photos were captured by Agnes Domanska. Aletha labeled a photo with her friend (on our right) as “cutest cook.” So here you have a cute host, a cute cook, and even a cute toaster. Thus, best “Collection of cuteness.” Perhaps next year we’ll also see a Hello Kitty waffle maker!

Waffle partyers having a great time

Also in Aletha’s album was this photo, which I believe best represents “Waffle partyers having a great time.” Her full album has more great shots, including a few of the party balloons that may have been filled with some nitrous oxide. (On a serious note, I think we could all benefit from more laughter!)

So delicious that I couldn't take a picture before eating

Elaine V. gets a high honor for her Vegas Veg*n submission, which best represents “So delicious that I couldn’t stop to take a picture before eating it.” At least there was a half left!

Was there really a waffle?

The same couldn’t be said for this pic from Haroula G.’s Athens, Greece party, which gets the “Was there really a waffle?” award. I mean, it could have been a pancake, or maybe everyone just piled toppings onto the plate and ate them without a waffle at all.

Most aesthetically interesting waffle

Actually, Haroula provided evidence that there was a waffle at some point during the party, with the “Most aesthetically interesting waffle.” The various toppings combined with the heart-shaped pieces create something I might expect to see at Baltimore’s Visionary Art Museum. (Used to be among my favorite places to visit when we lived there.)

Most mouth-watering photo of a vegan waffle

Photographer Derek G. of the Vegan Bus takes the prize for “Most mouth-watering photography of a waffle.” I found myself trying to bite the screen when I saw his picture of the Smlove waffle. It looked almost like someone had actually drizzled the chocolate syrup on my screen. (As photography is part of his business, the thumbnail links to his post with his full-size photos.)

Best multi-course vegan waffle meal

Also very appetizing was the winner of the “Best multi-course waffle meal,” from Ida, Noah, and VegOut NYC’s vegan waffle party. Ida listed the various waffles and toppings in her photo: “Sweet Yeast-Raised Waffles, Chocolate Beer Waffles, Yeast-Raised Cornmeal Chili-Dippin’ Waffles, and Blueberry Waffles. With toppings: Chole Masala (Curried Chickpea), Three-Bean Chili, Macerated Strawberries, Bananas and Blueberries, Soy Ice Cream, Soy and Rice Whip Creams, Chocolate Sauce, and Maple Syrup.” Holy cow-free waffle! And the contrast between the various reds and the blue plate earns it a few points for aesthetics.

Best TV programming during party

Wes A. and the Austin, TX, US vegan waffle party crowd exhibited “Best use of technology to spread vegan waffle propaganda.” Guests thought they were watching a normal recording of the last episode of “Lost,” but the hosts secretly inserted quick flashes of the image you see in this picture. Coincidentally, the photo was taken at just the right moment to capture the important message. Subliminal programming at its best. But now the secret is out…

Best image of educational activities with audience

Heather S.-D. and Leah F. of Fort Wayne, IN, US take home the award for photo of “Largest audience with gas.” (How could I resist such an opportunity for a childish pun?) Seriously, I thought the inclusion of educational activities such as this tofu-making demonstration was very cool, and was impressed with how many components their event incorporated. They showed, contrary to what the photo may seem to suggest, that you do not have a marathon ahead of you when learning to make delicious vegan food.

There will soon be one more photo post on this year’s events, showing the fun array of waffles, people, and parties.

Fresh fruit from Minneapolis vegan waffle party (Dallas R.)

What made this year particularly great was the variety of ways in which people hosted parties, and the variety of ways in which they had impact. Some of you truly raised the bar a few notches. There’s not room to discuss all of the events here, but following are some highlights that hosts have submitted. A few details on earlier parties are in earlier posts here and on the Facebook page. We’ll be featuring more of the photos here in the near future!

Amber M. and Cafe Green in Washington, DC leveraged their event to raise some funds for the Louisiana Gulf Response Involvement Team.

Dallas and the Animal Rights Coalition in Minneapolis wrote, “We rented a park building and had about 50 people show up. The line was out the door and we had to make multiple trips to the store to get more flour, soy milk, oil, etc, because people just kept coming and needing more waffles! We had a great time, this was the first vegan event for many people, and folks had a lot of fun.” She posted some party photos.

Derek G. of The Vegan Bus lamented that he “flaked on organizing a party, but did celebrate with a waffle date.” He made “Vegan Smlove Waffles” incorporating flavors from one of Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s dessert recipes, and posted some mouth-watering photos on his blog.

Earl B. and the Tokyo Vegan Meetup reported, “The Tokyo Vegan Waffle Party was a success! We had 15 people in total and made some interesting waffles. The strangest one would have to be Wasabe waffles. Wasabe is a Japanese spice (very hot). We also made Taiyaki. It’s a traditional Japanese cake type thing. It’s usually not vegan but of course ours were. Ironically it’s in the shape of a fish.” He posted a Facebook album with some pics of the crazy fish waffles.

A Vegas vegan waffle (Elaine V.)

Elaine & Vegas Veg* Meetup hosted a Vegan Chick’n & Waffles Pool Party with several great recipes, and received a few compliments that the host “makes a mean waffle.”

Heather S-D and Leah F. in Fort Wayne, IN featured a range of activities at their outdoor event, and obtained several business sponsors to raise some funds. “We served around 200 people that day a breakfast of vegan waffles, tofu scramble, Rice Milk and vegan spring rolls. We also had 2 cooking demos to teach people how to make the tofu scramble and vegan blueberry muffins. It was a great day indeed. Looking forward to another great event next year!”

Ida, Noah, and Veg Out NYC featured a variety of waffles at their event, including Chocolate Beer Waffles, Yeast-Raised Cornmeal Chili-Dippin’ Waffles, Naked Vegan Waffles, and Sweet Yeast-Raised Waffles. They also tried some crazy topping/flavor combinations. Attendee comments on Meetup included, “The perfect hosts” and “This menu is blowing me away!”

Jess at Cruelty Free WA drew dozens of guests into their Western Australian shop with the sweet smell of freshly baked vegan waffles. Some of the photos feature guests with entertaining t-shirts. She reported, “We had a fantastic day, all up between 70 and 80 people came through the door during the four hour period. We met up with some regulars and chatted with a lot of new faces. The smell was fantastic and we had people from the Oxfam shop down the road come up for some waffles too…The waffles came out perfectly and we had a number of people ask if James had used egg or milk to get them like that.”

Sweat Records' vegan waffle setup (Lolo R.)

Lolo from Sweat Records Miami noted, “Our party was a huge success – probably around 35-40 came through throughout the day.  The Miami New Times did a review of it for their ‘Short Order’ food blog.” She also posted some Facebook photos.

Raelene C. in Richmond, CA got really fancy, serving mimosas at her last-minute “unofficial” vegan waffle party.

Waffle Frolic is a brand new cafe whose name essentially means waffle party! (We recently learned that “waffle frolics” were thrown long before your grandparents were born.) They hosted a Friday night event that included vegan waffle specials, vegan giveaways from a local bookstore, a vegan information forum, a vegan recipe exchange, and a “late night waffle jam” with a live DJ from 9 PM until midnight. I actually visited Waffle Frolic on a very recent trip to Ithaca, and had some great food there–more on that in an upcoming post.

I believe that Wes and the Austin Vegan Meetup were planning to use a deep fryer in creative ways at their vegan waffle party, and reported a good turnout, but I’m still waiting to hear whether they tried anything crazy like deep-frying the waffles.

The day after our local party, we also had a Vegan Meetup event at Waffle Shop, which featured some delicious cinnamon raisin vegan waffles all weekend. Dawn W. there said they plan to leave that item on the menu for a while.

I’ve also sent out a brief feedback survey to hosts, asking them for any lessons learned. I’m hoping that information will help to make future events even more fun and impactful.

Several people have asked about expanding the Global Vegan Waffle Party concept to a few other types of vegan food, to raise even more awareness. Thus, we seek your input.

My initial thoughts were something like this: “I really enjoy vegan waffle parties and plan to continue them. If we spread it to other kinds of food as well, then the Waffle Party might not be as ‘special’ anymore. It might somehow dilute the energy and actually result in less overall positive impact.” However, after more thinking, I realized:

• Waffles have such a unique flavor and character that they’ll always be great for parties, and will always have an audience. But some people have other favorites.
• Some great cookbooks, restaurants, and products out there could reach an even broader audience via one or two other types of parties.
• A few other vegan foods are compatible with key party features, like allowing even guests with minimal vegan food knowledge to contribute by bringing toppings.

We need your input on whether you’d like to see another type of Global Vegan Party in addition to the Waffle Party, and if so, what type of food could be a foundation for it. I’ve set up a short survey, and appreciate your taking one to two minutes to complete it by June 14. Also feel free to pass it along to others.

A few important notes:

• We’re not looking to reinvent the wheel. While I’ll provide some web presence and materials to coordinate and catalyze things a bit, I’ll also seek relevant existing resources to leverage.
• We’d like to keep this from competing in any way with some other vegetarian/vegan events that have started to go global recently. However, they seem different enough in nature so that this shouldn’t be an issue.

We’ll also be exploring potential ways to support related causes. Thanks for your input!

Early-arriving guests begin to sample waffle toppings.

We again had great fun with our vegan waffle party, with around 40 neighbors, friends, and Vegan Meetup Members bringing creative waffle toppings. The conversation was great, and individuals with a range of dietary preferences shared an abundance of vegan treats that all could enjoy.

The array of vegan waffle toppings included the following: Agave-Coconut-Cinnamon-Date Topping, Apple Butter, Apple Cinnamon Raisin Topping, Beans ‘n’ Front-Yard-Garden Greens, Blueberry Sauce,

At points it was difficult to choose what to try next.

Bruschetta, Carob Halvah Spread, Chocolate Cranberry Relish, Coconut Almond Granola, Dark Chocolate Waffle Syrup, Fitr Harr (spicy hot mushrooms), Fresh Strawberries and Pineapple, Fresh Walnuts, Hummus, Maple Nut Sludge, Mint Chocolate Chip “To Die For” Homemade Ice Cream, Mushroom Medley, Mushrooms with Squash, Papaya Cranberry Topping, Papaya Strawberry Fruit Salad, Raw Chocolate Agave Spread, Raw Strawberry Sauce, Savory Kalamata Sauce, Sesame Lime Yogurt Dip, Vegan Caramel Sauce, and several I’m probably forgetting because the topping labels went home with them.

Some crazy waffle topping combos resulted!

This year’s waffles included Molasses Yeast Feast Waffles, Buckwheat Barley Malt Waffles, and  gluten-free Zero Excuse Rice Coconut Waffles, served hot at two arrival times: 6 PM and 8 PM.

Some wafflers relaxed in the living room...

We continued some of last year’s practices to make the party more environmentally friendly, especially as it was connected to World Environment Day. This included utilizing recycled Preserve plates and cups, and setting up several labeled bins to simplify collection of used items.

And some enjoyed the fresh evening air.

I love waffle parties, and I’m always honored that some of the coolest people in town choose to spend a few of their weekend hours with us. (Is it conceited to brag about your guests? Our guests are so great…)

What excited me even more was that 60+ hosts around the world signed up to spread positive energy and awareness further. They not only did that, but they opened up whole new possibilities. And I’m not exaggerating.

A guest observes the art of waffle batter preparation.

Those who followed the original house party format generated some extremely creative and densely-topped waffles, a few of which have already appeared on the Facebook Vegan Waffles page.  Some incorporated specific topping themes. Several hosts aimed to draw larger crowds via outdoor or business-based venues, sometimes incorporating additional activities and attractions.

The educational literature table

A few events attracted local media attention, and some raised money for important causes. In other words, parties generated fun and awareness in several different ways. After receiving a few more highlights and photos, I’ll post more info on what other cities did, and links to blog posts on some of them. A few parties are still coming up!

Jen later took over the waffle irons to bake leftover batter.

Even though the largest weekend of 2010 vegan waffle parties has passed, it’s certainly not too late to host one this year! If you’re hosting something later this June, please let us know. Alternately, join the occasional updates list and Facebook Vegan Waffles page to stay in the loop about future events.

My picture is okay, but you can do far better...

A picture is worth a thousand waffles! If you’re taking a few pictures at your upcoming party, or took some at your recent party, and believe it may be the best in one of the below categories, please post it or link to it at the Vegan Waffles Facebook page by June 14. Full-size image should be at least 400 x 400 pixels. If you’re not on Facebook, upload them to a publicly accessible album and send me the link through the contact form. Also include your city in the message body.

Note which category you believe it fits, and feel free to submit for up to three categories:

• most toppings on one waffle (must still be edible—no wasting of food!)
• most stylishly decorated waffle (color, texture, and physical arrangement will all be considered)
• most people actively eating waffles in one picture
• most enthusiastic-looking waffle baker (we’re looking for some action shots here!)
• best expression that seems to say “Yum!” on the face of one or more people eating a waffle
• best photo of an adorable kid eating a waffle
• best illustration of teamwork/coordinated effort
• most artfully decorated party atmosphere
• most mind-blowing single topping brought by a guest (include a label describing it in the photo)
• best illustration of environmental sustainability at a party
• guest wearing the shirt with the coolest social consciousness statement
• any made-up category not included here, that you’re pretty sure your picture would win

This is pretty informal with one or two of us doing the judging and no tangible prizes. (If someone donates a trip to the Bahamas, that will of course change things.) The huge award is that I’ll feature the winners in a post here, with credits to you  included in the text alongside your photo. I’ll interpret your photo submission as your indication that this is okay.  If there are any “ties” in a given category, I may post more than one.

A few suggestions and guidelines:

• Consider limiting picture-taking to a few segments of the party, so your guests can relax most of the time.
• Blur faces if you think any of your guests may object.
• Please do not reproduce/submit anything that would constitute copyright infringement (e.g., images captured by your local media), but feel free to post links to any news stories about your event on the Facebook page.
• This is common sense for most of us, but I’ll include it anyway: Photos with non-vegan items, inebriated-looking individuals, or anything you wouldn’t show your grandmother, boss, or a 5-year-old are best left in the personal photo collection.

Have fun!