Bruges Waffles and Frites - Share the Fun, Waffles, and Frites

restaurantsbreakfast & brunchfood trucks

Sep 9

Photo courtesy of Bruges Waffles and Frites

Take a deep breath, and picture yourself sitting at a table in the morning. It’s time for breakfast. What is on the plate in front of you? Waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, maybe some fresh fruit? Now imagine lunch. Probably looks a little different, huh? For those obsessed with the finer things in life (waffles), that doesn’t have to be the case. Especially if Pierre Vandamme has anything to say about it.

Pierre Vandamme was born in Brugge, Belgium, and grew up with frites and waffle stands serving as the go-to hangout spot for him and his friends. Food mainly served as a social element for Pierre, but deep family traditions and an immense variety of food in Belgian cuisine always kept his mind and stomach intrigued. When the opportunity to move to the United States arrived, Pierre and his wife made the jump to Salt Lake City.

For years Pierre worked in aviation and flew all over the United States and to South America. But after his aviation career ended abruptly, Pierre felt a deep need and desire to reinvent himself. After a chance meeting with fellow Belgian Philippe Wyffels, Pierre and Philippe wanted to bring good, authentic Belgian food to the community.

After years of perfecting and refining old family recipes, they introduced their Liege Waffle to the streets of downtown Salt Lake City, and Bruges Waffles & Frites was born. What followed was an exciting journey through some staples of the Utah food scene (hello Downtown Farmer’s Market), exciting opportunities at unique destinations, like a restaurant at the very top of the Canyons Resort, and a surprise feature on Man vs. Food on The Travel Channel, that shot them into local fame. Pierre guides us through his winding and enlightening story, and he truly embodies the fact that passion and a little bit of humor can take you a long way.

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This episode of The Utah Foodie was hosted by Chase Murdock and produced by Ryan Samanka. Visit our episode archive on Ventricle Presents, and stay connected with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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