A couple of weeks ago I was in a cab with my friends Devinne and Marianne when we became very excited. No, it wasn't the Cash Cab. It was an ordinary cab, with one of those TVs on the back of the seat that I usually put on mute because they're super annoying and keep repeating the same three videos over and over. But this time, the little screen showed us something we hadn't seen before: meats and cheeses and vegetables piled atop hot, crispy... waffles. WAFFLE SANDWICHES, GUYS. The restaurant featured was called Bel 50. We decided we had to go there A.S.A.P. and made a plan to eat there the following weekend. Said weekend was last weekend.
I started perusing the menu online a few days before to decide what to order. Everything sounded so good: pulled pork and avocado, burrata, buttermilk fried chicken, BLT, portabella mushroom... and the desserts looked even better. On Saturday morning, Marianne and I met Devinne at the train station and headed over. Bel 50 is kind of hidden away on Clark near the Gold Coast. We spotted the round orange sign and entered, to be greeted by a colorful mural on the left-hand wall, and long, wooden tables with orange cubes to sit on, kind of a communal seating arrangement that could foster conversation (or not) among strangers at the table. The place was small and pretty busy, but we found some seats at the end of one of the tables and eyed our table-mates' waffles.
Bel 50 is pretty casual, and you order at the counter. I chose the buttermilk chicken waffle, and ordered some Truffle Tater Tots to share. Devinne got sweet potato fries, and oh sweet potato lord, they were delicious... perfectly crispy and just slightly spicy. My buttermilk chicken waffle was pretty good: piping hot chicken topped with crunchy cole slaw and constantly threatening to fall apart, so once I picked it up I couldn't put it down again. The tots were very tasty as well, but I think I preferred Devinne's fries. While I enjoyed my waffle, I wasn't thrilled--maybe because cole slaw is very hit-or-miss for me. I was very envious of everyone else, making notes about what to order next time. Possibly pulled pork or brie/prosciutto. The sandwiches were filling, but definitely left room for dessert. Marianne and I split the Tiramisu waffle, and it arrived dusted in powdered sugar and oozing chocolate and cream. We left satisfied, with only minor food babies.
Of course I had to preserve these wondrous food creations for all time through the magic of photography (and I really wanted to try out the "food" setting on my new camera):
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| My buttermilk fried chicken waffle |
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| Marianne's BBQ pulled pork waffle |
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| Megan's brie/caramelized onions/prosciutto waffle (fancy) |
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| Devinne's heavenly-looking BLT |
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| Amazing sweet potato fries |
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| Tiramisu waffle for dessert (I'm getting hungry just looking at this) |
Overall I really liked Bel 50 and am already looking forward to my next visit. It's a unique and trendy--right down to the communal seating and the complementary cucumber water--but relaxed and inviting. It's also a great value for the money; sandwiches and desserts hover around $7. Bel 50 proves the versatility of Leslie Knope's favorite food and shows that waffles really can be eaten for every meal.
Bel 50
738 N Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 202-0600
bel50.com
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