We went to see the beautiful film "Atonement" this afternoon in Emeryville after a leisurely day with the family. Ba and Lolo called this morning at 10:00 to ask if we wanted to join them for Belgian waffles.We went together down to the Grand Lake farmers' market and got a mess of delicious waffles from the Waffle Mania truck there. I teased the owner that I had high standards since I'd tried waffles on the streets of Bruxelles, but he didn't seem fazed and I wasn't disappointed. Apparently the authentic yeasted dough is shipped directly from Belgium.* The finished waffles have a crispiness, sweetness, and caramelization that make them unlike anything you've had in an American style waffle, even most of those that get called "Belgian waffles". If you're a Bay Area person, try them. If you're not, then you'd better just high-tail it to Oakland or Brussels, whichever works better for you.
(Photo borrowed without permission from a fellow blogger and waffle enthusiast in Marin.)We washed down the waffles with some fine Hawaiian coffee. Then we came home and Mom made some more food, fried eggs and ham leftover from Christmas eve. By then it was about time to take a nap. Then we went down for the film, which was excellent, and went out to Yoshi's for delicious sushi and other Japanese specialties.
Tomorrow I head to Yosemite for New Years. We'll bring in the new year with hiking, snowshoeing, and cozy games with a friendly group in a hotel room in El Portal. And then, shortly after driving back to the Bay Area on the 1st, it'll be back to Michigan, lickety-split, to start the new semester.
Below is a taster of the beauty of Yosemite, borrowed from a fellow blogger. Yosemite falls is one of our favorite hikes in the area.
*For more press on Waffle Mania, see this article in the Marin Independent Journal.
