Viva la Waffle

Every day he's wafflin' - that's what Collin's shirt says.  I met Viva la Waffle on the side of the road after hours in Lafayette, Lousiana.  He and business partner Fred opened the Viva la Waffle truck in July of 2011.  They were only open five days when an electrical fire burned the cabin and shut them down for three months.  But as the saying goes, you can't keep a good man down.  The guys re-opened with a bang and have been serving their famous waffle sandwiches ever since.

Take a buttermilk brined fried chicken breast, slop a spicy honey drizzle over it and throw in some blue cheese buttermilk slaw in between two waffles and you'll have "The Roscoe," which is purported to be the best selling ticket item on the truck.  So waffle sandwiches, right?  The waffle recipe uses more yeast than most, causing to be a little crispier, and, well, breadier than the waffle you grew up with.  Chef Collin has stirred the proverbial pot a bit with his braised beef cheeks, cotija, chile lime sour cream, shredded lettuce and tomato in a waffle sandwich but he has flavors for every palette.  Check out the nod to Elvis with the "Viva Las Vegas": peanut butter, berry compote, sliced bananas and candied bacon in a waffle sandwich.

They gave me a great story about an ancient waffle cart in New Orleans that sold four waffles for five cents, but you're going to have to buy the cookbook to get the rest of the story... Till then, Viva la Waffle! Follow them @vivalawaffle or like 'em on the fb