Like any reasonable human, I love donuts. And, luckily for me, I live pretty close to a veritable donut heaven. So when I heard that a restaurant in Chicago had combined the sweet treat of a donut with the breakfast goodness of a waffle, I kind of lost my mind.
Recently, donut hybrids have been causing some serious buzz. In New York City, people wait in around-the-block lines to try chef Dominique Ansel’s cronut (a croissant and donut combo), and other bakeries around Chicago have tried their own variations of this treat. However, it’s the wonut that’s giving the Windy City its own claim to combination-cuisine fame.
Photo courtesy of Sarah Freeman/Zagat
The man behind the wonut is Alex Hernandez, owner of Chicago’s Waffles Café. Since he started making these babies in April, they’ve been flying off the racks — he’s even had to impose a “six wonuts per order” limit. So how is this heavenly creation made, you might ask? Waffles uses a thicker version of their normal waffle batter to make chocolate, vanilla and red velvet waffles. After coming off the press, the waffles are deep-fried and accented with glazes and various toppings. The result is an assortment of delicious and unique flavors, ranging from green tea to Mexican hot chocolate.
But don’t take it from me. Waffles Café has three locations in Chicago: Lakeview, Streeterville and South Loop. So the next time you venture into the city, lose your diet and get a taste of the newest (and sweetest) food hybrid.
Lakeview location
Address: 3611 N Broadway St, Chicago IL 60613
Hours of operation: Mon-Thur 8:30am-2pm, Fri-Sun 8:30am-3pm
Streeterville location
Address: 203 E Ohio St, Chicago IL 60611
Hours of operation: Mon-Thur 8:30am-2pm, Fri-Sun 8:30am-3pm
South Loop location
Address: 1400 S Michigan Ave, Chicago IL 60605
Hours of operation: Mon-Thur 8:30am-2pm, Fri-Sun 8:30am-3pm