As promised, I'm going to rave about waffles and frites...

Ok. For starters, let it be known that I am not a "breakfast person." Not really, anyway. And, growing up I hated pancakes. Waffles were okay, but nothing spectacular.
That being said, I have changed my ways.
I mentioned the Belgium, gem of a place called Bruges Waffles and Frites in my last post, having been treated to its yummy treats by a good friend after shooting her photos a few weekends ago. (I have even taken friends there since then.) And, I promised a post on it. So here is the down low.
The place is so small that you might not even take notice of it, in fact, I'm pretty sure I'm guilty of doing exactly that. I know I have been nearby many times before and never noticed it, because it's basically next to the parking lot of another of my favorites, Tony Caputos(very authentic Italian sandwiches, in case you were wondering).
Although, the place is small and the placement of the building makes me think that sometime ago it was actually a parking garage ticket taker booth, the food is amazing!
They have a simple menu: Belgian Frites/Fries (three HUGE sizes), Gaufre Waffles with many toppings to choose from, The Machine Gun Sandwich(will explain later),and last time my friend got some sort of soup, but I don't remember what it was. Basically, that is it.



The frites are delicious and super filling. If you pair them with a waffle - you have a meal. Seriously. The waffles tasted more like a desert or a treat to me, and were super rich, so eat them AFTER the frites. And, the Machine Gun Sandwich is a meal for two, or so I've heard. It's a sausage sandwich served on a baguette roll, fries on top drenched in one of Bruges famous frite sauces. They have TONS of different types of dipping sauces for the frites. View all menu choices here on their website.
Cost: Expect to pay $5.00 plus for a waffle depending on how many toppings you want.
The frites start around $3.00 and go up to $8.00. Share them with a friend. The medium is PLENTY for two.
DONT, expect to get a seat inside the building. There is a small bar/table with about four or five seats, but good luck finding an open seat. Outside there are cute little patio tables and chairs, but those can fill up fast, too.
And, as we heard one worker say(in a thick accent) to a couple of guys waiting (an extra long time)for their food,"It isn't McDonalds, but at least you got your food!" It was hilarious!
DO expect to have a very good meal! The owner Pierre Vandamme, is very funny, so expect entertainment, too. The perfect "date" place for something different and a bit of an adventure! So, the next time you are looking for an eclectic, yummy, treat try:

Bruges Waffles and Frites
336 West Broadway
Salt Lake City, UT 84101
(801) 363-4444
www.brugeswaffles.com

Disclosure: No, they are not paying me for this post! And, NO, I have never been to Belgium, so I don't know if they are really authentic or not...I just know they are super, super yummy!

Utah Portrait Photographer - Pier Pont Ave. Shoot

What a great time this cute girl and I had during this shoot! She is a great friend and that always makes it more fun! We had been trying to get together for the shoot for a few weeks and things like bad weather kept getting in the way, so even though it wasn't the best of weather we did the shoot anyway. The sun peeking out from the clouds here and there made for some interesting photos. A lot of the photos have the look of a cold, Utah, Winter day, which it was - but then there are those few where the sun was shining with a warm, beautiful glow. So, pretty.
After the shoot my friend introduced me to a gem of a place called Bruges Waffles and Frites. It was such a great place that I am going to give it it's very own blog post! Check back and check it out!

Farmington House

I lived in this amazing house.
It was built in 1875 and still retains most of it's original charm. Myself and some single girlfriends rented this house from it's owner, Lagoon Amusement Park. Why does an amusement park own such an incredible house, you ask? It does seems strange, but the park has been around for over 100 years, too, and the home is on a street that surrounds the park. The park owners like to buy up homes that "buffer" the park and place their employees in the homes, so that they don't complain about the noise the park generates in the summertime. Or, at least that is what I was told. I'm sure there are other motives at play, too, but I wouldn't profess to know any of those.
This is how I came to live in such a place:
I lived in Farmington, Utah during the years of "2003" and "2004" and used to jog by this home. I always admired it and noticed it was vacant and had been for some time. So, I called the park and told them I wanted to rent the home. They were surprised and said that they were planning to fix it up/restore it(sort of) before they rented it. This led to me being offered an opportunity to pick out colors to paint the house, as well as carpet and kitchen flooring, although I have to add that I wasn't given too many options on the latter. Unfortunately. But, hey, beggars can't be choosers, right?
I LOVED helping with the whole process. In a small way it felt like I was designing my own home and I think it drew me closer to the home and all it's history.
My friends and I moved in and enjoyed living there for a year in "2005." A year full of friends, parties, Sunday afternoons sitting on the porch watching the world go by, being part of an Historic Home Tour, a resident ghost (I swear it's true), and a whole lot of snakes. Big snakes, little snakes, baby snakes...snakes, snakes, snakes - they loved the place. But, snakes were a small price to pay for living in such a gem of Utah's history. Click on the link below to view all photos and story of the Farmington House. And, enjoy!

http://designdiffuse.blogspot.com/2011/03/historic-farmington-house-farmington.html