You might already know James the Waffle Guy.
He certainly seems to know a lot of people in this town after operating his waffle stand on the corner of Liberty and Chemeketa for just a few weeks.
In the half-hour that I stood talking to James yesterday before he closed up shop for the day, he traded stories, swapped greetings and exchanged knowing nods with roughly 64% of the passers-by.
In a glimpse of Americana that even struck a chord with this cranky blogger, one woman even offered James the Waffle Guy a slice of apple pie.
All of this, of course, means that James the Waffle Guy is quickly on his way to becoming the most visible person in downtown Salem.
There, I’ve said it.
Our biggest celebrity is a waffle guy.
And rightfully so.
James has worked in the service industry for years — his other gig is slinging steaks at the Best Little Roadhouse — so he knows how to charm a customer and interact with people.
But his heart seems to be in seeing a great idea and making it happen.
What if I told you that James has never actually eaten from a food cart before? That he knows of the triumphant PDX Food Cart scene but has never seen it himself?
Food carts were the great Depression 2.0 story coming out of Portland in the past couple of years — another sign that it takes the New York Times to discover what’s happening under our noses. The now-defunct Gourmet magazine followed with a story about the food cart/truck scene in our neighbor to the north.
It doesn’t take a genius to understand the excitement about food carts. In an era when many would-be restaurateurs can’t get their projects bankrolled, a food cart focusing on just a few perfect, delicious items fits the bill.
Low overhead that translates to better prices, personal service, eating you can do outside on the street, and the buzz of mobility that encourages customers to know just how quickly the cool kids move (you can follow James at @downtownwaffles) — all of these things make food carts/trucks an idea whose time has come.
James says it didn’t have to be waffles.
“Not everyone likes hot dogs,” he told me.
Yes, they are good. The most popular are dripping with warmed Nutella.
His current topping list bespeaks a people-pleaser figuring out the tastes of local foodies.
My guess is that people in-the-know will start ordering the signature waffles by name (the “Tyler Jackson” is named after his friend, whose family owns Jackson’s Jewelers across the street).
Who wouldn’t want a waffle named after them? Mine would be Nutella layered with banana slices.
Soon the days will get shorter and the warmth of a waffle browned right in front of you might just lure you out of your office on a rainy day.
James has a plan for that, too.
“It’s called Goretex.”
If you go, get there early (say 8-2 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday).
Oddly, many of his customers wait in their cars on Liberty Street NE for their waffles to be handed to them.
No biggie. James is game.
Hey I know that slice of apple pie. It left the meeting I was at at Project Space around 1 pm.
Indeed. I was, frankly, moved by the image of a half-eaten pie floating down Liberty Street.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Emily and brenna, brenna. brenna said: RT @emilygrosvenor: Salem gets a downtown food cart. Or: Great Depression 2.0 stories. OR: why I deserve to have a waffle named after me. http://bit.ly/d79mMx [...]
Go Team Bike!
Both James and Tyler race bicycles on the weekend. Bikes make it better! (and, yes, it’s all about the exclamation mark & concomitant enthusiasm! – thanks for the shout-out the other day!)
I’m looking forward to checking this waffle cart out.
Waffles. Bike racing. Makes sense. FUEL.
So does Waffle guy have a whole-grain batter? Preferably with no sugar (agave or molasses OK).
I loves me some waffles but I try to remember that, unlike in light (where white is all colors), in food white generally means “not food.” Or, as a friend put it “White sugar, white rice, white potatoes, white death!”
Walker, eatsalem said he uses Bob’s Red Mill organic flour, but didn’t say if it was whole grain. I recently tried Bob’s whole wheat pastry flour and loved it! Maybe James would consider giving it a try.
I’ll concur that James’ waffles are tasty and his company very kind.
Waffle Guy says that he spent many nights perfecting his batter — it has no yolks and yes, egg whites, but it is white batter.
My sense is that he is still getting a feel for the clientele, so if you want whole grain, I would stop by and let him know. I even thought about asking for a gluten free version.
That was after I ate a full waffle by myself after already having eaten lunch. That’s a lotta waffle!
I wonder what sort of permits and permissions a food cart needs. I’ve thought of trying a cupcake cart, but thinking of all the licensing and inspections makes me a little timid. And besides, would anyone want to buy a cupcake from a wandering cart when they have several excellent pastry shops around?
This is a good question. I believe Eatsalem did a little snooping on the cart registration process…
http://eatsalem.com/2010/08/downtown-waffles.html
I now have heard rumors of four additional cart enterprises. Fun!
Cupcakes and carts seem to make sense. I never really got how a cupcake place could afford to have its own retail space in a building (besides charging five bucks a cupcake).
Walker, I use organic wholegrain flower in my waffles from a local company in Portland called Bob’s Redmill. It’s not the bleached out bad stuff you find in most others. Hopefully this helps answer your question.
Awesome! I’ll be by soon. Are you a Monday-Friday kind of food cart or do you have some Saturday hours too?
Ooooops, read the post. Tuesday- Saturday. Got it. See you tomorrow!
Walker, I’ll be closed tomorrow. DM me on twitter on what day you’ll be down. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Is there a vegan option for those great looking waffles???
Emily I love that you posted this! I had been meaning to try a one for myself after sending my visiting-from-out-of-state sister by for a waffle the other day…. I grabbed a nutella-filled Thursday on my way to work. It was really great. Delicious, crispy, soft in the middle. Yum.
I love Bob’s Red Mill and the thought of an organic recipe for an all time favorite food. If I lived in Salem, I would be having business meetings at your stand. I wish you great success with your business, the concept is awesome!
What about the food carts near the Silverton/Lancaster intersection in Northeast Salem? I think they’ve been there longer than the waffle guy’s been downtown.