Exotic Breakfast In An Unexpected Spot: Belgian Waffles And Crepes At Whirlz In Ellicott City

Liege waffles and crepes at Whirlz just off Rte 108

Suddenly, we are up early on weekend mornings, so we're on the hunt for cool places for breakfast.

First stop was the Whirlz shop in the Dorsey Hall village center in Ellicott City.  Whirlz has teamed with the folks from the La Pearl waffle truck to offer morning treats.  Belgian waffles with all kinds of toppings.  Crepes that run from sweet to savory.

We stopped by last Saturday.  We had thought Lil's Chow would love a waffle.  He eats well, and he loves crispy stuff like pizza crust and dumpling wrappers.  But he actually threw himself into the Whirlz crepe.  I had gone eggs, bacon and cheese, so that's a classic combination.  Whirl's crepes have a slight crunch, and Lil's Chow and I both enjoyed some warm savoriness on a cold morning.

Savory crepe

Mrs. HowChow went with a basic waffle.  La Pearl does liege waffles with sweetness in the batter.  We had the biscoff -- a spread made from crushed cookies -- and bananas.  La Pearl pushes the Belgian waffle from Belgium, not the American waffles that we call "Belgian."  It is a different taste, one of those dishes that stands out because it is succeeds by being simple.

Whirlz does breakfast from 8 am to 2 pm on weekends.  They offer a full coffee and latte lineup.  So the booths are a nice place to set up with folks.  An easy place to check the schedule is La Pearl's Twitter feed.

Whirlz does its main business as a frozen yogurt shop.  They're definitely trying to break the standard "yogurt shop" format.  That makes sense considering that we have four seasons here.  They have sold crepes for a while with fillings that run from fruits to Reese's-inspired mixtures to the savory eggs and bacon.  They're in the Dorsey Hall village center just north of Rte 108 and just west of Rte 29.

Better Than Good Humor: Get Your Sweets From The Waffle Truck; Belgian Treats Are Real Pearls

La Pearl's mini waffle with biscoff spread

A special truck will bring you special sweets, and I'm fan enough to promote them for a quick treat or catering your party.

This is the La Pearl waffle truck.  It's a Howard County staple now serving warm waffles with various toppings like ice cream, fruit and whipped cream.  They're a treat well worth both the calories and a little work tracking them down.

I had a La Pearl waffle at a neighborhood event a few weeks ago, and I thought it was unique and delicious.  I had a mini with biscoff spread, a thick liquid made from ground cookies.  They compare it to a spread made from graham crackers.

Either way, it showed off the real talent of La Pearl.  These are fresh-made waffles made from a batter that they import from Belgium.  The plain waffle is lightly sweet and would make a terrific breakfast or snack.  Then they only get better when you add your own toppings.

La Pearl's Twitter page is the best place to follow their locations.  They post schedules.  Some days they just post where they are.

In the initial months, the truck was regularly near Howard Community College, but the summer schedule has varied more.  They go to festivals, swim clubs, schools and more.  They also rent the truck for parties and special events.  Not that you get to drive.  They will come to your party and serve waffles.

Again, you should check for La Pearl's location through its Twitter page or its Web site.  They're looking to partner with restaurants, bakeries and other businesses.  If you're wondering, check them out or check out this tweet.

La Pearl Waffles Truck Has Hit Howard County

La Pearl photo -- stolen from their Web iste

There is a waffle truck driving around Howard County, and you can track it on Twitter for a sweet hit of Belgium.

La Pearl Waffles is a three-year-old outfit that sells Belgian waffles.  Now, they have a truck, and they roll and cook to supplement a special-event and catering business.

Tomorrow, you can get waffles from 5 to 8 pm at 10611 Little Patuxent Parkway between Howard Community College and the Columbia Mall.  It looks like they have also stopped this month at Centennial Park, Best Buy, and some other spots.

The La Pearl Web site offers some delicious-sounding descriptions of the Belgian waffle and some boasts about how awesome and unique their waffles will be.  Sounds good enough to check out, although I can't be there tomorrow.  Track the La Pearl truck on the Web site or on Twitter.

Thanks to JoJo for the tip about the new truck in action.