If you weren’t at Fine & Raw’s midday Waffle Party this weekend, you did Saturday wrong.
You see, the owner of Fine & Raw, Daniel Sklaar, likes to party. His favorite kind of party?
“Usually my friend’s loft,” he said, “Those are the best kind of parties.”
And that’s pretty much what the Waffle Party felt like – like hanging out at a friend’s loft. Except it’s a friend with astro turf, a collection of beach chairs, some talented musicians on retainer, and a gift for making delicious raw chocolate.
The idea was, as Daniel described it, “almost too simple.” They just wanted to make waffles.
And that they did – with mouth-watering toppings like choco-hazelnut sauce and coconut dulce de leche drizzle. (All made in-house, of course.) And, by the way, rumor has it that those two things may soon become spreads. Which means you could be eating Bushwick-made choco-hazelnut sauce by the spoonful in the foreseeable future. Because future you has great taste and no shame.
Back to the party, though… People came from all over, and the line at times was 25 brunch-goers deep. Most of them were locals, but one woman we spoke to had traveled all the way from 145th Street in Harlem for one of Daniel’s waffles. Which, with the L train down, was one hell of a journey.
But it proved worth it, especially with all the flowing mimosas, liquor-filled milkshakes, and live music from acoustic and banjo-fueled local folks acts Free Advice and Megg Farrell.
It was a good omen of things to come from Fine & Raw. They were hesitant to make promises, but mentioned they’ll have more events like the Waffle Party.
“We’re having a tasting evening that maps the geography of the palate,” Daniel says, “And it’s edible, drinkable and audible. A DJ will curate to our pairings.” He paused before adding, “It’s still in the works. We’re just dealing with waffles and bacon at the moment.”
