Bel 50: A Welcome, Waffley Addition to River North

As an avid follower of Eater Chicago, I read quite a bit about Bel 50 before it opened. A new concept of fast-casual savory and sweet waffle sandwiches, and only a few blocks from my apartment- needless to say I was pretty excited about this new addition to the River North neighborhood.

Today, waking up more than a little hung over after TBOX 2012, I wanted something satisfying for lunch, so I headed over to Bel 50. Looking over the menu, I jumped right to the savory section (salt over sugar any day for me), and asked the guy behind the counter what he recommended between the smoked salmon (smoked salmon, chive creme fraiche, cucumber, sweet red onion) and the proscuitto (proscuitto, brie, fig jam, and carmelized onion), and then trusted him when he said the proscuitto was the best choice.

...And I'm glad to say, the sandwich totally met and exceeded my expectations.

What surprised me most was how great the waffle was as sandwich bread. I am not typically a big breafkast food person, and this waffle was pleasantly different than the typical breakfast waffle. Light and airy, and slightly sweet, it held the sandwich together nicely and made what would have already been a good sandwich on normal bread to a great sandwich. The proscuitto was salty and delicious, and paired perfectly with the creamy brie, all cut by the arugula and the fig jam. 

Service was great- I ordered my sandwich and it came out in about 5 minutes, and the server even came back to check on me and ask how everything was. The staff seemed excited to be there and was very helpful.

I'm so glad this is in my neighborhood and will definitely stop by for lunch when I'm not working, or even for dinner. It's a creative concept and well-executed. I can't wait to try more sandwiches.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.