Update 8/17/08: I haven’t seen the Wafel & Dinges guy in his usual spot for over a week; Midtownlunch says the city has put up No Parking signs. I did spot him one day on 44th St. between Sixth and Seventh Avenue, so perhaps a new locale will be announced soon.

Street-fare Belgian waffles have arrived in Midtown! The Wafels & Dinges truck has migrated uptown to 46th street between 5th and 6th avenue, brightening the days of office dwellers with its bright-yellow-truckness. The menu lists both the puffy, breakfast-style Belgian waffles, as well as liege waffles, in both cinnamon or vanilla flavors. I advise on getting your liege waffle ($4) dusted with sugar and calling it a day, but you can upgrade to something called the Waffle of Massive Deliciousness and pile on as many dinges (Belgian slang for toppings) as you like ($7).

The liege waffles were chewy and delicious as they should be, but fell short on the caramelized coating that you get at Le Petit Belge. Still, they were better than those at the lookalike Waffle Truck sighted around Astor Place–photo to the right, for your dossier. And the waffle man was nice, but a bit non-committal about how long they’ll be parked at the new locale. It sounds like something they’re trying out for a bit.

Maybe I’m just wildly susceptible to foodie trends (remember speakeasy cocktails?) but the wave of waffles hitting the city makes me very happy, and I don’t think I’m the only one. Whenever I get on an elevator with a hot liege waffle at least one person looks ready to pounce on it. 

Wafles & Dinges Truck, South side of 46th St., between Fifth and Sixth Ave, closer to Sixth. 
Around from about 9am-4pm. Check the web site for other locations

The road to Krumville might be the longest few miles you ever drive. County Route 2 winds and unwinds past redundant woods, ponds, and abandoned barns, the Catskill mountains bobbing ever-closer in the near distance. You know you’re getting close to The Country Inn when your usually-intrepid companion says, “So WHERE is this place?” and you say “I think it’s just up ahead,” but there is doubt in your voice.

Just hang in there because it’s worth the trip. The Country Inn sits on a hillside overlooking an algae-coated pond, and inside is all lodged-out, wood-lined and adorned with objects like a giant mounted fish and hanging mottled softballs. A neglected pool table and a dusty fireplace both await discovery. A few things belie the casual appearance, though. Local-types hunch over the bar sipping beers out of exotically-shaped glasses and the names of 500 or so beers available in bottles line the back wall, heavy on Belgians and lambics. The menu, while brief, features beyond-dive fare such as escargot, duck, and trout. It’s like a secret beer-snob society plunked down in the woods.

We opted for locally-brewed Evans ales, (on tap and a steal at $4.50); both a pitch-perfect pale ale and a very hoppy brown ale. For dinner, burgers ($9) with beef from Fleisher’s of Rhinebeck ($3 extra), which supplies locally-raised, grass-fed meat–the adorable Frankie’s Sputino is one of many city restaurants that shop there. The burgers arrived unadorned except for a single lettuce leaf and our extras, sauteed mushrooms and onions, on hearty CD-sized buns. The grass-fed beef was delicious but extremely lean and getting it cooked beyond medium is probably not a great idea; but it was a pleasure to eat a burger without feeling like I was courting a heart attack. I somewhat missed the crunch of pickles or onions, though they might ultimately distract, so next time I might indulge in some smoked bacon on top. The onion rings, suffice it to say, were perfect–not overly battered, and sliced thin enough to bite through. The desserts parading by looked tempting but I ordered a Corsedonk ($6) which arrives in its appropriate glassware. To me, this is better than ice cream, unless someone devises Corseonk-flavored ice cream, in which case I’ll have to rethink that statement.

I’ll put it this way, when I’m fighting my way through Times Square on another miserably hot day the happy place I go to in my mind will be the patio of The Country Inn at dusk with a Belgian and good company. Here’s a tip: bring a designated driver so you can make some headway through their beer list and still get down the mountain.

The Country Inn, on Route 2, Krumville–which is not a town, exactly… just check their website because I can’t explain it.  Wed-Sat 5pm-10pm, Open Sun at 3pm. They usually close in January so if it’s wintertime better call ahead.

A take-out-style offshoot of prix-fixe dessert bar Chikalicious (located right across the street), “Dessert Club” specializes in pudding. Or, as their menu charmingly puts it, “puddin’” — in vanilla custard, adult chocolate, brioche bread varieties. OK, twist my arm why don’t you? If there’s one thing I like better than pudding, it’s gourmand-friendly take-out pudding, and Chikalicious is pretty fabulous so how could this be wrong?

I ordered the warm vanilla custard puddin’ ($3.50) which was served in a small plastic dish with a piece of spongey cake in the center. Perhaps it was a mistake to order it warm because the puddin’ had a creme-anglaise consistency unlike any proper pudding I’d tried, and the warmth seemed to contribute to its overall soupiness. It was effectively sopped up by the cake and it had a convincing rich custardy flavor, with the appearance of real vanilla beans. Still, the lovely thing about pudding is its smooth not-quite-liquid, not-quite-solid texture, and this didn’t quite measure up.

By contrast, the red velvet cupcake ($1.60) was a complete miss. The icing was tooth-achingly sweet, and the cake itself rather papery-tasting. I might give the puddin’ another whirl but I’d steer clear of this.

Seating, while a distinct possibility, is limited and they’re open until midnight (1am Fri and Sat). So if you’re a night-owl pudding lover who also likes creme anglaise, this might be your new happy place.

Chikalicious Dessert Club 204 E 10th St Mon-Thurs 1pm - 12 am; Fri 1pm - 1am; Sat 12pm - 1am

Hummus, when it’s done well, can be a cheap and filling meal in itself, a fact I only came to appreciate in recent years. For a long time the word hummus conjured memories of bleak vegetarian bagged lunches consumed by a high school friend. I remember one time peering into her family’s refrigerator looking for a snack. The health-conscious deprivation within was truly unsettling–a bag of dried-up baby carrots, a bowl of inedible pods, a neglected quart of bluish skim milk. The tub of hummus seemed the most promising option, but the contents were disappointingly gritty and bland on my tongue. It was a relief to escape and curl up at home with a box of Cookie Crisp, scraping the top of my mouth against the cereal’s sugary crunch.

Despite these depressing reminiscences, I now regularly snack on hummus and I have Hummus Place to thank for it; this is the best that I’ve found in the city. Their simple menu boasts three of four different varieties, but I generally like their smooth, rich hummus heaped with nutty tahini, drizzled with just a bit of olive oil and flecked with parsley and paprika ($5.95). With a hummus-centric meal the accoutrements are key, and are also top-notch; sharp slabs of onion and salty pickles for crunch, peppers and scorching hot sauce for spice, olives, two of the pillowiest pieces of pita you’ll find anywhere, and a tender hard-boiled egg sliced over top (egg is $1.00 extra). The portions are stomach-filling and while the wait times for takeout can be as long as 10 or 15 minutes, it’s usually because the place is packed with what appear to be Israeli ex-patriates (who pronounce it “hoomoos”)–a good sign that you’re getting the real deal. If you’re extra hungry, try the shakshuka–tomato stew with halloumi cheese and two eggs over-easy ($8.95); and the always-refreshing mint lemonade ($2.50).

Hummus Place 108 St. Mark’s Place near Avenue A. Sun-Thu 11am-12am, Fri-Sat 11am-2am