A photographer’s favourite stacks
Words and photos by Curtis Comeau
I love pancakes. They are the most fun food you can get.
They taste amazing and have a long culinary history that hasn’t changed much since they appeared in a cookbook in 1796.
They are often the first thing children learn to cook and are essentially blank canvasses that allow us to express our creative side using food. Don’t believe me? I ask you how many berry and whipped cream smiley faces have you seen?
Pancakes are found in nearly every culture around the world. Crepes, galettes, pannenkoeken and nalysnyky, even bannock; while savoury styles such as the Japanese okonomiyaki and the Somalian injera are starting to pop up in local dining joints.
Pancakes are also fun to photograph.
Blueberry Yogurt Pancakes Blue Chair Diner
Blueberry Yogurt Pancakes, Blue Chair Diner
Did you know that the technique of using yogurt instead of buttermilk was because people did not regularly keep fresh buttermilk in their fridge? However, yogurt was quite common. People realized that when you make pancake batter with yogurt they come out super fluffy with a smooth consistency and a mild flavorful tang. I was told if I wanted to sample some of the best yogurt blueberry pancakes in the city I needed to check out the Blue Chair Diner. My sources were correct.
Classic Buttermilk Stack, Route 99
Very few places actually offer a classic pancake stack anymore. So, what I do is order two children’s pancake meals and stack them. There is no better place for a classic buttermilk stack than Route 99 Diner. If you decide to try them be ready for the charm of the humble topping choices—single serving whipped butter and syrup packages. Not everyone who orders Route’s buttermilk pancakes goes with packaged butter and syrup though.
“There is the one guy. The Suit Guy. He comes in and likes to put ketchup on his pancakes,” says Donna, who has served at Route 99 for 21 years.
Cinnamon Bun Waffle, Rooster Café
Ok, I know waffles are not pancakes per se but they are a close second cousin. I am told that the only real difference between a traditional pancake batter and waffle batter is that waffles tend to have a higher fat content, ie; more butter. Good enough for me. I decided to include the cinnamon bun waffle which came from the mind of chef Charles Rothman over at Rooster. Rothman is a fun-loving guy so it’s not hard to see how he took his cinnamon bun waffle to the extreme on the fun scale by adding candied pecans, ice cream and a poached pear.
Galette, Café Linnea
Café Linnea serves up a classic French galette. This pancake, made with buckwheat, is meant to showcase a few simple yet really good ingredients. Chef Kelsey Johnson agrees. In addition to the old-world presentation she tells me that Linnea’s galette is made with a mirror egg, house-made ham and Gruyere cheese wrapped in a buckwheat crepe.
Okonomiyaki, Wishbone
Wishbone’s seaweed okonomiyaki (okono-mi-yaki) is a culinary experience. This pancake is complex. It is stuffed with cabbage and shrimp and then topped with Kewpie mayo and Bulldog sauce, green onion, nori and bonito flake. The okonomiyaki is described by Lasha Gust as “traditional Japanese comfort food.” It’s perfect for sharing and really fun to photograph.
Carrot Cake Pancakes, Workshop Eatery
Chef Paul Shufelt took full creative license for the carrot cake pancakes. “It is meant to be fun. We emulate the classic pancake stack but at the same time make it look like a piece of carrot cake.” says Shufelt. His carrot cake pancakes are made with a buttermilk and carrot cake, served with layered cream cheese icing and rum-soaked raisins. The dish is a head turner. When a server walks it though the room holding an order it’s guaranteed people want to know what it is.