The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Alpharetta is home to a sweet spot that serves empanadas, Belgian waffles
At cafe, the European, South American dishes marry well together.
At Besties in Alpharetta, you may enjoy Belgian waffles slathered with an Argentine favorite, dulce de leche — and Argentine pastries covered in Belgian chocolate. According to founder Carina Balonchard, the European and South American dishes get along like best friends.
Besties, you see, is a love story, too: Born in Argentina, Balonchard married a Belgian.
After trying Balonchard’s liege waffles — sprinkled with pearl sugar and topped with fresh fruit — and her Argentine beef empanadas — baked to a golden brown and stuffed with a sensational mixture of ground beef, onions, pepper and olives — I can feel the love.
In a darling cafe decorated with chandeliers and touches of orange, you might spy Weren de Vliegher minding the counter while his wife works the waffle iron and oversees the pastry-bak
ing in back. Balonchard’s exacting handiwork can be found in a display case lined with heart-shaped alfajores, filled with dulce de leche and dipped in white or dark chocolate; French fruit tartlets; Belgian-chocolate mousse; and rogeles (Napoleon-like stacks of crispy cookies spread with dulce de leche and crowned with a dulce de leche rosette).
Balonchard grew up in Rosario, Argentina. Her family traveled often to Europe, and she chose to study international law in Brussels. When she needed a break from the dreary cold weather, she’d go out for waffles, generally pressed to order in tiny shops and stalls. She has many toasty memories of eating waffles with her friends. She later met her future husband while he was vacationing in Argentina and she was there on business.
After working as a lawyer, Balonchard realized she was happier in the kitchen. “I didn’t love that job,” she said of her legal work, “and little by little, I started cooking
empanadas for my friends.”
In 2015, the couple moved to Atlanta, after de Vliegher got a job transfer. Two years ago, Balonchard started making empanadas and waffles out of a shared kitchen, and shipping them nationwide. The business did well, and her friends encouraged her to open a shop. She thinks many people yearn for human interaction, and that one-on-one encounters are a way of building trust. “They see you have a store, a kitchen, and they trust you,” Balonchard said.
And, that is how Besties came to be, opening in late March with dine-in, takeout and delivery. Since then, it has continued to grow and evolve. Today, it offers nearly 30 flavors of empanadas (including vegan options); two types of waffles (the crispy liege and the heftier Brussels style); and ice cream. On Thursdays, the restaurant serves paella (reservations required). On Friday and Saturday nights, it offers Spanish tapas and a live singer, who croons Spanish and Sinatra songs.
In order to keep up with demand, Balonchard has contracted with a Florida
company to make the empanada dough, using her recipe. “It’s the only thing we don’t do in the facility,” she said. She may allow her team members to spread her alfajores and rogeles with dulce de leche, but she takes pride in crafting each component herself.
When I stopped by for my to-go order, it was clear that this elegant, orange-aproned woman wanted me to taste her creations on the spot, rather than make the 45-minute trek back to the city. And, so, I did, on the patio. Now, I can appreciate the simple pleasure of a liege waffle. But, the bites that blew my mind were the empanadas, especially the Argentine beef and the Brazilian pastel (beef with onions, parsley and a touch of cream and cream cheese). Balonchard is an empanada maker par excellence.
While chimichurri sauce traditionally is eaten with grilled meats, some Argentine expats have found that Americans love it as a dip. I’m pretty smitten with Balonchard’s version. A $2 cup is enough for about 10 to 12 empanadas, or you can take home a 12½-ounce jar for $10.