Southern Comfort

Don't let the small, whimsically decorated dining room - as in two tables small - at Waffles & Wedges deter you from savoring two of America's favorite comfort foods. This corner spot in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square neighborhood (1511 Pine St., 215-309-3222), which opened in April, specializes in baked potato wedges and homemade waffles that can be topped with dozens of options.

For gluten eaters, the shop offers traditional buttermilk and Belgian-style Liege waffles, but the kitchen maintains an entirely separate waffle iron for gluten-free versions made with rice flour. Toppings run the gamut, both sweet and savory. During a recent visit, my son and I indulged in one of my childhood favorites: waffles à la mode with local favorite Bassetts ice cream. He ordered his with a scoop of vanilla and a dollop of Nutella, while mine was crowned with chocolate marshmallow ice cream. I took great pleasure in listening to him rave over his waffles and ice cream, which he had never eaten before our visit there.

All of the starches - plain potato wedges, sweet potato wedges and waffle cut fries - are gluten free and can be ordered with a variety of dipping sauces for a nominal charge. The creamy horseradish sauce were a fine complement to our order of plain potato wedges.