We may call them French fries in the U.S., but they were born in Belgium as a street food for the rich.

For a prolific Syrian restaurateur, rebuilding a business as a refugee took life-threatening risks, lots of time, and nights spent sleeping on the doorstep of a church in France.

For one Belgian writer, the caramelized waffles of Liège are at the top of the stack. The waffle is probably Belgium’s most …