Felt Like Home...

La Crêperie is a comfortable little bistro, with dimly lit walls, lined by small tables covered by assorted tablecloths. Each cloth is covered by a pane of glass, underneath which are various postcards, photos, and pictures of patrons’ children. Fresh flowers and plants are scattered throughout the rooms. It may be likened to an American "Cracker Barrel" in its hometown simplicity as well as its intimate connection to the community.

The first portion of my meal was a basket of freshly baked French bread rolls, along with small dishes of butter spread. One bite of the rolls opened a floodgate of memory. Whether it was biscuits at a Labor Day picnic, or flaky homemade Brazilian pastries on birthdays, the core ingredient was the same. Transcending the boundaries of cultural culinary traditions, these simple bread rolls were saturated in a significant amount of love.

The appetizer of “escargot maison,” was vaguely reminiscent of succulent shrimp or mussels dipped in garlic sauce, again evoking thoughts of unrelated times and events.

For the main course, the bistro’s signature crêpe (a soft, slightly sweetened shell) was served overflowing with bits of chicken and mushrooms in a white sauce. The flavor was so intense and encompassing that it became quite impossible to finish the full platter with any hopes of a dessert.

The final dish, the famous “crème brulée,” was served with a coating of charred sugar, calling to mind old memories of Pepe le Peu cartoons featuring a curious flaming custard. The flavor in this small, yet powerful dish was the most astonishingly familiar of the evening—a seemingly distant relative of good ol’ Jell-o instant vanilla pudding.

The overall impression given by La Creperie was that, even while surrounded by a décor suggestive of quaint, countryside France, the customer could feel quite “at home.” Contrary to popular dogmas, the courtesy and etiquette of the predominately French staff was impeccable.

Upon being asked for the French translation for “Waitress, check please,” the server sheepishly replied that she knew very little French and was a bit unsure. However, towards the end of the meeting, the hostess, a bright and amiable woman, approached the table triumphantly, saying, “I understand you wanted a translation, mademoiselle. ‘Waitress, check please’ is ‘Serveuse, le chèque s'il vous plait.’” She smiled, picked up the bill, and walked away bidding “Good night.” It would not have been at all surprising if she had added “y'all” to the end, for as the time drew by, it became increasingly difficult to note the distinctly French aspects of the dining experience. This embedded quality of the meal made the entire evening feel pleasurably expansive, and thoroughly enjoyable.    [08 Oct 2002 00:30:56]

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Recommended Dishes: Escargot Maison, Creme Brulee

     ­Marcela Peres   CeliSpice at aol dot com

La Creperie Still The Best
One of my favorite local places. The food is superb. It is surprising to find this type of place off the beaten track, but it is well worth the effort.    [18 Feb 2007 09:40:07]

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Recommended Dishes: Any kind of crepe. Trout Brettone, Duck of the Day, Steaks, all of the desserts.

     ­Anonymous