Thursday, April 2, 2009

The Crepe Maker



Spinach, tomato, feta, and mushroom crepe.

The first time I ever had a crepe was probably at IHOP. Tis a sad thing, but at least there was nowhere to go but up. It was a trip to the downtown mall in Charlottesville, VA that made me rethink the crepe. It was more than just a pancake - it was an experience. A thin, light, tender butter-kissed pancake stuffed with strawberries and nutella. Oh the simple joys in life. It has been almost three years since that day, and I think I have probably eaten more crepes in the past year than in my entire life.



Crepe Maker - Los Altos, CA

There were a plethora of crepe options in Boston, and that solidified my love of the crepe. With Matt in town for the weekend, AJ looked into crepe places nearby, landing on the Crepe Maker. At 8am, AJ questioned whether this was a place that sold crepes or a place that sold crepe makers. With a chuckle, I encouraged him to call and ask. "Is this the crepe maker?" With a pause, "Are you guys open?" I am not sure what the guy on the other line was thinking, but AJ seemed satisfied that they indeed sold crepes.




Jamba and crepes - the perfect start to the day!

We headed to downtown Los Altos to get in on the crepe action. I am always torn between the savory and sweet choices. While a strawberry and nutella crepe never lets me down, I like to explore other options. The mushroom, spinach, tomato, feta combination has never let me down, so I went with that one. AJ chose a similar combo of spinach, sun dried tomatoes, pesto, and feta. Matt, went with the classic lemon and sugar crepe. While we waited, he hopped over to Jamba Juice to round out his breakfast.


That is one large crepe. It better be for $9.

The crepes were pretty pricey - $9 for the savories and $6 for the lemon and sugar. While you can get a huge stack of pancakes with eggs for around the same price or less, crepes require more skill. We were also getting some premium fillings. However, our expectations were raised.


Can you tell I'm still a little sleepy?

The crepes did not disappoint. The great thing about crepes is that they always come hot off the griddle. They were also huge! The combination of feta, spinach, mushrooms, and tomatos takes me away to a mediteranean villa. While the salty, tangy feta was delicious against the light, slightly sweet crepe, I would have used a lighter hand with the cheese.

Eating outside in the warm sun, with a breeze sweeping in, I didn't care that I wasn't in Paris - the experience was still lovely.

Crepe Maker
280 Main St
Los Altos, CA 94022

No comments: