Food - December 15, 2015

Crepes: Your Upper Class Pancake

In Colombia, there’s a popular chain of restaurants called “Crepes and Waffles“, which specialize in both savory and sweet varieties of this traditionally thought of dessert.  This is nowhere near an up-scaled IHoP or a Waffle House.  Think high end Chipotle for mass market.  In the one I visited in back in 2011, you could get them with carpaccio or curry, if you prefer.

Although in most places in New York, you’ll rarely see a place that will service savory crepes, you may find them in highly populated Asian neighborhoods.  Many of these smaller chain restaurants like T-Swirl Crepe or individual hipster shops like Creperie NYC, you’ll find version of this little known pastry, discovering it’s versatility.  Has it become the next flat bread?  We know that it’s certainly going in the way of the $3 slice bread.

What’s wonderful about the new variation is places like T-Swirl’s crepe makes their wares out of rice flour instead of wheat, which opens a whole new world for gluten-free customers and becomes a go-to for the chi-chi haute conscious.

But are they any good?  The truth is, yes, they are.  My favorite tends to be the shrimp avocado and the angus short ribs.

The only warning we have to give you is “eat with caution”.  Because of the cone design, if you are not careful, some of the food might end up on you.  These are not to be eaten like an ice cream cone.  Utilize your utensils and your napkin, and you’ll be just fine.