Creme de la Crepe a calm retreat [RESTAURANT REVIEW]
Crème de la Crepe manager Audrey Amara welcomes guests
Fast forward a few years, and there is again one non-hectic place in downtown Manhattan Beach – and it’s in the same location. Crème de la Crepe occupies a sliver of space on Highland, and even though it looks tiny from outside, the space feels cozy rather than cramped. French jazz, reggae, and pop plays in the background, and bucolic pictures of the French countryside adorn the brick walls near the specials board. That board is the most important feature of the room – read it before you even pick up the menu, because creative and interesting seasonal items are often featured.
With the exception of an avocado and shrimp cocktail and a rebranded caprese salad, all appetizers here are traditionally French – escargot, smoked trout or salmon, fondue, and scallops flamed with cognac are typical. The portions are small but sufficient, the European idea of an appetizer instead of a half-portion of an entrée, a teaser to awaken your palate. My favorites are the smoked trout and the paté plate, both of which have richness of flavor that is best in moderation. Few people would want to make a full meal of either, but a nice sample is a delightful way to start a meal. I might make a meal of their tomato-basil soup, and on a recent visit one of my companions did just that; the bowl came with bread, cheese, and croutons, and was a fine light dinner.
Those starters can be paired with glasses of wine from their brief but well-chosen and moderately priced list – the house red and white are surprisingly good and cheap at about $5 a glass, and there are some upscale bottles that are a very good value. When we were there, a poster was promoting a very reasonably priced five-course wine dinner, and on Tuesdays some bottles are half-off, so those who enjoy good wine on a budget can do very well here.
Though quiches, pastas, and even a quite decent pepper steak are offered, the centerpiece of most meals is crepes – wafer-thin pancakes that serve to bind ingredients together and have a slight nutty flavor rather than offering any strong expression of their own. Friends who haven’t tried the crepes here sometimes express bemusement at a restaurant that they think of as specializing in pancakes – this is no more the case than thinking of a restaurant that serves burritos as specializing in tortillas.
The basique – ham and jack cheese – is the simplest and is enduringly popular, but I prefer more full-flavored variants like the “nordique” with salmon, cheese, and tomato with dill-lemon sauce or the “vendome” with chicken, bacon, potato, and mushroom in cognac-pepper sauce. In both cases there is a savory combination of distinct natural flavors, subtly enhanced by the chef – this is the soul of French country food, a balance between subtle and hearty. With the exception of the Moroccan-style crepe, which is topped with peppery lamb sausage, nothing is really spicy, but there are rich and savory sauces and combinations that reflect the various regions of France. Some Mediterranean crepes reflect the south, while the montagnarde – stringy raclette cheese with potato and cornichons – is reminiscent of meals I’ve had in Evian, with the Swiss Alps gleaming across the lake.
Though crepes have a reputation as the soul food of “ladies who lunch,” these are a substantial meal, served with a nice portion of salad and bread on the side. Those who want something heartier can go for the steak frites or pepper steak, beef Bourguignon, a hearty stew with wine and spices, or grilled halibut in a beurre blanc sauce with capers. Fair warning to anyone ordering the chicken curry and expecting something akin to what they’ve had in Thai or Indian restaurants – curries in Paris are more sweet than spicy. (It’s the same in Tokyo, by the way.) Order curry here if you’re interested in a mild, only vaguely Asian stew with a hint of exotic spices – it’s how they like it in Paris, and you may find that you like it too.
For dessert, of course, there are more crepes – these made with white flour rather than the buckwheat that is used for the entrees. The repertoire is wide, encompassing fruit, nuts, chocolate, ice cream, whipped cream, and other delights, and if you can’t find something you like, then you probably just don’t like dessert. Many people drop in for dessert after dinners at home or other restaurants (I know because I’m one of them), because this is just the perfect place for an aperitif and a little breath of sweetness to finish an evening.
Crème de la Crepe is an oasis in the hectic local scene and a great place for a date, an enclave that somehow never jangles the nerves even when most tables are full. It’s a sidewalk café that has genuine French values – reverence for good food at a good price – and what more do you really want?
Creme de la Crepe is at 1140 Highland Avenue – other locations in Hermosa, Redondo, and elsewhere. Open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, beer and wine served, street parking or city lot around the corner. (310) 546-9900.