La Creperie, Manhattan Beach
By Richard Foss
Note: Written in 2008
Some businesses come into the world with the odds against them. Manhattan Beach’s La Creperie was one of these, plagued by construction delays, permit problems, and general skepticism about whether three crepe South Bay crepe restaurants opening in the same year could all survive. One local restaurateur confidently predicted doom, proclaiming, “They’ll be gone in three months. You can’t make downtown Manhattan Beach rents selling French pancakes.”
Most of a year later, La Creperie is doing well and, despite the name, selling a lot more than just crepes. Then again, they always have – though crepes are the mainstay of the menu, the menu here has plenty of variety.
Before I even discuss the food, though, there’s the matter of the décor – you will love it or hate it. The restaurant calls itself a “Bohemian bistro,’ which in this case involves an almost surreal use of bright colors, leopard print furniture, glass ornaments, and odd art. Most people find it delightful and creative, a few find it garish, but everyone has an opinion. I’m in the camp that enjoys it; it’s playful and is s sign that nothing here is to be taken too seriously. The menu carries that over nicely – real country French items are interspersed with Gallic interpretations of other cuisines. I’ve tried the traditional and the wild side on several visits, with mixed but generally positive results.
The starters are mostly traditional – escargot, a selection of cheeses and patés, French onion or pistou soup, and garlic French fries with herbs. The pistou soup is particularly good. If you don’t know what that is, notice the linguistic similarity to the word pesto – basil and lots of garlic, but instead of being mixed with Parmesan cheese and added to pasta, it’s mixed into a vegetable stock with white beans. If you enjoy big, savory herbal flavors, you’ll love it. The cheese and paté plate is large and nicely varied, with jam, honey, and the other condiments that ought be served with good cheese but often aren’t. Oddly, they usually serve this with too little bread, but will bring fresher baguette slices on request.
The only starter that has been hit or miss has been the garlic fries – in three visits they were cold once, perfect the second time, and spectacularly over-garliced the third time. I say this as someone who has no fear of garlic – I like the stuff in all manner of recipes, but I do want to taste something other than garlic. I must mention that both times when they were not right our server brought a fresh batch, and once she both supplied more and didn’t charge us for them. Though service here can be slow it is always friendly – the staff here are helpful and customer-oriented, which can go far to ameliorate any negative experiences.
Another appetizer is the crepe Vendome, a crisp, thin pancake filled with chicken, brie, apple, and caramelized onion. This is a fine beginning to a meal, light and savory with a little apple sweetness, and well complemented by a lime-mango chutney for dipping that adds an Asian flair. It serves three or four as a shared starter or if you order it with a dinner salad it’s a nice light meal. With one of the entrée salads it could be an interesting shared meal for two, and there are several interesting choices in that department. We’ve tried a chopped salad that vaguely resembles a Cobb, Greek salad, and the dinner salad, and I always mean to try their Nicoise but haven’t yet. The dinner salad is included with most crepes and is a well-varied plate of greens and chopped purple onion topped with the house dressing, a sharp mustardy vinaigrette with a noticeable shot of garlic. It’s refreshing but probably not the thing to have if you’re on your way to a business meeting – ask for it without the onion if you fear to offend.
The entrée menu has several pastas, French favorites like mussels mariniere and Steak au poivre, and daily seafood specials, but somehow I always order crepes. Some of the best are the Zorba (spinach, tomato, feta, olives), and the satisfying jambalaya, which reminds you of the debt that New Orleans cuisine has to their French settlers. The crepe “Au Bon Curry” is another intriguing choice – it’s chicken curry for a French palate rather than Indian sensibilities, savory with a touch of Asiatic exoticism but very mild. Still, I often return to favorites like the Croque Monsieur (available either as a sandwich or a crepe), French ham and velvety béchamel sauce topped with Emmenthaler cheese and broiled so the cheese toasts. The nutmeg in the sauce makes what would otherwise be a simple ham and cheese sandwich into something altogether more delightful. This crepe is wonderful complement to a Framboise, the berry-infused Belgian beer, or with a glass of wine from their very good list. The selections are eclectic and reasonably priced, making the small but inviting bar a great choice once your meal is over.
First, of course, there’s dessert – which predictably involves sweet crepes filled with ice cream, fruit, chocolate, hazelnuts, custard, or all off the above. The crepes Suzette is perfect for those who like things a little sweet, a little tart, the Martinique (bananas flambéed in rum sauce with ice cream) a decadent delight. Some people dine elsewhere and come here for dessert, which is a fine way to get a taste of the place and see if you like it.
La Creperie is reasonably priced – starters run from five to thirteen bucks, main courses average about fifteen, so it’s a very affordable luxury. The place has caught on with locals who like the food, atmosphere, and attentive service as well as value, and the prophets of doom have been proved wrong once again.
La Creperie is at 1209 Highland in downtown Manhattan Beach – open weekdays at 10 AM, breakfast on weekends at 9 AM, close 1 AM. Full bar, street parking only, some vegetarian items. Call 310-545-3509.