|
A Casual Dine at Crepevine
By Joanna Yeh
Food Co-Editor
With a variety of offerings and multiple locations, Crepevine Restaurant has
become a well-known tradition in the Bay Area. Whether you are in the mood for
some warm, home-style comfort food like pancakes and scrambled eggs or in the
mood for something more special like a savory French crepe, Crepevine is the
place to dine at.
UCSF is lucky to have a nearby Crepevine right on Irving Street between 7th
and 8th avenues. The décor is simple, cozy and laid-back. With huge menus
and a gazillion menu choices, you frequently find customers staring up at the
wall trying to decide what to order. While not a traditional sit down restaurant,
Crepevine keeps its costs low by having customers order at the counter. The
food is brought to your table promptly and always warm.
Crepevine is best known for their savory, or non-sweet, crepes. My personal
favorite is the Tuscany crepe with chicken breast, mushrooms, tomatoes, roasted
almonds, provolone and feta cheese. The flavors come together very nicely and
the tender bite-sized pieces of chicken complement the two cheeses nicely. I
would also recommend the San Francisco crepe for all you seafood lovers. With
smoked salmon, capers, red onions, spinach, Dijon and dill Havarti, the San
Francisco crepe is saltier than the Tuscany but will for sure satisfy your seafood
taste buds. All savory crepes are served with house potatoes that are seasoned
perfectly and a side of mixed greens with a light vinaigrette dressing. To be
honest, the potatoes are quite starchy in addition to the crepe but the side
salad is the perfect refreshing compliment.
If you are not in the mood for crepes, Crepevine offers a variety of freshly
made salads, sandwiches and soups. Try a combination plate if you can't
decide what to get. People constantly rave about the Crepevine Club with grilled
chicken breast, lettuce, tomato, red onions, pesto and provolone cheese. Finally,
to satisfy your carbohydrate cravings, there are humongous dishes of pasta like
the Firenze (penne with a variety of fresh vegetables in marinara sauce) and
the Abruzzo (fettuccine with pesto sauce and roasted almonds). Pastas can come
with grilled chicken breast or salmon filet.
Open for breakfast and/or brunch, Crepevine serves up a variety of hearty egg
dishes. From scrambled eggs with spinach, tomatoes, onions, mushrooms and cheese
to omelettes and eggs Benedicts, all the dishes seem to hit that spot when you
are craving home-style cooking. My friend raves about the New Orleans "benediction,"
which is served with crab cakes on an English muffin with poached eggs and spicy
Cajun hollandaise sauce. Also for breakfast are the pancakes and French toast
dishes, all made fresh right when you order them.
Finally, I save the best for last: the desserts, the sweet crepes. At $4.95,
the sweet crepes are a cheap indulgence that are big enough for sharing. A favorite
of many patrons is the Siena, with Nutella (a chocolate, hazelnut spread), fresh
strawberries and nuts. Served with a side of vanilla bean ice cream and whipped
cream, the sweet crepes are the perfect way to top off a meal.
Overall, with huge portions and fresh ingredients, Crepevine is a cost-effective,
fun and delicious place for lunch or dinner. With a variety of cakes, pastries,
coffees and drinks, Crepevine also is a great studying place or perfect for
afternoon tea. I also recommend the Safari Cooler, a refreshing mix of apple,
carrot and orange juices.
With four different locations in the Bay Area, rest assured that you can always
get your Crepevine wherever you happen to be. There is one located in the Castro
right off the N-Judah Muni stop. The other two restaurants are located in Oakland
on College Avenue and in Burlingame.
Crepevine
624 Irving Street
681-5858
Open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Joanna Yeh is a second-year medical student.
|
