Bites Nearby: La Crêperie

This week I’m taking Bites Nearby in a new direction. As the weeks tick by and columns become due, I need to get out there and try more new places as well as dig deeper into the arsenal of my favorite eating places that has built up over the years.

It is getting a little tougher. There are a lot of places in the area that my fiancé, Amy, and I like eating at that don’t quite meet the criteria of what I think the readers want to read about. This week I am digging into the favorites and writing in praise of one of Amy’s long time favorites. La Crêperie (known in the vernacular as "The Crêperie") is on Fones Alley right off Thayer Street in Providence. It is a great stop during the afternoon, evening or late night. The location is very easily overlooked, especially for those in a car and not on foot. 

Once you've entered the small shop, serve savory and sweet crepes, salads, wraps, Belgian waffles, and smoothies. Amy and I both went to school in the area, and her passion for this place started before we met. I think I ate here once on my own, but my appreciation for the spot really grew with Amy’s help. We ate here recently as a refresher for the column and I love that it brings back some of the nostalgia for the college days. It has the tucked away feel, it’s a block away from Brown, and the cheap eats bring in the younger clientele.

The dining area is pretty small. You’re just as likely to find the place empty as well as packed. If the seasons and weather align, there are a couple outdoor tables that are great. If we’re lucky enough to snag an outside table, they face the right direction to sit in the sunshine and the dogs can enjoy the experience too. 

The menu isn’t extensive and lengthy. Amy and I tend to order the same exact thing every time we go, because it really is that good. We’ve had difficulty straying from the savory crepe section of the menu. Amy’s favorite is the Lisa. It comes with smoked turkey, swiss, tomato and béchamel sauce. My crepe of choice is the Josephine. It has chicken, cheddar, mushroom, and béchamel sauce. About one in five times I’ll go with my runner up, the Catherine. It has chicken, cheddar, spinach and olives. I’m trying to convince myself to try something different next time. There’s a crepe with Italian sausage in it that sounds great too. They’re delicious exactly as they come, or with a sprinkle of Franks Red Hot on a bite here and there to give a little extra kick. 

On our most recent visit, the service was a little friendlier than I remember. I cannot say that I necessarily prefer it that way. The staff has never been exactly rude, but they’re generally not bubbly and nice. I think it is kind of fitting in a weird way to have French crepes prepared and served in the United States by angry employees. The music playing inside always mirrors the personality of the people behind the counter. It’s cool to watch them make the crepes too. They drop the batter onto the round skillets and artistically swing the stick thing around to spread it out to the right thickness and size. 

Along with our savory crepes, we get smoothies every time. At $4 per smoothie, it seemed expensive in college, but when I think about the cost involved with buying all the fruit to recreate something like it at home, it’s not so bad a deal at all. Yet again, we get the same thing every time we go. Amy gets a soy milk splash, and a tropical oasis for me. 

The quality of food and the consistency of construction at La Crêperie is great.  I’ve never had a bad experience, and I am never let down. I recommend this place highly though it may be hard to find parking.