Eat Local: Fontaine Caffe And Creperie

If you've ever wished you could relocate one of those quaint, timeless European cafes to a location closer to home, then you will be thrilled to find Fontaine Caffe and Creperie, located at 119 South Royal Street. After a memorable trip through Italy and Austria, chef and owner Kyong Yi felt this area was missing the quintessential cafe. She found the perfect location in Old Town Alexandria for her new venture, and felt that crepes would make a great menu item due to their versatility. Kyong then took a trip to France's Brittany region to ensure the cafe and food would be authentic and voila—you have Fontaine Caffe and Creperie. 

Lunch/Dinner: At Fontaine, you will find both sweet (made with wheat flour) or savory crepes (made with buckwheat flour) on the menu. Start your meal with a savory crepe, such as the "Zenist" (its popularity has surprised even Kyong). The thin pancake is filled with lentils, spinach, and tomatoes in a coriander coconut curry sauce. Another favorite, the "Parisienne" includes roasted herb chicken breast, ratatouille and brie. If sweet is what you're craving, then you certainly can't go wrong with the "Marathon." The crepe combines bananas or apples, Nutella, peanut butter and chocolate sauce. Be sure to ask for sparkling French Cidre with your meal, a common pairing with crepes in Brittany that is served in a traditional ceramic bowl. Fontaine also offers a few non-crepe options such as steak, sauteed mussels, and soups and salads. Lunch is served 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Dinner hours are 5:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Brunch: For brunch, you can find a range of crepes found on the lunch and dinner menus, as well as several alternative options such as the breakfast bruschetta which comes topped with pancetta, two fried eggs, and tomatoes or chocolate french toast. A brunch favorite is the "Californian" crepe, a combination of scrambled eggs, baby spinach and fresh tomatoes. Hours are 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 

Be sure to check out their French movie night every Thursday starting at 7 p.m. The cafe also offers a Parisienne afternoon tea every Wednesday to Friday from 1 p.m. until 2:30 p.m.; cost is $24.95 per person. The afternoon tea event will continue until May. 

Next door to Fontaine is Petite Fontaine Salad & Co., a carryout shop that offers customers the opportunity to create their own salads. They also sell a variety of sandwiches, daily quiches and soups, bread, and a good sized collection of wine and beer.