For this installment of FreeP vs. Food, we ventured out on a “Crêpe Crawl,” sampling the French pastry dish from different cafés near Boston University. We sampled a savory and a sweet crêpe from each café (with one exception), and judged each restaurant based on the presentation and overall taste of the dishes, as well as the atmosphere, price and relative location of each café.
If you’re looking for a crêpe fix, we did all the taste-testing for you. It’s hard work, but someone has to do it.
Late Night Kitchen
Late Night Kitchen, located in the basement of 100 Bay State Road, had a pretty standard atmosphere and a dining hall-like feeling. The kitchen does not offer any savory crêpes, however, so we tried two sweet crêpes: the Sweet Berries and Cream Crêpe and the Cookies ‘N’ Cream Crêpe.
The service was fairly slow, and each crêpe cost $6.50 but was nicely sized. The large portions and intense, sweet flavor made it difficult to finish a few bites, let alone an entire crêpe. The Sweet Berries and Cream Crêpe was very artificial-tasting and unenjoyably sweet, while the Cookies ‘N’ Cream was slightly better, but the filling tasted like melted ice cream. Overall, both were nicely sized for the price, but not as tasty.
Grades:
- Alex: C+
- Kaya: B-
- Megan: B
- Antonia: B-
- Brynnli: C+
The Paris Creperie
The Paris Creperie is a hole-in-the-wall café across the street from Brookline Booksmith on Harvard Street in Coolidge Corner. The café smelled of cinnamon and was decorated with painted china dishes and posters from Festival de Cannes, a French film festival. The atmosphere, ease of ordering and service really carried the place. However, it wasn’t suitable for groups; we sat at one of the larger tables and still felt cramped.
Our savory dish, the Lilli’s crêpe, had perfectly melted cheese with fresh vegetables. For a sweet crêpe we chose the specialty of the month: a Mean Girls-inspired toaster strudel crêpe, called The Toasty Strudel. Rather than folded in a triangle, the toaster strudel crêpe was shaped like a square and filled with warm fruit. It was a hit or a miss; if you don’t like warm fruit, then you probably won’t enjoy the crêpe. The savory crêpes tended to be more expensive, especially the vegetarian options. Lilli’s was almost $11.99, compared to the $6.99 toaster strudel crêpe.
Overall, the location and vibe from the café was the biggest takeaway. Antonia said that despite the taste of the crêpes, “the atmosphere of Paris Crêperie sold me. It made me want to run to Logan and hop on the soonest flight to Paris.”
Grades:
- Alex: B+
- Kaya: A-
- Megan: B+
- Antonia: A
- Brynnli: B+
Neighborhoods
We were a little wary of trying two more locations after the experiences we’d had. Just seeing the twinkle lights and script-like sign from across the street relieved any apprehensions. Settled into the heart of Fenway, Neighborhoods has aesthetic oozing like warm Nutella out of every nook and cranny, with pink toile wallpaper and polished white subway tiles covering every wall. We found Neighborhoods to be fairly accommodating to larger groups, with two- to four-person tables inside as well as two long, picnic-style tables on the patio in front of the café.
The menu, while not vast, has a substantial selection of both sweet and savory renditions, each customizable upon request. For our sweet crêpe, we ordered The Tudor, a peanut butter, cinnamon, honey and banana delight; the general consensus was “heaven in a crêpe.” The Tudor is available with either apples or bananas, and other fruits may be available seasonally.
For our savory crêpe, we opted for the Signature, a combination of mozzarella, feta, tomatoes, arugula and balsamic vinaigrette. The flavors of the Signature were incredibly well balanced; it seemed as if the makers of the crêpe had truly found a Goldilocks level for each ingredient.
The crêpes themselves were on the smaller side, but were so dense with flavor and fillings that portions seemed reasonable and satisfying. Pricing was also reasonable, with the most expensive crêpe capping out at $8.95. For people with allergy concerns, or those who are mesmerized by the fine art of crêpe making, each step of the process is completely visible behind the counter.
Neighborhoods definitely gives off a homey vibe. “The printed wallpaper, stack of board games for customers, and even the type of grain on the furniture reminded me of my grandmother’s house,” Megan said. “It was cozy and very inviting.” This location easily topped our charts.
Grades:
- Alex: A
- Kaya: A+++
- Megan: Forgot words; food too beautiful; A
- Antonia: A+
- Brynnli: A-
Crispy Crêpes Café
Crispy Crêpes Café sits quietly within the bustle of Commonwealth Avenue. Almost every student at Boston University passes it daily. We kept our expectations low going into our final steps of the crawl. Crispy Crêpes has a casual feel, serving not only as a crêperie but also a Mediterranean restaurant.
Stepping into the café, we felt a comfortable diner vibe. The menu was diverse and expansive. We ordered our first Nutella crêpe, with strawberry and banana, as well as the savory, vegetarian Santa Fe. The sweet crêpe was the perfect combination of Nutella to fruit, and this time the fruit was really fresh. Brynnli even commented, “I don’t like Nutella, but this crêpe is an exception. I’m really surprised by how much I like it.” The Santa Fe included avocado, cucumber and spinach. Kaya said, “Each different component was distinct, and I could identify every vegetable by its unique flavor; even so, they all blended and complemented one another well.” Overall, we were extremely surprised by the high quality and moderate prices of Crispy Crêpes.
Grades:
- Alex: A
- Kaya: A
- Megan: A
- Antonia: A
- Brynnli: A
