la.foodblogging

Colorado Boulevard is one of the busiest streets in Old Town Pasadena, full of restaurants and stores. Blink and you might miss Mills Place, the little side street/alley that leads you to one of the coziest French bistros in town, The CrepeVine. The CrepeVine offers up two types of crepes - savory or sweet. The savory crepes are all made with buckwheat flour. (Side note: I once read on Chocolate & Zucchini that these savory crepes made with buckwheat flour are actually called galettes and not crepes at all. So to be proper, I’ll be referring to these as galettes from this point forward.)

I’ve only tried two of the galettes on the menu, La Mer and Forest Mushroom ($12 each). La Mer is the only seafood galette on the menu. While I am not the biggest fan of bay scallops and bay shrimp because they are just so tiny, they worked well stuffed inside the galette. The sliced potatoes mixed in with the seafood seemed a little out of place, but that didn’t stop me from finishing them off. The only problem with La Mer was the lobster sauce. I enjoyed how rich it was, but it leaned a bit towards the salty side. The sauce that accompanied the Forest Mushroom galette did not have that problem. It was a sherry cream sauce that was just a tad lighter than the lobster sauce. I hear that the Stroganoff ($12) which is filled with filet mignon and sherry mushroom cream sauce, is another favorite at The CrepeVine and is on my “to try” list. As for an actual sweet crepe, I’ve only had the Crepe Suzette ($9), pictured above. I am a harsh critic when it comes to Crepe Suzette. Since I was in my tweens (ancient history), I have enjoyed Crepe Suzette prepared at the table side and exactly to my liking. While the Crepe Suzette at The CrepeVine is nice (though a bit plain), it does not make me excited about eating every bite and tempt me to lick the plate after the crepe is gone. It pales in comparison to what I’m used to. The CrepeVine’s Crepe Suzette could also do with more grand marnier and oranges.

For those who are not fans of crepes and galettes, rest assured. The CrepeVine has other offerings for you such as sandwiches salads, and heavier (and more expensive) entrees (such as Beef Bourguignon, duck breast, paella, etc.) On a very recent lunch visit, I veered away from the galettes and tried some other items. I’m a sucker for French Onion Soup ($5) if it’s done right, and The CrepeVine got it right. What I love about this soup when it’s properly prepared is just how sweet the onions are and the flavor of that sweetness mixed with the broth and cheese. I got to enjoy this feeling at The CrepeVine. I’m not a fan of the Monte Cristo Sandwich ($10) though. The Monte Cristo is basically a ham, turkey, and cheese sandwiched between French toast. I think what bothered me were two things: 1) the French toast was pretty greasy and 2) I was given one slice of turkey and one slice of ham. Even Subway is more generous than that! The mixed berry chutney that came with sandwich was quite good. Also, sandwiches come with a choice of salad or garlic fries. I learned on a previous visit that their garlic fries are excellent and could not pass up the opportunity to get them again. (My friends and I noshed on a side order of them ($5) the entire night, and we couldn’t get enough.) For a non-crepe dessert, I recommend the Creme Brulee Duo ($7). You get two small ramekins of creme brulee - one in vanilla, the other in chocolate. Both are extremely rich, creamy, and delicious.

While I think the food at The CrepeVine can be a hit or miss, depending on what you order, I do recommend a visit to this bistro. When they get it right, they really get it right. It’s worth the risk of getting a miss. Two pieces of advice: 1) Make reservations. It’s a tiny little place that gets filled up pretty quickly. If there are no tables available, you can wait at the bar for a table to open up, but Heaven only knows when that’s going to happen. This is a nice transition to the second tip. 2) Whether you choose to go with galettes, crepes, or non-crepes, be sure you’ve got tons of time. The service is incredibly friendly but slow. (Hence the make make reservations instead of waiting at the bar for a table to open up advice.) My lunch lasted for almost 2 hours, and all I had was soup, sandwich, and crepe. My lunch partner had a steak tartare. We did not complain (as we were not in any hurry), but our waitress came by at one point and apologized for how long we had to wait for each of our orders. The nice service almost makes up for the poor Monte Cristo… almost.

The CrepeVine
36 W. Colorado Blvd.
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 796-7250

Lunch Hours:
Tues-Sat: 11am-3pm
Sun Brunch: 10am-2:30pm

Dinner Hours:
Tues-Wed: 5:30pm-11pm
Thurs-Sat: 5:30pm-12am
Sun: 5pm-10pm

By Pauline (see more of her posts).