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Things to do
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CARLOS ORTIZ file photo
Cheap Eats' monthlong exploration of the pancake world begins with Simply Crepes.
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Simply Crepes
Locations: Bausch & Lomb Public Library, 115 South Ave., downtown Rochester, (585) 428-8300; 7 Schoen Place, Pittsford, (585) 383-8310; 101 S. Main St., Canandaigua, (585) 394-9090.
On the Web: www.simplycrepes.com. Hours: Differ by site; either call or check Web site both for hours and for public parking options. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Good to know: Wine and beer available. Gluten-free crepes made with buckwheat are available (they cost $1 extra). Valentine's Day menu: The Canandaigua and Pittsford locations are offering a four-course prix fixe Valentine's Day menu Feb. 12, 13 and 14, featuring a finale of local ice wine and chocolate. Seatings are at 4, 6 and 8 p.m. The cost is $49. Call the Pittsford or Canandaigua restaurants for reservations. Crepexperience: Owner Pierre Heroux presents an educational, hands-on crepes demonstration and dinner in Canandaigua at 7 p.m. Feb. 16. The cost is $25. Call (585) 208-5486 for reservations. Check Web site for demonstrations in other locations. What I ate: Ham and cheese crepe (made with buckwheat) for $9.99. Cheapsters' footnote: Breakfast crepes are all under $10. Entrée crepes run $9 to $13.50 but are large enough to share. |
The Earth is round. Pancakes are flat. Yet the world of pancakes seems immense, with just about every culture putting its stamp on the thin, pan-baked bread.
Simply Crepes, which opened in 2003 in Pittsford's Schoen Place and now has locations in downtown Rochester and Canandaigua, features the flat French pancake.
No matter which locale you choose (all have the same menu, the same colonial blue furniture, white tablecloths, vintage maple sugaring photos and tasteful country elegance), you will find the crepe taking on multiple shapes: a seafood purse gathered at the top and tied off with an edible green ribbon; a crisp baked crepe bowl filled with fruit; a tube rolled with ice cream; or, as my lunch came to me, a commodious pouch that splays open with a thick slice of ham and melted Swiss cheese with maple-mustard vinaigrette-dressed greens on top.
Whether plain (made with wheat flour) or buckwheat (for people who like the Brittany style or who need to avoid gluten), these crepes are supple and soft yet hold irresistible folds, kind of like a Shar-Pei puppy. Luckily, the crepes taste much, much better.
The fillings are as varied as the presentations. For breakfast, it might be spinach and tomatoes with eggs. For lunch or dinner, saucy chicken-tarragon with mushrooms and broccoli, a hot entrée, or smoked salmon with caper-dill sauce and greens, served cold.
Owner Pierre Heroux, a Quebec native whose family produced maple syrup, once told me he fell in love with the crepe's versatility while working and living in Tokyo, where crepe stands proliferate. He has not only made other ethnic interpretations (Chinese, Thai, Mediterranean), but has added his own Americanisms, from Buffalo chicken to Philly cheesesteak.
Karen Miltner is our staff food writer. Between feedings, she can be reached at kmiltner@DemocratandChronicle.com.
