March 2010 Table Hopping

TASTEBUD Magazine

Table Hopping – March 2010

“Crazy about crêpes.”

 

Aixois

251 East 55th Street

Kansas City, MO 64113

(816) 333-3305

www.aixois.com

Owner/Chef Emmanual Langlade honors his home country at Aixois by making the national dish of France, crêpes. Aixois serves crêpes for lunch and during their Monday Family Night dinner special. They are not offered the rest of the week at dinner. Choose from tender spinach & cheese, organic chicken with bechamel sauce or imported French ham and cheese crêpes with mixed greens and tomato provencial for around $8 for lunch. These crêpes are savory and not for snacking. They are of serious size and meant to be eaten as a meal. GO: on Monday night, which is Family night. Get crêpes, chicken or fish dishes for the whole table for under $15, along with soup or salad, vegetable and pomme frites or mashed potatoes.

 

Boozefish Wine Bar

1511 Westport Road

Kansas City, MO 64111

(816) 561-5995

www.boozefish.com

Owner Maija Diethelm, opened Boozefish, a classy European wine bar, several years ago on Westport Road to great reviews. At night, her place is dark and cozy, with an ornate wood bar and bistro tables. It’s the perfect neighborhood place to land for a glass of wine at the end of a busy day. But on Saturdays, from 10 am – 2 pm, you can enjoy “Le plaisir de jour" or pleasures of the day, which are French-style crêpes. Try their toasty crêpes filled with brie, black forest ham and fresh sliced apples or try the one with goat cheese, spiced pear and cranberry around $7. BROWSE: and brunch at Boozefish on the second Saturday of each month, when they bring in a different local jewelry artist during their usual brunch hours.

 

Crêpes on the Square

4 North Main Street

Liberty, MO 64068

(816) 792-3200

www.crepesonthesquare.com

 Owner Neil Battrum and Chef/GM Barclay Berberian tested 14 different crêpes batters to find just the right one to make their delicious savory and sweet crêpes. Watch as the Chef gracefully sweeps the thin batter across the hot round plates creating your golden crêpe that’s waiting to be filled. Located in the downtown square in Liberty, Crêpes on the Square is a warm, welcoming space day or night. Try the Monte Cristo with grilled chicken, ham, cheddar and raspberry sauce, or get the Bananas Foster with fresh bananas, caramel and cream. All crêpes are around $5. Order a French Press coffee with your crêpes, for a caffeinated pick-me-up. ASK: Chef Barclay to make it your way. He is happy to customize your crêpe, as long as he has the ingredients on-hand.

Chez Elle Crêperie & Coffeehouse

1713 Summit

Kansas City, MO 64108

(816) 471-2616

www.chezellekc.com

Pastry Chef, Chelsea Williams & Ellen Trakas have come together to open the picture perfect, Chez Elle Crêperie & Coffeehouse on the first floor of the upscale condos, at 17^th & Summit on the Westside. The ladies hired Chef Simon Paige, who has spent several years making crêpes in Portland, OR before coming to KC to help design the menu and make the crêpes. Chez Elle is also unique in that they offer gluten-free crêpes make with buckwheat flour. These crepes are not small, so you may want to bring someone you can share a few with. Try the Acropolis with roasted chicken, tomatoes, Kalamata olives, baby spinach, feta and cucumber Tzatzki sauce or the Tropicale with coconut cream custard, almond brittle and tropical fruits, either for $8. SIT: in the front entry if you are waiting for someone to join you, or in the main dining room for a view into the kitchen. But if you prefer art, sit in the gallery where art is everywhere and it is light and airy.

Café des Amis

112½ Main Street

Parkville, MO 64152

(816) 587-6767

www.cafedesamiskc.com

 Provence-native and owner of Café des Amis, Didier Combe, has been serving up authentic French cuisine in his lovely upstairs restaurant for many years in Parkville. Several fantastic savory crêpes are featured prominently on the daily lunch menu and the weekend brunch menu, but at night Crêpe Suzette is served as a dessert option. For those of you not familiar with this classic, it’s warm crêpes with an orange and Grand Marnier sauce, flambéed, and topped with vanilla ice cream for $6. This dessert is quite simple to make, but is an absolutely unique way to enjoy these delicate beauties. MAKE: reservations online. The dining room is small, but charming, so call ahead to make sure a table is waiting for you when you get there.