There's a month-old restaurant in downtown San Rafael that has people lined up out the door at lunchtime. Granted, it's partly because diners form a line at the counter and place their orders before seating themselves. Even so, there's no denying the popularity of Crepevine. The name Crepevine is slightly misleading. The new restaurant does indeed serve crepes, but also much more. Fans of the Bay Area's other Crepevine locations a couple in the city, one in Oakland, one in Walnut Creek will find a similar menu here, one that stretches from breakfast to dinner. It's packed with savory and sweet crepes, pancakes and French toast, egg dishes, sandwiches, salads and pastas. I say "packed" because it's also the way you'll feel after trying to make your way through the mountain of food on the plate.
Crepevine's concept is simple: Have a variety of fillings (cheeses, meats, chicken, fish, veggies) and then offer people the choice of eating them in crepes, omelets and Benedicts, or sandwiches. Prices are slightly above average, mostly in the $7.50-$8.50 range, but serving sizes are hu-u-u-ge, making meals here a good value. Most people wind up taking home doggie bags, even big guys.
Crepevine also has an array of coffee drinks, freshly squeezed juices and sodas as well as the housemade Safari Cooler ($1.50). The cooler's a colorful blend of orange juice, carrot juice, lemonade, ginger and honey; it's not too sweet and you get free refills. Very refreshing on a sunny day while relaxing under an umbrella at one of the sidewalk tables.
Crepes here are not dainty little affairs. No. They're about the size of a dinner plate, and there's no difference between savory and sweet ones both are made of the same batter and both are the same size. It's the fillings and accompaniments that distinguish them. All sweet crepes come with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.
On the savory side, the Florentine crepe ($7.50) makes a nice light meal. Sautéed spinach, mushrooms, glazed onions, Jack and cottage cheeses get piled onto the crepe, which is then folded into plump quarters. Cottage cheese seemed an odd ingredient until I took a bite, and realized it works. The flavors are smooth and each one supports the other (at least one dish has too many competing flavors more on that later). Not only do diners get really big crepes, they also get two side dishes: a generous helping of crisp mixed greens dressed in vinaigrette; and house potatoes, small (probably the only time that word will appear in this review) chunks of red potatoes grilled along with what tastes like a little bit of onion. The potatoes are very good repeatedly nibbling on them, I could almost see my late father waggle his finger and remind me to save room for the main course.
Another savory, the Milano crepe ($7.50) has an unctuous texture, partly from melted cheese and partly from tender eggplant. A blend of Mediterranean flavors grilled eggplant, mushrooms, roasted garlic, spinach, tomatoes, three cheeses and marinara sauce the Milano is a hearty meatless choice. If your diet includes fish, I strongly recommend the San Francisco crepe ($8.50), made with salmon, capers, red onions, spinach, Dijon mustard and dill Havarti cheese. I asked them to use smoked salmon, not fresh, and the smoky flavor really helped to pull everything else together. My dining companion was perfectly happy with her Milano crepe until she got a bite of mine; then it was a case of crepe envy.
We were sitting at a sidewalk table, one of about 10 arranged under several umbrellas. People-watching is good on Fourth Street, a thought evidently shared by a patron's white miniature poodle that wandered inquisitively from table to table. Though we were outside, the service didn't falter, and our waitress stopped by several times. When we were done, she might not have realized it since the plates were still half full, but we were totally full and wanted boxes for leftovers. After waiting for her to notice, I wound up going inside and getting them myself. Indoors, the high ceiling lends a feeling of spaciousness to the sunny L-shaped room. It's not fancy by any means, but it is comfortable. The kitchen is open, and it's fun to watch the cooks do their thing.
On the sweet side, a takeout order proved to be disappointing, not because of quality, but because the kitchen accidentally made the wrong thing. I ordered (and was pleasantly anticipating) the Santorini crepe ($4.95), a rich concoction of walnuts, pistachios, brown sugar, coconut, cinnamon and mascarpone. What they made was the Siena ($4.95), strawberries, nuts, a generous drizzle of Nutella and a little cup piped full of whipped cream. Anyone who likes the combo of strawberries and chocolate would enjoy the Siena but I don't, and I didn't. Maybe next time…
As mentioned, there's more to Crepevine than crepes. Salads here are good, and it almost goes without saying, they're big, too. Standard types, such as tossed greens ($4.95 sm./$6.50 lg.) and Caesar ($4.95/$6.50) are available, but so are a half-dozen more complicated versions. Granada ($7.50), for instance, mixed greens and arugula, pears, sumac onions, caramelized walnuts and Gorgonzola cheese. Pomegranate vinaigrette, whose fruity notes go nicely with the pears and Gorgonzola, is a nice touch. So why does the kitchen also add roasted red peppers? They really clash with the fruit, and I wound up pulling them off to the side. This is a simple case of too many ingredients in one dish.
On the whole, though, Crepevine is doing a good job, especially considering that it opened such a short time ago. I look forward to trying some of their sandwiches and egg dishes, and believe that friendly service, big servings and interesting combinations of ingredients make Crepevine worth checking out.
