Unlike Ricky Bobby in Talladega Nights, I love crepes! Thin little pancakes or not, imagine my excitement when I heard that Simply Crepes was opening up in N. Raleigh. A small chain based out of upstate New York, for some odd reason they decide to open up their third Simply Crepes at Lafayette Village. For those of you who haven’t hit up Lafayette Village, it’s a quaint European style shopping plaza with all sorts of great eateries and stores so Simply Crepes fits right in. Inside the space is rustic, tables with carved legs, avocado green chairs with a light and airy feel. An open kitchen flanks one side so you can watch your treats being prepared, live. I’ve eaten at Simply Crepes twice, once for breakfast and the other time for a crepe cooking class, very different experiences. And that is the beauty of the versatile crepe, it can be done up so many ways for all the meals of the day, from morning to night.
For my brunch visit I had a crepe eggs benedict. Poached eggs, Canadian bacon and hollandaise over a folded crepe. Not bad but probably would have been just as happy with a muffin underneath! But the roasted breakfast potatoes at Simply Crepes are quite good, make sure you try them. My cooking class was a lot of fun. Held in the private room, chef-owner Pierre Heroux came down from NY for the lesson. We sampled cinnamon crepe chips (thin, crunchy), a wonderful apple-brie crepe with onions, tomatoes and apple butter and a sweet dessert crepe with ice cream and cinnamon apples. The apple-brie crepe is a popular menu option and oddly enough, it’s delicious! The creamy, dense brie contrasted against the crispy apple and savory onions along with the chewy crepe makes for an interesting bite. Overall I think Simply Crepes does a decent job with their crepes and flavor choices, just not quite as impressive as my favorite creperie in SF, Ti Couz.
With the cozy interior, solid service and wide variety of flavor options, Simply Crepes works for breakfast, lunch, dinner AND dessert. Hard to believe that that thin little pancake can be done up in so many ways! But yes, welcome to North Carolina, Simply Crepes and thanks for dishing out this Gallic delicacy cause it’s not easy to find them in the Triangle. So the next time you’re visiting Lafayette Village, treat yourself to a crepe at Simply Crepes!
8470 Honeycutt Road #110
Raleigh, NC 27615
919.322.2327
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