The little, brown stone house with the red-accented windows and railings is a fitting venue for this simple French cuisine. Think of this as the ultimate but simple brunch house. It seats 26 inside with a rustic countryside décor, and the patio, in warm weather, will hold another 20. On a side street near the north edge of Midtown, a simple menu ($7.50-$9.99) presents flavor, creativity, and savoir faire fare.
Owners Beth Carter, who got her culinary itch working in kitchens in the South, and Christian Christensen, a local with a good resume of working in some of Reno’s top restaurants and who also owns Süp, really were thinking wholesale bakery when they started Crème. But experience dictated a need for a “for-sure” way to make the rent and a crepe bistro filled a void in the local food scene.
The kitchen produces everything from scratch. The crepes are a classic recipe and cooked on hot plates that are electric heated. For a savory crepe, I did a build-your-own ($7.50) with spinach, mushrooms, cheddar cheese and chorizo. Two modest-sized wraps came filled with freshly sautéed spinach, mushrooms and a generous amount of ground chorizo and cheese. The veggies were not overly sautéed and the spice in the chorizo finished in the mouth as more of an accent than a big heat statement. The cheese carried through with every bite.
I also had a caramel apple crepe ($6.50) that’s on the new menu. Sautéed apples, bananas and roasted pecans with fresh whipped cream on top. The beauty of a food like a crepe is that it can marry simplicity with elegance. The sweet congeal of the cinnamon and butter that glazed the fruit wrapped in the airy, bronzed pancake drizzled with the caramel with a dollop of whipped crème fresh and crisp pecans was bien-aimé for the taste buds.
There is a breakfast sandwich ($9.99) made with their house-made English muffins—I tried one, solid in flavor and texture—topped with cheddar cheese, bacon, egg and tomato, and served with a side of roasted potatoes. There’s also a breakfast taco ($8.99), with two corn tortillas filled with cheddar cheese, eggs, black beans and chorizo served with a salsa and a side salad.
Spinach and apple salads ($7.50) round out the menu with soft drinks and French press coffee for the beverages. They use Blind Dog Coffee in the press, and the blend varies depending on the roaster’s offering.
A wholesale bakery was their first thought, and they do have some tantalizing pastry goodies: lemon bars ($3), Mississippi mud bars ($4), a brownie topped with melted marshmallow, drizzled with dark chocolate and bits of pecan, and there’s a decent coffee cake ($3).
Then comes the seven-layer bar ($3.25), really not for the faint-of-heart. Imagine if you will, a graham cracker crust covered with milk chocolate, Rice Krispies, toasted coconut, toasted walnuts, white, dark and semi-sweet chocolate covered with sweet, condensed milk and then baked into a bar. Just thinking about how good this was makes me feel guilty. Every flavor danced in my mouth. I was in seventh heaven. My advice, bring a friend and share, so you won’t wreck this sublime, decadent chocolate experience by feeling guilty eating it alone.
They offer gluten-free versions of the crepes and some of their desserts, too. They also have catering and do private in-house parties.
There’s a simple elegance to a crepe. They allow for any flavor profile, sweet or savory, and always seem to work. It’s one of those civilized foods that will always tame the beast in just about everyone’s harried food habit.