uncle alan visits, dinner at la creperie

uncle alan visits
Originally uploaded by bluepupae.

mike's uncle alan was driving through, and stopped in long beach for a brief visit. we decided to go to dinner at la creperie.

a casual, french-inspired resto in the trendy belmont shore strip of 2nd street, la creperie cafe offers vegetarian-friendly food made from good quality ingredients--mixed greens versus iceberg lettuce. not all crepes are created equal, but most are pretty tasty. because of its popularity, there may be a wait, depending on when you go. i've never had to wait too long (over 30 min) though.

they could be a little more understated with the french bistro decor, but it's nice that they have live jazz. conversation can be challenging, if you're seated close to the band. dishes i've had include:

garlic fries: you can't go wrong with a combination like this. along with the shoestring fries, they give you three different dips--ketchup, aioli, & some creamy orange concoction that tasted faintly of horseradish.

garden salad: mixed greens with cucumbers, a big slice of tomato, onions, green bell peppers, balsamic vinaigrette. the dressing balanced the right amount of sweetness with a touch of salt & vinegar.

ratatouille: eggplant, squash, tomato, pesto - eggplant takes a while to cook, and though our food arrived in a timely fashion, the eggplant was undercooked. flavorwise, it was ok. definitely, not the better of the options.

zorba: Spinach, tomatoes, caramelized onions, Kalamata olives, feta cheese in a vegetable broth - the salty broth has a tasty, tomato-y cheese flavor to it, almost like a classic pizza.

al mare: Jumbo shrimp, sun-dried and plum tomatoes, Shitake and button mushrooms, shallots in a lobster basil cream sauce - this is my favorite thing to get. everything works well together. the creamy sauce alone is quite delicious but with bursts of sweetness from the sun-dried tomatoes and a lovely seafood flavor, it's quite divine. photo:

moules mariniere: mussels are steamed in a white wine broth with leeks, shallots and garlic. quite good either as entree or appetizer, and they come with the garlic fries.

croque madame: similar to the croque monsieur, which is a ham & cheese sandwich frenchified and made extraordinary with a bechamel sauce. this one is topped with two poached eggs and tomatoes--extremely decadent and for lovers of all things creamy. i couldn't eat the whole thing.

napoleon: strawberries, creme brulee custard, carmelized sugar - we all love nutella, and there are a number of variations of crepes with nutella. if you want to venture into something a little different, try this equally rich and sweet dessert crepe. it's stuffed with strawberries & custard (thicker and heavier than creme brulee, but still tasty).

royal: nutella and strawberries - can't go wrong with this.

la traviatta: caramelized apple and cinnamon with brown sugar and apple brandy - this is the french cousin to american apple pie.

when we went last night, i noticed they updated their menu since we last went. they seem to be venturing beyond the european-style fillings. i haven't tried the texan or the curry crepe, and am curious. it's great that there is good, interesting food that's not overly expensive. uncle alan seemed to really enjoy the food.