When you grow up in France, you always remember the smell of your first crêpe. I still can see my mother preparing the batter and feel my disappointment when she said it had to rest for two hours. Those were the longest two hours of my early life!
What a relief when Mom took the pan out of the cabinet and the butter out of the fridge. Suddenly the magic happened! The smell invaded the kitchen and in less than two minutes a crêpe slid onto my plate.
The first crêpes I devoured, as a kid in the '70s in France, were simply filled with granulated sugar. Then I discovered the versatility of crêpes: with ham and cheese, Alsatian sausage Dad brought home, mushrooms, tomatoes, Nutella of course, or apples, lemon, my grandma's homemade jams.... I fell in love with crêpes instantly! I tried to make my first batter probably at age 8, cooked my first crêpe at 10 and was able to perform a perfect flip at 13!
Obsessed with the memory of the smells and flavors of my childhood, I had a dream to open a crêperie in the US. After arriving in Massachusetts in 2011, I worked in restaurants and cafés for several years to understand how Americans eat out. I can now say that I am the perfect combination of the French tradition and the American way.
I just had to find the right location. When my wife Evelyn showed me that the City of Worcester was in the midst of a tremendous economic revitalization, that they would host the Woo Sox in the Canal District and that the iconic Weintraub's Deli was available for rent, then I knew my American Dream would come true. I also needed a perfect partner, who would take care of the big-picture management, while I focus on the operations. And there is no one more perfect than Evelyn. She's a big Worcester fan since she graduated from Clark University and lived here in her 20s.
Whether you are looking for a full meal at an affordable price (yes, we fill up our crêpes), an afternoon snack or a nice sweet treat, we will bring the French tradition right onto your plate!
Chef Jean-Luc