rantlust

Posted by anupcs on February 22nd 2006 in Food & Wine, Raves
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A get-together with fellow blogger jcaldera always results in bacchanalian consumption of spirits and the consequent hangover the next day. And so it was, this President’s day. After the cold snap we had in the Bay Area, this day looked promising and I didn’t want to spend it being a couch potato and nursing my hangover. There was a sudden craving for a good brunch and specifically crêpes.

Being from the land of plain, masala, and rava doshas, this was not surprising. But the timing was weird. Why crêpes for curing a hangover? I still don’t know the answer to that but I had to have crêpes that day. The needs were specific: a savory crêpe followed by a sweet one. Goading a sleepy spouse to get ready, I embarked on a mission to find the best crêperie in the vicinity. The online research revealed that The Crepe Place in Santa Cruz was the best reviewed if we didn’t want to return to San Francisco again. The coastal surf paradise promised to be a good destination on this sunny day. And off we went.

Tucked away in an uninspiring neighborhood, the entrance to The Crepe Place masks its size. When you enter, you are in the bar area but a sign urges you to go to the back to get seated. There, you see a much bigger seating area both indoors and outside in a pleasant garden. We sat inside in a corner table. We ordered the Jambalaya crêpe (savory) and the Spiced Apple crêpe (sweet). Both were mouth-wateringly delightful. We washed them down with a spiced chai and a strong espresso. The hangover was history.

Crêpes are pancakes made by frying a thin batter in a thin layer in butter or oil. The ones I am referring to here are of French origin. The doshas from South India are quite similar in consistency and style though I don’t think we make dessert doshas. Also the doshas tend to be crispier than the crêpes. While doshas are consumed mostly as breakfast dishes, crêpes are consumed as hors d’oeuvres or as desserts. In rural France, crêpes were considered to be a symbol of allegiance: farmers offered them to their landowners. It’s also customary to touch the handle of the frying pan and make a wish while the crêpe is turned, holding a coin in the hand. It’s a symbol of future happiness.

Anatole France, writing in the newspaper Le Temps, had this to say about crêpes (courtesy of “Larousse Gastronomique”):

“Sprinkled with sugar and eaten hot, they form an exquisite dish. They have a golden hue and are tempting to eat. Thin and transparent like muslin, their edges are trimmed to resemble fine lace. They are also light that after a good dinner, a man from Agen is still willing to sample three or four dozen of them! Crêpes form an integral part of every family celebration. Served with white wine, they take pride of place on all joyful occasions.”

There it is, the new cure for hangover: one savory crêpe followed by a sweet crêpe. An invigorating after-meal drive along Hwy 1 doesn’t hurt either.