UPDATE: The Merry Table Creperie is now closed
Let me assure you, the continuation of the Chicken and Waffles quest is coming.
But who doesn’t love crepes? The answer may be people who are gluten intolerant, but I’m sure gluten free crepes exist, somewhere. My point is, crepes have long been loved by people all over the world, for more than just dessert. At The Merry Table, you’ll find dinner and dessert crepes. Standard French fare, even if the rest of the world hasn’t quite caught on just yet. I have to say, I may have approached The Merry Table with some extremely high expectations. But there are a few reasons for that.
- My highly enjoyable restaurant experiences at Petite Jacqueline and Fuel. One being in Portland and the other being in Lewiston. I may not be French, but I can eat like a French person with ease in this state.
- A delicious and hard to replicate experience every time I visit Creperie Saint Germaine in Evanston, IL. I have yet to try a crepe there I didn’t like. They have the art of crepes down!
- Portland is my favorite food city, hands down. I always have high expectations, wherever I go here.
It’s not that my expectations weren’t met, I just didn’t feel…wowed. My dinner wasn’t one for the history books, but dessert was well worth it!
This Autumne crepe is everything I could have asked for: sweet but not cloying, heavy enough to fill me up but not overwhelming. The pears and whipped cream are a decadent accent, and make the crepe. Granted, it may be winter, but Autumn was alive and well when I enjoyed this. The mascarpone cheese was a nice way to finish off, leaving the crepe feeling light, but also multidimensional. Sweet and just a bit of tartness.
Dinner wise, I ordered the Cordon Bleu. It wasn’t what I expected, because it didn’t feel quite substantive enough to be a full meal. I think that for lunch, this would be a good option. However, for dinner, I like to feel full. Not so full that I can’t move, but full enough that I know I won’t be hungry in a few hours. And to be honest, this crepe was lacking in that department. Perhaps if my expectations had been lower, I would say this is a dinner restaurant, but they were quite high and they weren’t quite met. The flavors were good, and I enjoyed the side salad. But I think next time I visit will be for a light lunch.
Bottom Line: if you want a dessert crepe, this is a great place to visit. From Chocolate Nutella (heavenly) to specialty crepes (how about Strawberry, their special when I was there) to unique takes on the idea of dessert and how it is interpreted. Dinner is not my favorite, but they had some extremely reasonable drink specials, like $4.50 beers. Almost unheard of! Casual French food and delicious dessert is what you will find at The Merry Table.
