Review of Creperie du Village Aspen (June 2012)
by Catherine
La Creperie Du Village has character. Its décor is a stimulating blend of French Bohemian, the waitresses are mainly Australian and will sometimes treat you to an ambiguous Aussie slang term, and the dish names and descriptions often require a leap of faith by the customer. It’s a place to go if you’re feeling fun, exotic, and adventurous.
It’s a fairly new restaurant, having just opened last fall. Located beneath Radio it provided an interesting twist on a classic crepe take out wagon, and a sit-down restaurant. They have a long menu of sweet and savory crepes and a section at the end where you can make your own. The savory crepes are mostly in the $13-18 range, and the sweet $7-$10. It might seem a little steep for crepes, but they are all good quality crepes, and filling enough.
The Creperie is a very après ski sort of hangout. Outside the restaurant there are a couple wooden tables where you can sit and catch some lazy afternoon rays. The pillows are warm from a day in the sun, and the ivy hanging down the brick walls, although fake, gives off an English afternoon teatime vibe. Inside there are subdued candlelit nooks, surrounded by curtains and European posters and pictures. It looks cramped at first glance, but by the time you get settled in a more appropriate word comes to mind, intimate. It’s a little corner of Europe situated in the middle of Aspen. There are simply no other restaurants that look like it, and it makes you feel glamorous.
La Creperie preserved the small crepe wagon feel by staying true to the classics. All favorites like the Menage Á Trois (butter, lemon, and sugar), and The Nutella are on the menu. However, there are also creative dishes that add some sit-down class, like the Ratatouille crepe, or Nirvana Crepe (chicken curry with carrots, celery, pineapple, and ginger).
These crepes are all good, but it doesn’t stop there. The Creperie has meat and cheese boards, soups, sandwiches, and some of the best salads I’ve ever had. My personal favorite, dubbed Acrobat, is a goat cheese and pear salad with truffle oil and lavender dressing. It is to die for. The pears are ripe and sweet and complement the goat cheese beautifully. The croutons are really thin crispy bread strips with goat cheese spread on top, all lightly sprinkled with lavender truffle dressing and walnuts. It’s beyond delicious and puts up a good fight against any of the crepes.
If I were to go for a savory and sweet crepe combo I would have the Ooh La La and Made in Heaven crepes. The Ooh La La is, shockingly, a house made mac and cheese crepe with truffle oil. It sounds weird, but trust me it’s delicious. The Made in Heaven has nutella, chocolate ganache, and shredded coconut. It’s filling comfort food with exotic European tastes mixed in. It’s a perfect meal to split with someone.
I’ve been to the Creperie multiple times. Every time has been a different experience. The little room transforms during the day and the crepes seem to taste different according to the mood of the restaurant. A lot of the time it was sublime, and sometimes it was a miss. Either way if you’re in Aspen you should check out this little corner of Europe. It’s an experience.
– Catherine W.
Catherine
Local foodie, Catherine Ward, is leaving Aspen next year to attend boarding school in Connecticut. As sad as she is to be leaving, she’s making the most of her last summer by chowing on all the delicious food Aspen has to offer. She’s ready and willing to embark on this summer culinary adventure and is looking forward to keeping the public updated on her antics. She enjoys eating, writing, and socializing, so restaurant reviewing could very well be, her true calling.
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