June, 2008

Rating : 8 out of 10

Tariff : Lunch for 5

• 4 crepe entrees
• 1 sandwich
• 3 cold drinks
• 2 dessert crepes
• $62
• + tip (at counter)

This modern looking, cafe style restaurant located on a busy pedestrian shopping street in Burlingame was downright crowded when we arrived for a weekend lunch with an out of town visitor. A small area of outdoor tables were being vied for while the line snaked in the door and up to the front counter. Little dogs waited patiently by their owner's chairs, and busy waiters bustled in and out.

Service

Casual and fresh is the feeling I get from Crepevine.  Diners order at the counter and can pick up silverware or water, but basically after ordering there is table service. We had a bit of a wait in line due to the crowd of hungry shoppers. The orders came up very quickly, however. Our outdoor table was far too small--most likely only meant for two diners, instead of five (!)--and so we could barely make room for our large plates! The only "problem" we had with the service was that all of the dishes--both lunch and dessert--came at the same time. We specifically requested they hold the desserts, hoping not to have to wait in line again. But instead the full dessert plates with warm crepes and cold ice cream sat there melting while we ate our lunches.

Food

Twelve savory crepes graced the menu--we tried the "Tuscany," which was chicken breast, mushrooms, tomatoes, pesto, roasted almonds, provolone, and feta cheese. It was huge and bulging with ingredients and came with a side of crispy fried potatoes, and a good size salad--wow! A smaller, but still very good crepe was the "Le Delice," filled with cheddar and glazed onions came with the same two side dishes). In addition to these we tried the Florentine (spinach, mushrooms, onions, and jack cheese) and the California (avocado, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and cheddar, topped with salsa fresca and sour cream. My son had a sandwich called the Sonoma, the size of which overwhelmed him.  Grilled chicken breast on a bun was complimented by lettuce, tomatoes, red onion, pesto, and provolone--delicious!

Crepevine also offers a selection of scrambles, omelets, benedictions, pancakes, and French toasts, as well as sandwiches, salads, pastas, and a simple kids' menu.  It's a big enough menu that I think it could please everyone even in a large group or a picky family. One thing is for sure: no one will go home hungry.

Dessert

One of us tried a traditional sweet crepe with Nutella and bananas called the Monaco. It was served with ice cream and whipped cream. The other dessert crepe we tried was the Riviera, what I would call traditional--with lemon, sugar, butter, and, for an extra rich touch, a bit of orange liqueur. There were 7 choices of sweet crepes and they all sounded decadent.

The Riviera Dessert Crepe

Crepevine
1310 Burlingame Ave
Burlingame, CA 94010
640-344-1310