When you roll out of bed on a Saturday morning, still tired from a long week of work capped by a late-night outing with friends, you’re faced with two choices: Stay home and scramble some eggs or head out for an adventure at a new brunch spot.
If you’re going to choose the latter you might as well pick a place that’s going to make a dish you can’t easily make at home. That’s why I love heading to Café Café, a homey north side restaurant with a ridiculously repetitive name.
It’s one of the few spots in town specializing in crepes. If you like decadent crepes oozing with strawberries and chocolate this is your place. If sweets aren’t your thing, there’s a slew of what the restaurant calls “savory crepes” on the menu filled with more substantial items such as vegetables and smoked salmon.
Be prepared to be jolted by strong, competing flavors. If subtlety (a.k.a. bland food) is your thing, go elsewhere. Just like the bright yellow walls that adorn the café, the cook’s signature style is all about zest.
On a recent Saturday, four of us sat on the sidewalk patio where locals arrive with their dogs. A friendly border collie mix made his way under our chairs, licking up scraps the previous diners had let tumble to the ground.
Inside, long wooden tables fit for a family of 10 are surrounded by smaller ones, where people sip their coffee, read the paper and work on their laptops. It’s a hippie meets yuppie crowd as laid back and friendly as the staff.
The restaurant’s lattes are perfectly made: not too milky, not overly frothy, not bitter.
Three of us ordered crepes. The renegade among us chose the breakfast bagel ($3.95) filled with scrambled eggs, cheddar, ham and scallions.
But this place is about the crepes. They are a little thicker than what you might find at a Parisian creperie and a bit on the sweet and buttery side.
I ordered the “scrambled up” – a crepe normally filled with scrambled eggs, ham, scallions and cheddar – except I did without the cheese. For $6.50 you’re guaranteed a meal and a half. (The crepes cost between $4 and $7.) I can never finish one of their huge crepes. I usually wind up taking the rest home with me in a box.
The combination of the sweet batter mixed with the tangy meat and eggs makes for a deliciously interesting meal.
If you’re more daring, there are crepes like the “Greek greatness” filled with spinach, black olives, feta, provolone, tomatoes, sweet onions and a cucumber dill sauce, also for $6.50. If you’ve got a sweet tooth, there’s the “Reese’s split” filled with peanut butter, chocolate, bananas, powdered sugar and whipped cream.
Cindy Rodríguez can be reached at 303-820-1211 or crodriguez@denverpost.com.
Café Café
French-influenced American cuisine|2339 W. 44th Ave.; 303-477-9933|$4-$7 |6 a.m-6 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 6 a.m.- 2 p.m. Friday-Sunday.
Front burner: Decadent, mouth-watering crepes.
Back burner: Menu could use a few more items for simpler palates.
