CREPEMAKER CATERING The City of Lights and Street Food Carts

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Michael Hepworth

CREPEMAKER CATERING

The City of Lights and Street Food Carts

The Crepes of Paris Reimagined

By Kay Schroeder

Yorba Linda, CA(Perfect Meal Today)6/7/16/–In the 1860’s Paris streets and monuments were illuminated by 56,000 gas lamps; thus the sobriquet, “La Ville Lumiere”, The City of Lights. The Parisian street carts sold what is now considered by many to be the traditional sugar filled crepe.

Although these street cart crepes served as their inspiration, CrepeMaker owners Christopher Hoffman and Maria Sune wanted to create crepes that not only satisfied the customer’s appetite but would also deliver crepes that were made with the freshest ingredients, and were conducive to a healthy diet. Staying true to the street cart’s origin, Christopher and Maria used their life savings of $10,000, took a leap of faith, and began selling crepes on the downtown streets of Miami in 1992. Soon the explosion of demand for their crepes set off an expansion throughout Florida and other states including California in 2007 and most recently, Puerto Rico, making CrepeMaker the largest crepe business in the United States.

Friday, June 3 was graduation day for the seniors at Newport Coast, Sage Hill High School. Following the graduation ceremony, the parents of one lucky graduate hosted a backyard party for friends and family with CrepeMaker as the caterer. Although the temperature that day was 81, the temperature had cooled down considerably by the 4:30 p.m. party.

2016 Sage Hill School Graduates Jacob Fisher and Lexi — 2016 Sage Hill School Graduates
Jacob Fisher and Lexi

Jack, the chef on duty, arrived with all the necessary equipment and ingredients, ready to prepare the crepes, special to order. The celebration mood was in full gear as the guests lined up to peruse the menu and complete the difficult task of deciding which crepe to have. Here are eye-popping examples of why that task proved to be so daunting:

Caesar Chicken or Steak: Marinated Chicken Breast or Steak, Melted Mozzarella Cheese with Portabella Mushrooms, Vine Ripe Tomatoes, Romaine Lettuce and CM Special Caesar Dressing

Steak Milanese: Marinated Steak, Virginia Baked Ham, Sweet Red Onion, Melted Cheddar Cheese, Vine Ripe Tomatoes, Romaine Lettuce topped with Steak Sauce

Opulence: Marinated Chicken Breast, Artichoke Hearts, Hearts of Palm, Portabella Mushrooms over Melted Mozzarella Cheese Very Philly Steak or Chicken: Marinated Steak or Chicken Breast, Sweet Red Onions, Portabella Mushrooms, Melted Mozzarella Cheese and a touch of Caesar Dressing

Honey Mustard Chicken: Marinated Chicken Breast, Melted Cheddar Cheese, Vine Ripe Tomatoes, Romaine Lettuce and CM Honey Mustard dressing

Chicken or Steak Fajita: Marinated Chicken or Steak, Grilled Sweet Red Onions, Red Peppers, Melted Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream, Guacamole and Salsa

Mexi Crêpe: Marinated Chicken Breast, Melted Cheddar Cheese Mix, freshly chopped Tomatoes, crispy Romaine Lettuce, Guacamole, Salsa, and Sour Cream

Raspberry Chicken: Marinated Chicken Breast, Melted Cheddar Cheese, Vine Ripe Tomatoes, Spinach topped with Raspberry Preserves and Walnut pieces

Fresh Tomato and Cheese: Freshly chopped Tomatoes over Melted Mozzarella Cheese and CrêpeMaker Seasonings

Queen of Hearts Vegi: Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Hearts of Palm, Melted Mozzarella Cheese, Portabella Mushrooms, Sweet Red Onions, Fresh Baby Leaf Spinach and Vine Ripe Tomatoes Veri-Vegi: Sweet Red Peppers, Spinach, Portabella Mushrooms, Melted Mozzarella, and Pesto Sauce

Pesto Steak or Chicken: Marinated Steak or Chicken Breast, Red Bell Peppers, Spinach, Vine Ripe Tomatoes, Cheddar and Jack Cheese, Pesto Sauce and CrêpeMaker seasonings Cordon Bleu: Baked Virginia Ham with Marinated Chicken Breast, Mozzarella Cheese, Romaine Lettuce and Vine Ripe Tomatoes topped with CM Special Caesar Dressing

Pizza Crêpe: A Mix of Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Mozzarella Cheeses Melted over Pizza Sauce

Perhaps an even more difficult task was that of choosing a Dessert Crepe with these sumptuous options:

Pure Pleasure: Dulce de Leche with Sweet Sliced Bananas

Nutella Solo: Nutella Spread on a Crisp CrêpeMaker Crepe

Red & Black: Nutella Spread with Freshly Sliced Strawberries

Black & White: Nutella Spread with Sweet Sliced Bananas

Triple Treat: Freshly Sliced Bananas and Sweet Strawberries, Covered with Nutella and Whipped Cream

Strawberries Nouveau: Dulce de Leche with Freshly Sliced Strawberries

Nutty Banana: Sliced Bananas, Chopped Walnuts, Sugar and Cinnamon

Dulce Treat: Freshly Sliced Bananas and Sweet Strawberries Covered with Dulce de Leche and Whipped Cream

Strawberry Supreme: Sliced Strawberries, Cinnamon and Confectioners Sugar, a dash of Liqueur and Real Whipped Cream

To Die For: Cheesecake topped with Bananas, Freshly Sliced Strawberries, Nutella Spread and Whipped Cream

I Like It Too: Tiramisu, Freshly Sliced Strawberries, Nutella Spread and topped with Whipped Cream

Nutty Caramel Apple: Fire-Roasted Apples, topped with Dulce de Leche, Sprinkled with Cinnamon, Walnuts and Powdered Sugar

If the menu of 28 Savory Entrée Crepes, 23 Dessert Crepes and 13 Salads leaves you still wanting, CrepeMaker will prepare your favorite crepe recipe, and may even add a special twist to it, with your approval, of course!

When planning your special occasion party, whether it be for a birthday, anniversary, business meeting, graduation, Mothers/Fathers Day, or any other events that call for something just a little bit different, a catered crepe party has much to offer in originality, relaxed atmosphere, adaptability to indoor or outdoor setup, and a fun-filled time.

For the health conscious client, especially helpful is the detailed nutritional information that is available at:

http://www.crepemakeroc.com/nutritional-info.htm

Provided on a downloadable file is a table of the name of every type of crepe on their menu and its respective nutritional attributes (measured in grams). Those attributes are: Calories, Calories from Fat, Total Fat, Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, Sodium, Carbohydrates, Dietary Fiber, Sugar, and Protein.

Much appreciated is the listing of ingredients for each type of crepe that allows the clients to choose the crepe that specifically satisfies their nutritional needs and flavor preferences. A gluten free menu is also provided.

CrepeMaker Catering services are provided in five Southern California counties: Orange County, Los Angeles County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, and San Diego County. I haven’t visited CrepeMaker Café yet, however that may be addressed in a future review.