Crepe Exectations

A hearty "dobro pozhalovatʹ" (that's "Welcome" in Russian) to Margarita Abramov, the owner of the newly opened Sara's Crepes Cafe (at 100 St. George Street, http://www.sarascrepecafe.com/).

The hub and I visited right after the restaurant opened last week; we had seen advance notice of the opening and wanted to check it out.

The restaurant itself is adorable, with cheery yellow walls, a collection of blue and white pottery in the corner, and great Paris flea market lamps hanging from the tin ceiling. When we went last week, there was a Russian dance performance playing on a large flat screen television.

And Margarita herself--who is beautiful with black hair and the most striking eyes--is a wonderful presence at the cafe, visiting with each table, refilling water and soda glasses and generally just making sure that everything is perfect.

I started with a very good split pea soup, garnished with smoky ham pieces, and the hub had a nice-sized caesar salad. I mention "nice-sized" because when you see the prices, you will wonder if the servings are child-sized. (The crepe I got, for instance, was $4.95). My crepe--the Napoleon--was filled with more of the smoked ham and topped with a house-made hollandaise sauce (not too much, which suited me perfectly). The hub had the Count Amaury ($6.95) which had beef tips, mushrooms, and a black truffle and thyme demi glace. We both liked them.

We didn't have time for dessert, but the hub visited again yesterday and sampled some fantastic banana chocolate crepes. So make sure you save room when you visit! (The cafe is hosting an opening party tonight from 5:00 - 6:30).

Sara's (the restaurant is named for Margarita's grandmother) is open for breakfast lunch and dinner and they have indoor and outdoor seating (we sat indoors and enjoyed the a/c). Order from the menu, or make your own crepe for a truly unique experience.