Old Town Pasadena seems to be full of places that are either chains or might as well be chains, filled with groups of partiers with seemingly little concern for what they are eating. People looking for a quieter, more grown-up spot in the area now have an alternative with the CrepeVine Bistro and Wine Bar, a homey spot across from the Equator coffeehouse on Mills Alley. Husband and wife owners Josh and Kate Evans fell in love with crepes on trips to France and bravely decided to throw themselves into the restaurant business after getting their feet wet by making crepes at parties. But the CrepeVine isn't just crepes -- it has a full menu of bistro dishes, and Josh is aiming to offer L.A.'s biggest selection of wines by the glass. I went to a press dinner where we tried a selection of appetizers, crepes, mains and wines. My favorite was the moules frites, with nicely seasoned mussel broth and a massive pile of thin garlicky fries. We also tried seafood and beef stroganoff crepes, good renditions of coq au vin and a buttery polenta with mushrooms. The savory crepes are authentically made with buckwheat, although I find I prefer simpler crepes of just cheese, ham or eggs to ones filled with creamy sauces. Dessert crepes are filled with Nutella, bananas and rum, brown sugar and pineapple and more.
The CrepeVine
36 W. Colorado Blvd. #1
Pasadena
(626)796-7250
9 comments:
I went shortly after it first opened and was very disappointed. The crepes we ordered were bland, and every item on the menu was unoriginal and completely predictable for a French bistro in Pasadena. But the worst part was the SERVICE-- slow and very inexperienced, blundering, and inattentive to our requests. We were pretty sure it was our waiter's first time on the job. But it's too small a restaurant for them to have an excuse to forget. Quaint setting, beautiful bar area, but proceed with caution. They need time to work out the kinks and redo the menu.
I recommended the restaurant to friends, lost all my credibility. This is what you get when the food is bad and the service is sub-par. You NEVER go again.
I went to Crepevine for lunch with a client. That was not smart. Our food was gross. Yes, I am an adult, but Gross is the perfect word. He hated his crepe. Mine tasted like salt. That's it. SALT. This is not a French Bistro. This is a bizarre experiment gone terribly awry. I found out soon after that the owners are kids with no restaurant experience at all. Yeah, I can see that now!! They should have started out with a falafel stand. One more thing, the service is the worst I have ever experienced. No joke.
WOW!! The food was amazing!! Jennifer Love Hewitt sat in the table next to mine, which was so delightful. I ordered the Muscles - which were sooo good, and then the Stroganoff Crepe. Both were very rich and flavorful. The choices of wine were sensational, and the service was very pleasant. YOU GOTTA TRY IT!!!
gave them 2nd chance, send friends, this place is rolling down hill.
My parents said, and I quote "That is the last time we let you pick the restaurant." Hubbie and I had been there for Happy Hour, but not to eat. After the fateful dinner with the parents, I now know that reviews can actually be right on the money. There are so many problems with this teeny tiny bistro. Why? My Dad was so frustrated with the service I thought he would blow a gasket. The food blew so we skipped dessert and that was that. Except the next day: My Dad was still talking about "that crappy restaurant" you took us to. Ack!!!
I am not sure how long this crepe bistro has been open but I think it is still somewhat "new-ish." I poked my head in there one day on my lunchbreak and thought it was beautiful. Brought friends after work to try the food. Out of the four of us, only one person thought their dinner was "prety good." The rest of us including the bona fide Francophile at the table thought it was pretty damn awful. It took forever to find our server and get our check, which is weird because the place is very small. Perhaps she was hiding because she is tired of dealing with complaints from unhappy diners? Just a thought... I do not recommend eating here.
I have had to eat here on two occasions. I say had to because I did not have a choice, they were group/work outings. The food was bad the first time, back in November. I thought that the situation might be different now, 4 months later.
It was not. The food and the service is embarrassingly bad. My crepe made me sick for 24 hours after eating it. I will not come back ever again- not even on somebody else's dime. It's just that awful.
i went to this restaurant with my daughter who is 5 years old. I ordered the mussles and i ordered the strawberry and banana with nutella crepe for my daughter. The food took forever to get there. I think we waited at least 45 minutes. When the food finally showed up, my mussles were cold and the really really scary thing was that my daughter found several strands of hair in her crepe. When she pulled it out, it draped in natuella. It was so disgusting. I will never go there ever again. The setting was ok. It was really dark so you can barely see what you are eating. Spend your money elsewhere. I will call the health department to report them.
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