Review: Crepes on Columbus

The perfect way to end a day in the city may very well be a French restaurant.

After a rather full day involving a morning learning about the Black press in Harlem and an afternoon hearing about public TV at WNET THIRTEEN on 8th Avenue, a thick crepe stuffed with creamy chocolate hazelnut spread and fresh strawberries was exactly the comfort food I needed.

Crepes on Columbus sits on a quiet street not far from a small New York deli and a dry cleaner. Inside, it is clear that the eatery is meant to be a cozy location, with only a few tables no more than fifteen feet from the bakery display.

The restaurant boasts a more diverse menu than one would expect, as it features not only crepes, but also breakfast items such as French toast and dinner items such as salmon steak.

Deciding to order crepes was the easy part. Deciding which crepes to order was far more difficult. Crepes on Columbus offers everything from sweet cinnamon apple crepes to savory bacon & avocado crepes. After about 15 minutes of deliberation, I settled on Nutella strawberry crepes.

The balance between the flavors of the hazelnut spread, fresh berries, and thick crepe were almost perfect. The Nutella, simply because of its own rich and delectable properties, was a bit overwhelming to the dish as a whole. The bites in which I found more berries, however, offered a refreshing tangy burst that broke up the overwhelming taste of chocolate.

The crepe itself displayed the perfect thickness for a French-style crepe, although its composure turned out to be a little tougher than I usually like to see. This resulted in me having to use my knife to cut through my food, versus the fork method I'm more accustomed to using on crepe dishes.

Overall, the crepes definitely hit the spot. The price also hit the target at just $7 for two filled crepes. I definitely recommend this spot for a sweet and laid-back evening meal.

Pros:
Fairly well-balanced flavors
Cozy environment
Menu variety
Good price

Cons:
Crepes slightly tough