The Scrounge offers ‘la grade crepe’

2:08 p.m., April 22, 2005--Oooh-la-la! There’s a French connection at The Scrounge--a creperie imported from France, offering savory and sweet crepes freshly made to order from 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays. The 16-inch diameter crepes sell for $4.95.

Executive chef Rob Lo Furno spent last summer working at the Olympics in Greece and observed the popularity of crepes sold by street vendors at all hours of the day and night. He suggested crepes as new menu offering at The Scrounge.

Dining Services always is looking for new ideas so that the food they offer is not the same-old, same-old, according to Christian Sorochty, senior food service director. “We call these ‘wows,’ and past ‘wows’ have included such menu favorites as six-ounce burgers and taco salads,” he said.

When Lo Furno suggested crepes, Dining Services went into action and started trials and testing to see how appealing the crepes would be. “They have been very successful, and we sell close to 100 each day,” Sorochty said.

“We wanted the crepes to be authentic so we imported the flat iron griddles or ‘galettes’ and wooden utensils from France, and also a chocolate, hazelnut spread used in French creperies,” Sorochty said.

David Matthews and June Webster, food service workers in Dining Services, have become expert crepe makers, pouring the batter, trimming the edges, flipping the crepes at the right moment and then spooning on the filling of choice and folding them into epicurean delights.

Thursday, Scrounge customers were offered free sliced- banana with chocolate crepes, and they disappeared like, well, hotcakes.

“We wanted the crepes to be nutritious, as well as delicious, and to suit all tastes,” Sorochty said. “We offer a revolving three-week cycle of crepes--the sweet crepes include caramel apples, chocolate strawberry and peach melba, while the savory crepes include grilled vegetables, ham and cheese, shrimp creole and different variations of chicken, to mention a few. Customers can have crepes made to order from the ingredients available on that day.”

Pancakes, made on a cooking slab, have been known since the Middle Ages. By the end of the 19th Century, creperies were found in European villages, offering crepes made from buckwheat flour, usually served with butter. As time went on, different fillings were offered, and crepes were made to order and could be eaten in a restaurant or wrapped in paper and consumed on the go.

Article by Sue Moncure
Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson

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