Creperie du Lys

dieselboi
April 22, 2014 Written by dieselboi Leave a Comment
Creperie du Lys

Creperie du Lys

Location: SE 50th an Division – A la Carts Food Pavilion
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 11-2:30 and 5-close; Sunday, 12-close

The Story: “Mediterranean Influenced, Northwest Inspired.” Creperie du Lys wants to introduce you to a new fusion of tastes and their food cart is now in Portland at A la Carts Food Pavilion.

Creperie du Lys launched in Corvallis in 2009 as a farmers market booth. After a couple of good years, Michele and Francois decided to build a cart so they could do events in the region. They’ve been crafting crepes ever since. The crepes come from Francois’ French family influence, and while they are traditional French style, Michele and Francois wanted to incorporate a bit of the NW into each dish. Also, Francois is from the south of France, so Mediterranean cuisine was a large part of that fusion. After 3 years of working with Corvallis to try and build a food cart pod, Michele and Francois decided to move the cart to Portland and this winter set up at A la Carts Food Pavilion on SE 50th and Division.

Genoa Crepe from Creperie du Lys

Genoa Crepe from Creperie du Lys

At first sight, the crepes are different than what I’ve come to expect. The dark brown color comes from buckwheat flour. Known as a galette, it is a traditional recipe from Brittany, France. I picked up a Genoa savory crepe with pesto, spinach, tomato and cheese. Michele spread the batter out on the crepe griddle, let it set and then quickly flipped it and started adding the goodies. Pesto, with that touch of garlic paired well with the bitter spinach and buckwheat crepe. Basil and fresh chopped tomato balanced the dish with cool and refreshing flavors. A great little morsel for any time of the day.

Creperie du Lys is now open Wednesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. A la Carts Food Pavilion has tented seating and cocktails on the weekends. In summer, they bring in live music. Glad to have Michele and Francois in Portland. Head on down and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Ham and Cheese savory crepe – $5
  • Genoa – pesto, basil, spinach and cheese – $6
  • Moroccan Saute – onion, garlic, peppers, carrot, garbonzo, preserved lemon, spices – $6.50
  • Nutella sweet crepe – $5
  • Marionberry preserve – $4

Website: Creperiedulys.com
Facebook: Creperie du Lys
Twitter: @CreperieduLys

Filed Under: Creperie, Dinner, French, Gluten Free Options, Lunch, Mediterranean, SE 50th and Ivon, Vegetarian Options, Weekends

Hog and Hen Acadian Kitchen

dieselboi
December 20, 2010 Written by dieselboi 7 Comments
Hog and Hen Acadian Kitchen

Hog and Hen Acadian Kitchen

Location: SW 4th and College
Hours: Weekdays 11am-3pm

The Story:

In a cart that looks more like a little bungalow with a piqued roof, you’ll find a chef creating dishes out of a the rich Cajun and French country tradition. Hog and Hen Acadian Kitchen is open to serve you a different dish every time you return.

As a child, Meghann White was a fixture in her parents kitchen doing those tasks that kids love to do – grating cheese and slicing olives. This exposure to food and a family tradition to have Cajun dishes during special occasions shaped Meghann to the point when at the age of 14, she asked for and received a hand-crank pasta machine. When I was 14, all I could think about was the next Duran Duran cassette. One culinary memory Meghann shared with me was how she learned to catch yeast to make her own sourdough starter from the PBS show Breaking Bread with Father Dominic. Her mother is still feeding that starter to this day. While becoming a chef wasn’t part of Meghann’s initial plan, she continued to build these passions and skills in the kitchen and broaden her tastes into adulthood to eventually have friends to her home for regular dinner parties. The cart was the next step.

Beer Chicken Chili

Beer Chicken Chili

Hog and Hen has an ever changing menu with two to three items available any given day. Meghann admits her food and style are influenced by Cajun cooking, yet she doesn’t want to be defined as a Cajun cart as that pigeonholes her to a few specific dishes in the minds of many. Since Cajun is truly a mix of different cultural culinary traditions that have morphed over centuries, it continues to evolve. Mix with that some of the French country flavors Meghann has embraced and you get some great dishes. On one of the wettest days of the year, I visited the cart for the Beer Chicken Chili. Tender chunks of chicken are simmered in beer with white beans, tomatoes and peppers to create a unique flavor mashup. Served in a large cup over white rice, this is a hearty dish for a cold day. The added bonus is the cornbread, a large chunk of southern goodness you will not want to put down. I normally enjoy my bread throughout a meal dipping and nibbling along the way. I was sad when I finished Meghann’s cornbread before I even was half way through the chili. Some excellent nosh.

Hog and Hen is open weekdays from 11-3 unless she runs out of food, which happens more often than not. As stated, the menu does change, so visit often for variety. Meghann was there with a smile to greet me on the worst day of the year weather wise and I appreciate that. Walk on down, get some cornbread and let her know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Beer Chicken Chili: chicken simmered in beer, white beans, tomatoes and peppers served over rice with cornbread – sm, $4; lg, $6
  • Jalapeno Mac ‘n Cheese Casserole: mac and cheese with a spicy twist, topped with a golden crust of bread crumbs and served with an apple – sm, $4; lg, $6

Hours: Weekdays, 11-3pm
Website: Hog and Hen
Twitter: HogandHen

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Filed Under: Cajun, Downtown, French, Lunch, Soups, SW 4th and College, Vegetarian Options

Perierra Creperie

dieselboi
May 10, 2009 Written by dieselboi 24 Comments

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Location: SE 12th and Hawthorne

Description:

11:47pm on a Saturday night and you have the munchies.  You’ve had too many tacos and pizza in your life and you’re looking for something new.  I suggest you head down to SE 12th and Hawthorne and grab a Crepe.

Perierra Creperie makes both sweet and savory crepes with all kinds of ingredients.  Want something with smoked salmon?  They got it.  What about asparagus?  Yup.  How about lemon or nutella or pear or strawberry?  If you can think of it, they probably have it and can make it into a yummy crepe.  I was indeed there around 12:15am one Friday evening and the carts were as my friend puts it “popping off.”  Potato Champion next door was pretty crowded, but I wanted something more substantial, so I opted for the mozarella, soprasetta, basil and red pepper.  mmmmm, soprasetta.  Look at that yummy goodness:

Crepe

It seemed like it only took a couple of seconds for the crepe pancake to brown enough for her to flip it and then add the ingredients and then a few seconds more and it was in my hands then in my belly.   Such a great replacement for the late night nosh.  The New York Times even took in some crepes on a recent visit.

Finished Crepe

Sample Menu:

  • Lemon and sugar – $3.50
  • Nutella and banana – $5
  • Chocolate and prosciutto –  $5
  • Walnut + honey + cardamom + corriander – $5
  • add frangelico or grand marnier to any of the sweet for $1
  • Gogonzola, pear, walnut, honey – $7
  • Ham and Gruyere – $6
  • Mozarella, soprasetta, basil, red pepper – $8
  • Smoke salmon, cream cheese, arugula, lemon – $8
  • Shakes and smoothies available also

Hours: Tues – Sat: 8am-3am; Sunday: 9am – 3pm
Email: perierra@gmail.com
Website: Perierra on Facebook

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Filed Under: Breakfast, Creperie, Dinner, French, Late Night, Lunch, SE 12th and Hawthorne, Weekends Tagged With:
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