Foodie on a mission: crepes are really thin pancakes

By Katelyn McCullough
CONTRIBUTOR

Ricky Bobby from “Talladega Nights” accurately describes crepes.

“They are like really thin pancakes.”

The wonderful thing about crepes are that they can be filled with just about anything imaginable. One such place that offers many flavor combinations for crepes is Solana Beach’s Orange Blossom Café.
Orange Blossom Café offers coffee, tea, crepes and assorted pastries, as well as seasonal versions of each.

Some of the most popular crepes are the sweet ones, such as the Orange Blossom Crepe served with orange honey butter, or lemon and sugar. However, some of the specialty sweet crepes are absolutely to die for: the Tiramisu crepe has chocolate, espresso, mascarpone, amaretto and chocolate whipped cream. The Banana’s Foster includes Ghirardelli Caramel Sauce, a bit of Grand Marnier and bananas.

On the other hand, Orange Blossom Café also serves savory crepes such as a favorite of many, the spinach, artichoke and pesto, or the Mediterranean with spinach, red peppers, feta and pesto. The preparation of the crepes is interesting. The toppings have a special method of placement. On the initial layer are the sauces and cheese if having a savory crepe, and then it is folded in half to meld them together. After that, additional toppings are placed, such as the spinach and red peppers from the Mediterranean, then folded over again to form a triangle. This allows one to get every ingredient in every bite. Orange Blossom also tries to stray away from the typical crepe fillings and offers some sandwich-like crepes. For instance, they serve one known as the “Mambo Italiano” which is filled with prosciutto, mozzarella, sundried tomato and pesto. The cafe also offers a BLT version, which is a step up from the basics, by using mozzarella cheese, spinach and sundried tomatoes topped with a chipotle aioli.

Aside from being a creperie, Orange Blossom Café prides itself on being a coffee house, serving up gourmet coffee blends to those shopping in the area or to those who just want to hang out. The coffee flavors rival even the flavors of the crepes, which could make for a very difficult decision of coffee or crepe, or perhaps both. If feeling particularly sweet one can choose from an assortment of mochas: nutella, peanut butter, s’mores, caramel crème brulee, and those are not including the special of the day.

The café is not large, comfortably seating about ten inside and a few more outside in a welcoming atmosphere.

As far as pricing for the crepes, each one is approximately $9, not exactly the steal of the century, but it could possibly serve two or three people. The only downside may be the crepes are a little thick, but if filled with toppings it is understandable. The thickness does not detract from tasting the ingredients. If crepes are the craving, Orange Blossom Cafe is where the options are endless, and the quality incomparable.