Every since my husband and I trekked through France with friends, I've had an obsession for crêpes. It all started in the town of Beaune
where we had the most incredible mushroom crêpes with Béchamel sauce at a tiny bakery in the village square. They were so delicious that on our last morning in that town, I set our alarm clock so we could go to the bakery one last time before our 9:00am train.
Any of you who have spent time in the countryside of France are probably laughing right now, knowing that no one in France eats that early. Sure enough, we arrived at the bakery and it was closed. The baker was there, groggy from the early hour. He saw my look of disappointment, invited us into the cafe, and made us the crêpes we were longing for - we even made our train. Who says the French aren't hospitable?!
At long last, crêpes have come to Portland, Maine. Not the greasy, thick version you find at Eggspectations - but the real deal.
When I first read about a Crêperie opening on Wharf street, I was concerned it might be modeled after other tourist traps I've seen in many cities. Fortunately, the 43 Wharf Street location doesn't fall in this category. The Merry Table serves soups, salads, sandwiches and paninis - but go for the crêpes.
On our recent visit, the House Cured Salmon, Boursin Cheese, Red Onion, Egg and Caper crêpe sounded heavenly. So did my ultimate choice, the "Poireaux" ($8) - a crêpe filled with braised leeks, wild mushrooms and goat cheese. The warm cheese melted just enough inside the crêpe to create a creamy sauce for the soft leeks and earthy morels.
My husband's "Poulet" crêpe ($7.50) was filled with grilled chicken, oven roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions and arugula. While the crêpe had plenty of flavor, it needed a sauce to add a touch of creaminess to the ingredients. My husband mentioned this to Jean-Claude Vassalle (the owner) who quickly agreed and
said that going forward the crêpe would be served with a Béchamel sauce.
Since we were at the Merry Table for a quick dinner, we were pleasantly surprised to discover they had beer, wine and even a selection of hard alcohol. The beer list features the usual suspects, Guinness, Shipyard, Geary's, Sam Adams and other brews. The wine list is quite limited, with only Merlot, Pinot Grigio, and a Sauvignon Blanc by the glass, though each is modestly priced ($5-$6).
The dessert crêpes are not to be missed! My husband's warm Banana and Nutella crêpe was oozing with the chocolaty hazelnut sp
read. My Seasonal Berry crêpe featured fresh strawberries, blueberries, a sprinkle of sugar and a dollop of whipped cream.
Appreciate The Merry Table for what it is - a cheap eat, not fine dining. The walls are painted various shades of yellow, the floors are wide pine. The eclectic mix of Formica and wood tables, paper napkins and overhead lights make the Veuve Clicquot ($79) an unlikely splurge for most patrons. But if you want to experience a bit of France in the Old Port - or are simply seeking an alternative to the typical lunchtime sandwich spots, The Merry Table Crêperie fits the bill.
Monday, May 12, 2008
The Merry Table Crêperie - Portland, Maine
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11 comments:
this restaurant has all the charm of the film 'amelie' complete with wonderful food (i agree: go for the crepes!), a finely honed beer and wine list, (i believe it's been updated since the previous post) and a very sweet staff (even the slightly bumbling waiter we had was charming in his own way). a real treat for portland, and wharf street especially.
We ate at the Merry Table last night and it was completely delicious and fun! We couldn't stop trying different crepes and were all magnificent. The Suzettes were my favorite and I haven't had really good suzettes since a distant Belgian relative made them one Christmas. The wine list has been refined and was really pleasant.
Four of us dined tonight at the Merry Table Creperie (10/11/08). We dine out every week and tonight we thought let's try this new restaurant. Sorry folks, it had to be the worst meal any of us have had in years. The Poulet Crepe tasted like a warm wrap (was not even close to being a crepe) and the filling was bone dry. Three of us had the Beef Stew and the following words were used at the table - "tastes like lighter fluid", "rancid tasting", overly "sour and astringent". We're pretty picky about our meals but we couldn't find one thing about this experience that was positive. The service was also lacking - when would a restauarant bring entrees and appetizers at the same time? Get with the program please!
Love your detail about the French baker accommodating you in the early a.m. hours... On my few visits to France, I've only found people to be COMPLETELY friendly and wonderful.
That said, we were going to visit the Merry Table this weekend but now I have doubts after reading Don's review. We are pretty much self-confessed food snobs. Hmmm. Should we, or shouldn't we???
The Merry Table is a cheap eat - it is not a place I would dine for dinner on my night out on the town. A quick bite before a movie - sure, but don't go expecting fine dining or you will be disappointed.
I went in just for drinks because it looked really charming and stayed to eat -- thought it was amazing. The crepe's rocked.
I was there last Saturday with a friend. I asked the chef, Jean-Paul to surprise me, and my friend ordered a panini. My crepe had a freshness and taste of summer, and in a cold New England day it was a welcomed surprise. It had spinach, tomatoes, chicken and a mild cheese.
For dessert I had the orange Gran Manier crepe and my friend had the banana Nutella crepe. I took a bite of hers and was glad I had chosen correctly. She felt the same about hers. We were absolutely in heaven as we sipped the BEST BELLINI I have ever had.
It was a light delightful lunch.
It is one of my favorite spots in Portland, please disregard the folks who were expecting a 5 star restaurant in Paris. This is a delightful delicious privately owned restaurant in Portland ME. There are people on this post who would be mad becasue their rustic country cabin on the lake rental did not have a concierge service. It is a great spot.
I've been going to the Merry Table almost once a week since my initial visit in May of 2008. Don't be discouraged by the negative posts--this is one of the best restaurants in Portland. Are they on par with Hugo's or Fore St., of course not, but they aren't trying to be.
The food is exactly what you would find in France. My advice on a first visit: stick with the crepes and the french onion soup--you can't go wrong.
UGH! Unfortunately, I had a horrible experience at the Merry Table. We had three major problems- 1- We had three adults in our party and two children. My husband ordered the kids a fromage crepe for them to split. When our meals came out (about 30 minutes after we ordered,) the kids crepe was not served. When I went up to the counter to tell him, he acted as if we hadn't even ordered it! For any one's meal not to be served, the worst one to forget is the kids! 2- After my mediocre poulet crepe, and my husband's yummy fromage et jambon crepe, we ordered dessert crepes. On the board, the special was a chocolate crepe with strawberries and whipped creme; I ordered that and we also got a chocolate crepe for the kids, as well as a sucre and a souzette. Come to find out 5 minutes later, they have run out of chocolate. So we scrap the chocolate and strawberry one and order a substitute nutella one for the kids. My problem here was that if you have run out of something, take it off the board or be aware of this and tell us before we order. 3- when our desserts came, the sucre and souzette were fine, but our nutella had the bananas in it. Fine - misunderstanding - but when we initially order a plain chocolate crepe, that means if you don't have chocolate, then we want a plain nutella one instead!
Overall, the service was mediocre at best. We were not charged for the nutella crepe, and we were using our Portland Dine Around club card for a free crepe - the waitress did not punch our card, so we could use it again. I would not completely write this place off, but I had a very bad first impression. Not all the food was bad and not all the service was bad. Hope others have better luck!
If you are looking for an authentic "Nutella banane" crêpe like one you had in France, you will not find it here. The chocolate sauce is decidedly NOT Nutella, and nowhere in France did I ever have such a crêpe where they mashed up the bananas! I've not tried their savory selection, so perhaps they do better with these.
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