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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17 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.
Just stopped in for Lunch a few days ago, and it was utterly delightful. After experiencing what a good crepe should be in Quebec last summer, we were pleased to find these were every bit as good. Cozy atmosphere in the restuarant, friendly laid back service (as in, they were not trying to throw the check at you and get you out the door like a lot of places!). We had the Poireaux, Banana Nutella (yes, it was nutella, not sure what another post was talking about), and, I forget the name, but had carmelized onions, spinach, tomato & bechamel. We'll be back again next time we're in Portland!
That is insanity - I have SEEN the nutella jars! Just because your palate is not on par, do not criticize the restaurant! I am a foodie who lived in NY and Boston and married a chef/owner, I am picky - this is my favorite haunt in Portland and just because the people who go out once a week don't like, do not listen. I am glad that the tourist hated it - this should be a sacred place for those of us who live here and actually appreciate some yummy crepes - they are better than any that I ever had in Boston or NY and the owner is actually FRENCH!
It would seem that people's experiences here are really hit or miss. As the person who wrote three posts above about my inauthentic Nutella banane experience, I find it unfortunate that subsequent posters find it necessary to put others down for their opinions. Firstly, I am not a tourist (although I'm not quite sure why that is an insult; Maine thrives on its tourist industry and most tourists are really nice people.) Secondly, I too am picky and a foodie, with a culinary degree in fact. Perhaps my palate is not "on par" with that of the disdainful poster, but I do know what I'm talking about. Also, having lived in France and consumed hundreds of these things, I have something to compare it to. I knew that the owner of this restaurant was French, so I had high hopes. Unfortunately, as previously noted, nowhere in France did I ever have a Nutella banane crêpe that tasted or looked like the one I had at the Merry Table. Maybe they had run out of Nutella that night, who knows? And again, perhaps their other menu items are fantastic. The great thing is we can all sample and decide for ourselves. Let's keep it about the food, folks. Life is too short to be churlish with people we don't know... and people we do know, for that matter. Eat, drink, and be merry as they say. Bon appétit!
Why should anyone care if France didn't or did have Nutella/banana crepes? Is French cuisine now permentely locked in time without the ability of creative exploration for the future? Please don't limit any contries cuisine by it's past delights.
As we gingerly negotiated Wharf Street's cobblestones last Sunday afternoon, a fellow totally unknown to us emerged from The Merry Table, swore we would die for the crepes and paninis he had just experienced there, and went on his (merry?) way. Taking the "bait," we weren't disappointed -- we both had the "Poulet" crepes (with a glass of Shipyard Export) and enjoyed every morsel! Now we hope to return soon to sit at their "French Table" (first Thursday of every month?), even though our French is close to hopeless, the atmosphere, the service, and the menu, will be ravissant!
I visited today for the second time, and can report that both meals were fantastic! The crepes are wonderful (including the ham and cheese from the kid's menu for my 3 year old daughter). My partner and I had the croque monsieur and the cuban pannini today, both of which were fantastic. The Merry Table is one of Portland's hidden treasures - check it out. Don't be so hard on the place, folks above - this is truly a cozy and delicious place to eat.
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