Crêperies

Living in France during my French undergrad studies definitely had its perks when it came to its cuisine. I recall with nostalgia my daily visits to the local boulangerie for a demi-baguette or to one of a number of corner-block pâtisseries where I often indulged in a pain au chocolat (sometimes two, maybe even three). Best of all, however, I cherished those moments where I'd satiate my appetite with a (savoury) galette or a (sweet) crêpe, be it while wandering the labyrinthine streets in the old part of town or taking a picturesque stroll along the Promenade des Anglais. Ahh ... those were the days!

Although crêperies are nothing new in North America and, in general, are fairly consistent when it comes to their dessert crêpes (one can hardly go wrong with dessert!), I still haven't stumbled upon a galette quite like the ones I inhaled in France, particularly during my brief séjour in Rennes, the Breton capital famous for its thin buckwheat-flour pancakes ("les galettes bretonnes"). To this day, I am still in search of that perfect galette here on this side of the Atlantic ...

Though none has come close, here are a few Toronto crêperies that may, at the very least, satisfy your cravings till your next flight to France:

• Café Crêpe: is great if you're looking for a dessert crêpe (my all-time favourites are the cinnamon sugar and dark chocolate banana—simple and oh-so-good!). However, if your focus is on a savoury meal, I'd recommend one of the other crêperies mentioned below. The galettes here are made with the same batter used for the dessert crêpes and are therefore too thick, too heavy, and too dry. The spinach galette? Imagine a plain flour tortilla filled with canned spinach and nothing else (no cheese, no sauce, no oil, no dressing—nothing). To illustrate just how dry that galette would feel in your mouth, you'd have to rely on lots of water in between bites to assist the digestion process. I ordered a similar galette on another occasion (just in case kitchen staff were being absent-minded that one particular day), but the savoury crêpes appear to be consistent—consistently awful, that is.
• Crêpes à GoGo: gets a high rating. French-owned and -operated (chatted with the proprietor, Valérie, who hails from Marseille), this crêperie offers a solid menu of both crêpes and galettes, with just the right amount of filling in every bite. Although seating is limited and overall prices are a bit steeper than at Café Crêpe, the taste and quality of the ingredients definitely make the trip to Yorkville worth its while.
• Jules Bistro: could be better. While the crêpes are prepared in generous portions and are quite pleasing to the palette, don't even think about customizing your order—to my dismay, I learned that they come pre-made and frozen, so elimination of any ingredient isn't made possible. Needless to say, I was not all too impressed ...
• Le Papillon (on Front): is one I frequent on a fairly regular basis. The quality and presentation vary, depending on the kitchen staff at any given moment, but it certainly hasn't precluded me from going back, time and again. My usual? The crêpe florentine with the garlic mushrooms, followed by the crêpe banane royale for dessert—perfect with a flute of Café de Paris for either brunch or dinner.

Crêpe banane royale (Le Papillon)