Intimate, Hip Crepe Restaurant Headed to City

If you’ve been around lately you might have noticed a towering Eiffel Tower on a sign filling the window of , a restaurant passing that some Grosse Pointers still lament.

But there may be reason to move on--on to what might be the opposite of a burger joint: a creperie!

The poster with the imposing tower speaks to passersby in French and English and invites them to experience What Crepe, a funky, Euro-inspired crepe restaurant now serving its savory- and sweet-filled delicacies in downtown Royal Oak and Birmingham.

If a lease is signed as expected, says James V. Bellanca Jr., an attorney who oversees a family trust that owns this property and others in the Village, What Crepe could open this summer.

Bellanca said the lease could be signed any day and that he and the owners are excited about the potential of a Grosse Pointe location to be a draw.

While some are asking why another crepe restaurant when there’s already the , others are saying the restaurant will be a welcomed change to Village--to all the Pointes.

What Crepe would fill one of the smaller vacant shops in The Village, but it would come at a time when big changes seem to be on the horizon for the business district. and the . The Village has several vacant spots, including the prominent , but it could get a boost in activity when the at the end of the year or early in 2013.

In the meantime, What Crepe could up the funk factor locally, add variety to the commercial landscape and potentially keep Pointers eating and buying here instead of leaving for downtown Detroit or Oakland County. It might also be a draw to visitors.

What Crepe serves breakfast, lunch and dinne, and City Manager Peter Dame said it would have a liquor license, letting it pair drinks with its menu items such The Revolution, a crepe with warm butter and cinnamon or The Spicy Chicken Truffle, a mixture of pan-seared chicken, Swiss cheese, spinach and a truffle zip made with a spicy kick.

There are build your own sweet or savory crepes as well as vegetarian and vegan selections on the menu as well.

Chef and co-owner Paul Jenkins, known for his creativity and his work running an event planning, marketing and production company that worked with entertainers such as P Diddy, Alicia Keys and John Legend, has not returned calls for comment. Co-owner Kermit Harris also could not be reached to discuss more details. When Patch hears from them, its readers will too.

Until then the sign hanging in the window facing Kercheval Avenue extends this invitiation:

Sommes-nous a Paris?

Peut-etre que Montreal?

Peut-etre le Quebec?

Je sais, le Bresil

Where else can you be in 4 different parts of the world in 1 visit?

What Crepe – Coming SOON.