Table for Two

Savory or sweet, crêpes to write home about!

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Fresco Crêperie & Café
150A E Park Ave., Long Beach
(516) 897-8097,
www.frescocreperie.com

The concept behind Fresco is simple – crêpes to match every mood, taste and time of day. Add to that a homemade soup, exotic salad, wine, beer and/or coffee creation, and you’ll have a hearty meal or satisfying snack.
Louis Corcione and Steven Guasco opened Fresco in 2000. At the time, Guasco also owned Steve’s Pasta, which Corcione managed. Both partners are Long Beach residents who have traveled extensively, share a life-long passion for food and cooking, and are talented chefs. They opened an identical Fresco in Williston Park.
Décor is a bit of industrial chic – high ceilings, contemporary fixtures, exposed painted pipes, stainless steel bistro tables, and a sleek open kitchen. Food items are made from scratch and always fresh. Crêpes are created with whole buckwheat flour, which is huge in Europe, especially France.
Homemade soups change frequently. We enjoyed both the vegetarian Lentil and the creamy Potato Leek. Nova lovers will adore Smoked Salmon Salad – huge slices of salmon among crumbled goat cheese (giving it that lox ‘n cream cheese effect), fresh chives and cucumbers, tossed with field greens and house vinaigrette. A side of the same field greens comes with each of the 13 savory crêpe options. We shared the Blue Cheese – a delicious crêpe filled with blue cheese, chicken and walnuts. Choices of the savory span from the breakfast style Complete (Gruyere cheese, ham, egg and onion), to options like Seafood (scallops, shrimp, roasted peppers and peas), or Country Style (sausage and sliced potatoes with caramelized onion and cheddar).
Fresco’s sweet crêpes are a must, whether you have one for dessert or stop in for a snack with one of their sensational coffee concoctions. Banana Nutella speaks for itself. Cinnamon Apple was like apple pie in a crêpe. Both came ala mode (vanilla ice cream), dusted with powdered sugar, garnished with fruit. We topped it off with Café Au Lait – a frothy-crowned espresso with steamed milk served in a tall glass.
Savory crêpes are $11.25 to $12.75. Sweet (dessert) crêpes are $5.95 to $7.25; add $2.50 for two scoops of ice cream. Salads are $6.75 to $12.75, soups, $3.95 to $4.95, and coffees, $1.95 to $4.50.
 Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. Delivery is available to Long Beach, Lido Beach and Island Park. Bring cash; no credit cards are accepted. An ATM is on premises.

Recommendations:
■ Lentil Soup
■ Potato Leek Soup
■ Smoked Salmon Salad
■ Blue Cheese Crêpe
■ Cinnamon Apple Crêpe
■ Banana Nutella Crêpe
■ Café Au Lait