For those who have yet to venture out into the slick, unpaved, icy sidewalks of Bexley, I would like to inform that a new crepe shop has opened right next to the Drexel Theater. The shop, C’est Si Bon (translates to “It’s so good” in French), recently relocated from Canal Winchester to right out front of our pearly gates.
Out of personal interest, I thought that a trip to the boutique-looking restaurant would be a lovely change of pace. Not to mention, any breakage from the MDR/One Main Café/Mezz is always refreshing. Us Cap students also get a 15 percent discount, another obvious perk.
And for those poor souls afflicted with Celiac disease, ask for the buckwheat batter, for only $1.25 extra. I was pleasantly surprised by the new Main Street addition, to say the least.
In regards to the atmosphere, there were a lot of warm and neutral colors that helped me forget the nipple-erecting temperature outside. It also had that lovely romantic feeling of a coffee shop that doesn’t make you feel too lonely if you go alone. C’est didn’t feel too French-restaurant-in-America either, which was a breath of fresh air. The only notable cliché about the place was the Eiffel Tower silhouette on the window of the shop, but that was easily forgiven and forgotten once inside. Based solely on the decorations, my expectations were somewhat high.
On the counter was a basket of unfamiliar potato chips that I decided I would try. Zapp’s Potato Chips are ordered straight from New Orleans to C’est, and the chips alone are worth the trip (I should clarify: I mean the trip to C’est, not New Orleans).
The Voodoo flavor tasted like tangy barbeque combined with the always delicious salt and vinegar duo. The chips were only $1—so, while I may have felt slight dietary guilt, I could mentally justify it with the price.
As for the crepes (because that is the specialty of the place), the scope of options is impressive. The menu is divided by sweet and savory crepes, with 13 and 19 options, respectively. The savory crepes range in price from $6.25 to $10.25, while the sweet crepes are slightly cheaper, ranging from $4.75 to $5.25.
By no means should trips to C’est Si Bon be a regular outing for a college student, but if you find that you should treat yourself (and we all should treat ourselves every once in a while), a sweet crepe from C’est Si Bon is in just the right price range to do so.
After pondering over the menu for what felt like an hour (because, there really are a lot of options), I decided on a savory veggie crepe and a sweet lavender & lemon crepe. Everything in the store is made to order, so there was a slight wait time, but having fresh food will always trump a reasonable wait time.
After about a seven-minute wait time for my veggie crepe, my food was brought out to me. The crepe was filled with spinach, sundried tomatoes, pesto, and feta cheese. The wilted spinach and pesto added a level of moisture that was necessary in the crepe without giving it that overwhelming soggy texture that can occasionally happen.
The casing of the crepe was light and fluffy, but didn’t seem to add any additional flavor. I decided to only eat half of the crepe, as I had another one coming, and didn’t want to overstuff myself. That being said, I think only ordering one would have been sufficient. The crepe gave you that comfortable feeling of satiation without feeling over-stuffed.
When I was finished with my first crepe, my lavender & lemon crepe came out. Aesthetically, the sweet crepe wasn’t as impressive as the other since the flavors came more from oils and herbs, making the crepe essentially flat. That being said, the flavor was more than present. The lemon flavor was really refreshing (lemon is a natural palate cleanser), but the lemon seemed to overwhelm the subtle lavender buds, sparsely distributed throughout the crepe.
The casing of the crepe was the same batter as used in the savory recipes, but is was somewhat moist—more moist than I would have liked, but considering there to be virtually no contents, I suppose it can be forgiven. It was garnished with a powdered sugar coating that felt like a flavorless frivolous afterthought, but upped the presentation points.
Despite my criticisms of the sweet crepe, I will certainly be back to try the countless other savory/sweet combinations at C’est Si Bon. And for those who are afraid of their car not starting on Valentine’s Day and/or don’t want to break the bank to eat some yummy food with that special someone (or somebodies, if that’s how you roll), C’est Si Bon is the place to go.
alaws@capital.edu
