The scene: Before you waste another minute agonizing over what to wear to brunch, let’s address the potentially confusing name of this 4-month-old Lincoln Park cafe. The word couture is meant to apply to the attitude — not the dress code. The idea is to transfer the high-end, customized philosophy behind haute couture to the food, resulting in freshly prepared and “carefully crafted food, coffee and drinks,” according to the menu.
OK, so the logic is debatable. But this much is clear: You can leave the Dior in the closet. The twentysomething Lincoln Park and Lakeview crowd that frequents this place isn’t about to scoff at your T-shirt and flip-flops on a Saturday morning.
The space is bright and simple, with pop art adding splashes of color to an otherwise stark white space. Groups of more than two or three might have a hard time finding seating, but with free Wi-Fi and a counter running the length of one wall, it’s an ideal spot for solo diners — we spotted several tapping away on their laptops as they sipped coffee drinks.
The cuisine: You’ll find a few salads and panini on the menu, but let’s not kid ourselves. You’re here for the crepes. With more than 30 on the menu, you won’t want for options. Just don’t get too excited — it’s easy to go astray.
Our Crepe di Parma ($8.99) was typical of our experience. Filled with prosciutto, spinach, goat cheese and fig preserves, it had all the makings of a winner. Then we cut into it. And cut. The chewy prosciutto was no match for our knives.
The Italian crepes ($9.55) seemed foolproof, touting ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, pesto and aged balsamic vinaigrette. Except those ripe tomatoes were actually over-ripe tomatoes, and no amount of pesto and mozzarella could compensate.
Of the savory crepes we sampled, only the Monsterella ($7.50), filled with mozzarella, portabellas, bacon and sauteed spinach, didn’t leave us wishing we were waiting in line with the rest of the neighborhood up the street at La Creperie.
Fortunately, sweet crepes are hard to mess up. Throw in some Nutella, and you’re set. Couture Crepe takes it even further with the Snickers Wanna Be ($7.95), filled with Nutella and peanut butter, drizzled with caramel sauce and topped with crunchy whole peanuts and chopped chocolate.
Couture? That depends on your definition — but this gooey indulgence definitely made us glad we didn’t show up in Chanel.
The juice
Couture Crepe Cafe
2568 N. Clark St.
773-857-2638
2 (out of 4) eggs
Loved it: Fresh-squeezed juices and juice blends ($3.95-$4.50)
Hated it: A wobbly, vertigo-inducing table that couldn’t be fixed
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Cost: About $15 per person
Wait: None
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kpratt@tribune.com
