Gluten-Free Crepes Available for Catering - Exclusive Interview

From miamicrepes.net

Chef Jonathan Bierley Sr. of Miami Crepes gave me some great news.  Chef Jonathan said:

"more and more customers are asking for gluten free and vegetarian options. It is becoming the new food revolution that other caterers neglect. This is why I have dedicated a section of my website and my business to fill this void and to inform people of the gluten free choices that are out there in the world."

Chef Jonathan was kind enough to let me have ask him some questions about his new Gluten-Free catering - here's the dish:

Gluten Free CREPES (yes Crepes!!) in Coral Gables!!!

The Crepe Maker, a restaurant inspired by the delicious crepes in France can now be found in 6 states throughout the U.S. See all locations here.

I was fortunate enough to meet Doreen, who owns the Coral Gables franchise of the Crepe Maker at a Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce networking event. She handed me her card and I said I wish I could partake in a delicious crepe, but, I'd have to go all the way to the keys to have a gluten free crepe. Doreen immediately said her and her Husband, Robert, the crepe master would happily accommodate Celiac's, and they regularly do!! I hugged Doreen, I think she may have thought I was nuts, but, HOW EXCITED are you to think of REGULARLY having gluten free crepes?!?!

Best Gluten Free Crepe Ever?!?!

Sometimes you are just at the right place, at the right time! It was a girls weekend getaway - celebrating my belated birthday. We decided to head to Key West, it's close (driving distance from us in Miami) and always a good time. I was worried about food options, as it turns out, rightfully so (but, I'll get to that later)...

On Saturday afternoon we decided to get pampered, and headed to a local salon for manicures and pedicures. The prior night I was glutened at Santiago's Bodega... I told the waitress I was gluten free (reviews stated the restaurant was GF accommodating) and specifically asked about 5 menu items, I am a meat and potatoes kinda girl, and asked about the lamb chops, chicken, potatoes, etc. She came back and said all were well, she confirmed it with the chef... But, whether or not she really checked is beyond me... Bottom line, if you're gluten free, DON'T order the lamb chops... And you're better off speaking to the manager to discuss menu items before ordering...

So... after my sad experience, one friend in particular decided to make it her mission to find a GREAT gluten free restaurant for me to enjoy the next day. We were discussing restaurants and menu items at the salon, and funny enough - the woman sitting next to my friend say "Are you a Celiac"? So funny how she knew from tiny tidbits of conversation that didn't even specifically discuss gluten in any way. She went on to tell us she was the owner of French Cafe Creperie and made GLUTEN FREE CREPES!!!!! I was shocked, I've longed for crepes and put them out of my mind. She uses buckwheat flour, and has Celiac friends she's made them for, hence her deep knowledge of Celiac disease and desire to cater to the gluten free community. Needless to say, I loved her instantly. She let us know we needed to "pre-order" the gluten free crepes, so of course, we did instantly. It takes her 24 hours to prepare the gluten free crepe - so ORDER before you go!

The next morning, we anxiously head to La Creperie in Key West. It is a quaint low key restaurant with a wonderful stress free key west kinda vibe. The crepes are made in front of you, if you choose to sit at the bar, there is also other indoor, and outdoor seating. Word to the wise, BRING CASH - its a cash only restaurant - but, sooo well worth it!

Here's a sneak peak at the menu items. The owner was FANTASTIC, SOOO accommodating! She remembered us from the salon and went through the menu with me and specifically discussed which would be best pair with my gluten free crepe. She was most excited to tell us about the "red velvet" sweet crepe ($8.50). It had a raspberry chocolate ganache, fresh strawberries, scoop of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream on top. (For us GF folk, we only needed to subtract the raspberry coulis - which she immediately advised me). After hearing of this delicious sweet crepe, I knew this was a must.

On to the savory crepe. The owner raved about the Ratatouille ($11.25) - which has tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, red and green peppers (thankfully both are sweet), onions, garlic, herbs and melted swiss cheese. I am not a vege lover, but, onions, herbs, cheese, and red peppers sold me. I decided to be adventurous.

I started with an expresso - a single (at least that's what it was supposed to be) - it was ginormous! In a real coffee cup, strong and delicious! No way I could have finished it. A great start though.

I shared the savory and sweet crepes. We started with the savory Ratatouille.

This gives you a good idea of the yumminess inside the crepe. For someone like me that isn't in love with veges, this was a pleasure to eat. The cheese was delightful, not a sharp swiss, a savory one. The veges were not strong, they complemented the crepe and cheese perfectly - (I even ate most of them!).

Next up, RED VELVET!! Just thinking about it makes me want a return trip.

This is my half of the crepe, it is filled with delicious chocolate, covered with strawberries and ice cream. Oh my!

Since you know I am a chocoholic, I did ask for additional chocolate to smoother the crepe with, and I was obliged easily - (after I was laughed at... but, that's ok!). There's never enough chocolate!!

I had such a delightful experience at La Creperie and hope you get to make your way down to Key West to enjoy it as well. I've never had a better crepe, and will make you the same bet, you'll be hard pressed to find a better gluten free crepe!

HUGE THUMBS UP for La Creperie!!!