
What are the best crepes in Minnesota? Before I tried the newish crepes truck Marie Antoinette Crepes—slogan: Let Them Eat Crepes, not Off With Their Crepes, which might have been better—my list would have gone like this:
#1: The Meritage crepe stand: So tender, so fresh, so French, so perfect in every way. The ham and cheese is just classic—salty and tangy from the fillings, a little sweet from the crepe batter, absolutely balanced. J’adore! The other classics, sugar, Nutella, are pitch-perfect too, and the chef-driven ones, such as pulled pork and apple slaw, are the fanciest and most delicious thing you can typically have as you walk the sidewalks of St. Paul.
#2: Patisserie 46: Not always available, but now and then something like a whole spinach omelet inside a just-made crepe; yes, it’s the size of a purse, yes, it’s a fork-and-knife endeavor, but in that it carries forth the Patisserie 46 spirit of knocking your socks off, in every dimension.
#3: Lucia’s To-Go: Did you know the quick-serve side of Lucia’s, Lucia’s To-Go, has crepes each and every day? True! Beyond reproach, a sweet and also a savory crepe all the time, the maple syrup butter crepe does double duty as pancakes-all-day, and Lucia’s offers a lot of savory vegetarian options too, such as mushroom and cheese, onions and cheese, and so on.
But then I went to Marie Antoinette Crepes. When I first beheld the menu I was delighted with the unusual options: Nutella banana; banana and salted Ghirardelli caramel; turkey, cheddar, and paprika aioli; fig preserves and chevre; egg, cheddar, and bacon jam . . . I made it to the truck one sunshine-y day at Mears Park in St. Paul, and I rejoiced to find that there were only three people in front of me in line. Half an hour later, seriously, half an hour later, I had some crepes. I don’t know. Everyone was getting two, but after a while I began to feel like I could fly to Paris before I’d get some food. And the bananas in my banana salted caramel one were big chunks of cold banana that were awkward to eat. But the Croque Monsieur was very tasty, with ham and Swiss united by a creamy Mornay sauce and a nice zesty Stella Artois mustard. Taste-wise, I loved Marie Antoinette’s crepe-batter, slightly sweet, tender, rich, just right. On the basis of the Croque Monsieur crepe alone I’d put Marie Antoinette somewhere in my top four, maybe even at number 3, unseating Lucia’s, but the next time I go I’m going to make sure I’m not pressed for time—I love slow food, except when I don’t. That said, all of the top four on this page can go head-to-head with the best street foods of France, and if anyone tells you otherwise, tell them I said they’re full of crepes.
Find Marie Antoinette Crepes on Twitter (@thatcrepetruck) and Facebook.











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