Crêpe & Coffee Palace, 2433, North Clark Street, Chicago

[Al-khiyal]

Crêpe & Coffee Palace

Crêpes and coffee may scream "brunch" to you, but it'd be a mistake not to visit this lively Algerian spot for lunch or dinner. The savory crêpes start out vegetarian with the option to add as many carnivorous ingredients (chicken, smoked salmon, escargot) as you like. But the "palace crêpe," bursting with arugula, goat cheese and roasted garlic, is packed with so many rich flavors that you won't miss the meat. Organic cappuccinos, glasses of cucumber water and free bowls of soup make the deal as sweet as our favorite ending: the mango-and-ginger-chutney-filled "crêpe buena."

2433, North Clark Street between Fullerton Parkway and Arlington Plaza (773-404-1300). El: Brown, Purple (rush hours), Red to Fullerton. Bus: 22 (24 hrs), 36, 74. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Average main course: $7. BYOB/Vegetarian-friendly

[Al-khiyal]

Crepe & Coffee Palace :
Cozy Algerian coffeehouse

May 1, 2010 -- Can a hidden treasure be in plain sight? On a busy stretch of Clark just north of Fullerton, you'll find this delightful Algerian-style eatery. The walls are festooned with rugs and other North African gewgaws, and Arabic pop plays on a small boom box. The only giveaway that you're in Chicago is the annoying intermittent noise from the parking garage next door. A sign on the window says "Hot crêpes day and night," and indeed you can pretty much get any kind of crêpe you can imagine. Dinner starts off with homemade soup, either roast chicken or vegetable, gently spiced and wonderfully porridgelike. My crêpe was a heavenly spongy wedge bursting with fresh ingredients: mixed greens, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, toasted pine nuts, mozzarella, and merguez sausage. It was thoroughly satisfying by itself, but skipping dessert at a crêpe place is like getting decaf at Intelligentsia. I went for one with raspberry jam and Belgian dark chocolate. It arrived drizzled with chocolate sauce and decked with a miniature drink umbrella atop a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Authentic Turkish coffee, served tableside, was a perfect complement. Prices are extremely reasonable.