Authentic French Cuisine in Mt. Washington

1609 Sulgrave Ave Baltimore MD 21209  410-542-9000

The Crêpe Du Jour was established in 1997 by husband and wife team Mustapha and Donna Snoussi. They had just relocated to Baltimore after living in Paris, France and began their first business by opening an upscale kiosk in the outside atrium of The Village of Cross Keys where they sold crêpes, panini, salads and more.

Crêpe Du Jour is returning to Cross Keys on April 4th for the spring, summer season.

The business was a success and they had acquired the clientele needed which would later support them in the opening of their Mt. Washington restaurant in 2000. The restaurant has expanded with the opening of an all year round heated terrace. Crêpe Du Jour has been part of the “Zagat” restaurant guide since 2003 where they describe dining on the terrace on a long summer evening as “almost feeling like Paris”. The owner is often present to greet the guests and assure the quality of the food is at its best.

Mustapha and Donna Snoussi began Crêpe Du Jour in 1997 at The Village of Cross Keys.  Their hard work and good food created a loyal and growing  following throughout the area. While maintaining  the very successful restaurant in nearby Mt. Washington Village, the Snoussis haven't forgotten their roots, and will return in April and operate a kiosk to the delight of the Cross Keys Villagers.

Mustapha's secret crêpe recipe reveled!

Little known fact could come in handy...

Have a Hangover?  Crêpe Du Jour may have a cure.    Read more

Crepe Du Jour remains a French charmer

   In Crepe Du Jour, owner/chef Mustapha Snoussi and his wife, Donna Morris-Snoussi have created a little piece of France that's so appealing even Ann Tyler's Accidental Tourist would be at ease.
 

   Leaving aside the crepes suzettes, salade nicoise, croques monsieurs, assiettes des crudites and other well-made French cafe specialties, they have man­aged, through charm and creativity, to combine many of the most adorable aspects of French culture and exclude all of those with which Americans tend to lose patience.

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   Formerly located in the Village of Cross Keys courtyard, the restaurant moved indoors to this Mount Washington spot in November, bringing with it a throng of faithful customers,
including many classes of enthusiastic stu­dents of French from local schools.

The new digs are simply deco­rated in cheerful colors that might have jumped from Claude Monet's dining room: bright squash and pumpkin. And while the restaurant can be crowded, it also feels relaxed and intimate.

The friendly atmosphere may well be the result of Mustapha Snoussi's presence in the kitchen area, which overlooks the dining room. From his station behind two crepe-making irons, he chats up his patrons while he swirls the batter or flips the finished crepes onto plates.

The crêpes are magnifique” at this “teeny” “hole-in-the-wall” in “the center of Mt. Washington”, where fans go because of the food  which is authentically French”; “the name is deceptive”, as “they serve salads, soups, omelets and mains” too, all of which are “great”, “except on cold nights” when the “air rushes in”; go “for a long summer evening” “on the deck” instead, when the namesake and a café au lait “almost feel like Paris.”  ZAGATSURVEY review.

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In a rakish blue beret and chef’s apron over a turtleneck, he looks every inch the classic cafe proprietor. His charming presence extends to engaging conversations in French, which he will naturally and casually translate if you look at all alarmed.

An accompanying ramekin of mayonnaise proved particularly popular at our table for use on the shrimp, which was a little flavorless. For a main-course crepe, we chose "la Notre Dame." With a filling of ham, eggs and Gruyere, it was a paragon of savory crepes: light, fresh and full of favorite flavor notes.

Croque monsieur, a grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich straight from the heart of French cafe cuisine, made a crunchy, rich and warming entree.

Afterward, we concentrated our full gustatory powers on dessert in the form of crepes: suzette, St. Germain and plain with orange marmalade. All were delicious and light. The St. Germain was the grandest, with its caramelized apple slices and ice cream, but the crepe suzette, awash In butter, citrus zest and Grand Marnier, was like delicious bites of France. The marmalade crepe was simple, sweet and buttery.

Crepe Du Jour currently serves its crepe-and-sandwich menu for breakfast, lunch and supper, but the Snoussis are slowly, carefully expanding their repertoire. This year, they will likely add more complex, non-crepe dinners. If the bowl of New Year's lobster bisque that M. Snoussi kindly ladled up for us to sample is a sign of things to come, the new dishes will be delightful.

Also, look for outdoor seating In the front of the restaurant and on a back deck as soon as the weather cooperates.

In 2003, Crepe Du Jour, won the  Baltimore City Paper's endorsement for a  Best of Baltimore's Award:  the category was the coveted

"Best Restaurant for:

Hangover-Nursing"

Probably you have your own ritual for the morning after. Probably it has nothing to do with the morning as we've come to know it, but some latter part of the day. Maybe eggs are involved, and bacon or sausage, and gallons of coffee. If it has anything to do with "the hair of the dog," you're officially a problem drinker. We want you to try something a little civilized.  Hop on the Light Rail (we're assuming you don't know where your car is yet) and detrain at the Mount Washington stop. Walk a few paces over to the sweet little Crêpe Du Jour and head directly for the (covered!) back patio.  nspect, if you like, the menu of savory and sweet crêpes, panini, and salads, but take our advice and get the crêpe with Nutella and bananas.  The banana will replenish your body with the potassium that recently leaked out of your system, and the Nutella (a highly addictive chocolate-hazelnut spread popular throughout Europe) will completely coat over the fuzz that's grown on your tongue.

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First, the recipe below is the standard one, but a simple recipe made with buckwheat flour, water, salt and olive oil (1/2 cup, ¾ cup, a pinch, and 3 tablespoons respectively) is a great variation for savory crepes.  For best results use a large skillet with shallow sides. Heat the skillet, but don't get it smoking; add a little butter or oil, and season the pan with your first crepe (make a little extra batter for this). The batter should be fairly runny, not at all thick and viscous. Pour enough to quickly coat the bottom of the skillet, then spread it around with the bottom of a spoon. But work quickly! The batter sets almost instantly. Use a spatula to loosen the crepe from the pan, and flip it over when it first appears to be cooked through. Heat the other side for a few moments, then transfer to a plate and stuff away!

Mustapha's BASIC CRÊPE RECIPE

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the secret F