While Lakeview has gone from dilapidated to desirable over the past four decades, La Creperie restaurant is one thing that has remained a constant. Since 1972, the family-owned eatery has been churning out traditional and unusual crepes and cocktails, making it one of Chicago's time-honored bistros. La Creperie celebrates its 40th anniversary on June 1 with a week-long celebration of French fare, kicking off today.
Owners Germain and Sara Roignant moved to Chicago in 1969, after meeting in Europe (she grew up locally in Joliet). Germain had a love for the sweet and savory crepes he ate as a child, and initially suggested selling crepes from a cart. But the location at 2845 N. Clark—then a rundown area of East Lakeview—was too hard to pass up.
The restaurant housed an area for cooking up front, a garden in the back, and enough room in between for 10 tables. Germain says that a February 1973 article in a local newspaper brought customers in by the dozens, while the gentrification over the next 20 years made the little shop a home away from home on Clark Street.
“Preparing and serving crepes is very rewarding and we are grateful to our loyal customers who have dined with us over the years,” Roignant says. As a special thank you to his guests, starting tonight La Creperie is offering a week’s worth of specials: anniversary crepes and music today, a $40 prix-fixe dinner on Wednesday, and “Neighborhood Appreciation Crepe Night” on Thursday. And for the grand finale? The restaurant will celebrate “La Creperie Day” by rolling back prices to when the restaurant opened in 1972 (we’re talking 40 cents for a crepe). Check out La Creperie’s website for all of the details.
Eater intern Alison Kessler contributed this article.
[Photo: Yelp]