Restaurant Sat Sep 15 2007

Going Dutch at Pannekoeken Cafe

I have never eaten a pannekoeken, but I'm familiar with the Dutch dish, which is a thin, large hybrid of a crepe and pancake that can be topped with savory or sweet items. I realized that very few restaurants in the city actually sell pannekoeken, so when Pannekoeken Cafe opened in Lincoln Square (4757 N. Western) I was all over it.

The menu is a bit small, but isn't limited to pannekoeken; the offerings also extend into conventional breakfast dishes, such as omelets and waffles. The pannekoeken is offered in apple, chocolate banana, and bacon and cheese varieties. Pancakes, which were advertised on the version of the menu fastened to the window, were mysteriously absent from the menus we received. Our table ordered the Apple Pannekoeken and Veggie Omelet with raisin toast.

The food was quite good (my camera batteries ran out of juice, rendering this review pictureless). The Pannekoeken was topped with whipped cream, sugared nuts, and raw, sliced apples, much to my surprise, as I thought the apples would be cooked to some extent. It was tasty nonetheless. The veggie omelet was packed with finely chopped peppers and mushrooms, and was also very good. Adding to the experience, each dish on the menu costs under $10.

The only negative points of Pannekoeken is the tiny size of the restaurant, which seats under 20 people, making for a long wait (and a crammed space to eat). We got there early and still ended up waiting 45 minutes for a table. We also had a host who seemed to be on another planet, probably overwhelmed with the flow of diners. However, I recommend going, especially soon; for the month of September, they have a deal where diners receive 20% off a selected menu item each day.

— Robyn Nisi / Comments (1)