Restaurant Mon Nov 26 2007

Crepes, Algerian-style

The second location of Icosium Kafe, on the corner of Clark and Foster, opened this past spring and promises to have more staying power than previous occupants of the space. The crepes on the menu are not your run-of-the-mill, ham-and-cheese-filled French variety but rather more substantial, heavy-on-the-vegetables Algerian style crepes.

The Carthage Crepe (pictured above) is packed to the gills with peppers, tomatoes, scallions, greens, basil, walnuts and feta. And for those who require meat in order to call it a meal, there is a list of available add-ins including smoked salmon, chicken breast, turkey and even Halal Merguaz, i.e. Algerian lamb sausage.

The “Sweet” side of the menu offers even more selection than the savory side, including freshly made ice cream from Petersen’s of Oak Park. Any crepe with a chocolate filling can be made with either Nutella or Belgian chocolate, including the Crepe d’Amour. This crepe is stuffed with juicy raspberries (frozen at this time of year), slathered with the melted chocolate of your choice.

Despite distinguishing itself from the standard French creperie, Icosium serves up crepes that are as tender and flavorful as any I’ve eaten in France. I’ll be heading back to this busy corner soon to try the seven other crepes I was tempted by on my last visit. This place is just another example of the delicious results that are born of the marriage of two cultures, fusion food at its best.

— Dana Currier / Comments (0)