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Jeff Kraus’ crepes, those lusciously thin French pancakes made with light sauces and fillings, have gone from an award-winning food truck to a Tempe storefront. And it’s here that one can find his creations — loaded with quality ingredients, masterfully prepared, and presented as sheer works of art — in both sweet and savory forms. From the Papa K (more or less the crepe version of a ham and cheese hoagie); to the mildly spicy “breakfast burrito” drizzled in an avocado salsa; to the Nutella, strawberry, torched banana, and candied walnut sensation called the First Time, there isn’t a clunker in the bunch. In fact, once you’ve had one, it’s much more fun to try another rather than stick with a favorite. Assorted teas as well as espresso, cold brew, and pour-over coffees are as carefully prepared as the fare.
Good French cooking can be hard to find in Phoenix. When Crepe Bar opened its doors last year, we Chow Bella-ers jumped all over it. Not only was there finally a good place to grab delicious French co... More »
Two restaurants known for their fresh and interesting take on breakfast -- it only makes sense to put them up against each other. And, no, this is no battle of the crepes. That would be too easy. Thi... More »
Looking for something to put in your mouth this weekend? We've got you covered. Check out what's on our plate. See also: - Local Food Trucks (And Lots of Alt Rock) at That Damn Show 2013 in Mesa on ... More »
Twenty chefs, hundreds of people, and thousands of caramels -- Smeeks and Chow Bella's Caramelpalooza 2013, held Friday night at Biltmore Fashion Park, was (if we say so ourselves) the biggest and be... More »
Phoenix coffee connoisseur Perry Czopp knows a hell of a lot about coffee. He's made a commitment to helping others learn about the art of all things java through his business, The Coffee Chop. The Ch... More »
There are two types of people in this world: Jeff Kraus, and the rest. His standards for quality are so incomprehensibly high, and the degree to which he is committed to setting and resetting the bar, is second to none. To classify him as a "first-class chef," would not only be an understatement, but an insult, to such a holy, culinary Titan. And to question the authority of his powers are to question the existence of our universe. He is a magical being, sent here from a far away realm to gift us with his paradoxical art, and spread hand-crafted goodness across the lands. If one be so lucky, he may deem one worthy to dine upon such unworldly treasures.
Any soul incapable of understanding, appreciating, or deigning themselves to the glory of Jeff Kraus, is unworthy of our precious oxygen (generated by the hand-picked, Agritopian, produce he nurtures), let alone dining upon his galactic crêpes.
I tracked down the Truckin Good Food crepe truck several times. His crepe creations are great and show the work of an artist. It is good to hear his restaurant is now open. I'll be there for breakfast.
My husband and I checked it out yesterday and I went back today to get take-out for us for breakfast. We tried the nutella and banana crepe yesterday. I thought it was good, although my husband wasn't too impressed, just because smearing a pre-made condiment is not as cool as making your own fabulous hazelnut sauce from scratch. My husband was therefore excited to try the crepe with custard and berries so I went in today and ordered.
The woman at the counter was very nice and kindly apologized - she said that they can't make the custard crepe to-go because it is served on a rectangular plate. I scratched my head and said, "umm, that's ok that it's not presented a certain way for take out, we just really want to eat it..." We get take-out all the time so we know that, sure, food is usually prettier and better in the restaurant, but we're not holding that against anybody, especially when we are the ones choosing to eat it at home instead of in the restaurant! She quietly continued to apologize and said she wasn't allowed to do it. She got the chef, Jeff, who came up to explain that perfection is the most important thing so they couldn't give me the crepe.
Really?
I said that we really wanted that specific crepe. Jeff then explained that the custard might start to melt if it was a take-out order. I said that we still wanted to try the crepe even if does start to melt, that's fine, we can live with that, we want to see what it tastes like anyway. The chef seemed taken aback, confused, and almost offended. He asked how far away I live. I said, "Oh! Right across the street!" We really do live right across the street from the place, and I was excited thinking that he might actually give me permission to buy his crepe from him since I could get it home quickly. He said, "Yeah, see it would start to melt by the time you'd get it home." Ok, why did you bother asking me how far away I live if it doesn't matter? Jeff became increasingly sarcastic and was adamant that I sacrifice my breakfast to appease his need for perfection.
I called my husband to see what he would want to do. He said, "Oh, just explain to them that it would only take 2 minutes to get it home." Yeah, we already tried that.
All I want to do is buy food from your restaurant and eat it! Why is that so wrong!?
Tempe diners (and the rest of us) should thank their lucky stars that Jeff Kraus, the man behind ++Experience++ and the currently defunct Truckin' Good Food truck is putting his innovative spin on French cuisine in the form of crepes -- those luscious thin pancakes with various toppings or fillings -- at this strip-mall eatery on the northwest corner of Elliot and Rural roads. Done differently (and deliciously), Kraus' stellar sweet and savory crepe creations, made with locally and... More »
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