“French pancakes.” This is what crêpes were named in the United States in the mid-19^th century, having first appeared ten thousand years ago before spreading to all societies and cultures. Made with eggs, milk, flour, butter, and sugar, the American version was cooked in the oven and was nothing like the delicate, lacy whisps that have become a mainstay of the Breton reputation. Brittany is still the region where the most crêpes are consumed today. When they are made with wheat flour, crêpes are served with a sweet filling, such as jam, Nutella, cinnamon apples, or banana and peanut butter. However, if the batter is made using buckwheat flour, they drop the name “crêpe” and are referred to as galettes, served with a savory garnish.

In the early 20^th century, America was introduced to crêpes Suzette, drizzled with a sauce made with caramelized sugar, butter, orange juice, and Grand Marnier liqueur. This dessert, often attributed to legendary French chef Auguste Escoffier, was sometimes even flambéed before serving and was a huge hit from Baltimore to Los Angeles. Like the fabric that gave the dish its name, crêpes Suzette is light, sophisticated, and popular. It quickly became the most fashionable French dessert around. Even General Andrews, who was tasked with enforcing Prohibition, couldn’t resist indulging in this alcohol-infused delicacy while traveling on the France transatlantic liner!

The reign of crêpes Suzette ended in the 1950s. “Crêpes are not by any means limited to desserts,” wrote the New York Times in 1959, in an article entitled “Crêpes: More Than Suzette.” The culinary doors were flung open to all flights of fancy – and ingredients. Whether with curried shrimp, crab in Mornay sauce, spinach in Béchamel sauce, lobster, onion soup, or beef bourguignon, crêpes were eaten in a world of new ways. The Magic Pan restaurant, which opened in San Francisco in 1966, innovated with a device capable of cooking eight crêpes at a time, and rolled out its concept across more than 100 different locations.