Spice of Life: Cafe offers access to organic
Last Modified: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 5:46 PM
By Eric Cormier / American Press
From the start, let’s get something straight about one of downtown Lake Charles’ newest restaurants, which happens to be called Bonte Creperie and Cafe.
Even though the walls of the eatery — currently at 709 Ryan St., inside Gigi’s Fitness Center — are filled with carrots, pineapples, greens, cucumbers, green apples, tomatoes and other fresh edibles, do not get the idea that the owner is an organic foods freak.
I almost came to that conclusion, but 33-year-old Rebecca Breaux is rather pleasant when it comes to talking about matters of farming and cooking natural foods.
Breaux is a stickler for buying and preparing organic foods from around the area, but she displays a certain amount of pragmatism about the topic. The lady is not your typical organic food fanatic who looks down on two-legged carnivores and Walmart shoppers.
“It’s about getting back to basics. Organic is just the way things are meant to be grown,” she said.
Do not take that statement as some edict from high above Mount Brussels Sprout. Breaux is not preaching. Her point is that growing organic food is nothing special. It is a technique that has been practiced ever since humans figured out seeds are supposed to go into the ground.
She was exposed to natural growing during visits to Australia, New Zealand and Japan.
After coming back to the States and attending university in Ohio, Breaux moved to Louisiana with her family. They bought a farm in Reeves seven years ago and grow produce there.
Breaux started making crepes for herself 10 years ago.
“Crepes are considered French, but every culture has some kind of crepe. It is something Lake Charles did not have. So far, the response at the restaurant has been overwhelmingly positive,” she said.
For the record, “crepe” is a French word that translates as “pancake.”
“Dessert crepes may be spread with a jam or fruit mixture, rolled or folded and sometimes flamed with brandy or liqueur. Savory crepes are filled with various meat, cheese or vegetable mixtures — sometimes topped with a complementary sauce — and served as a first or main course,” according to “The Food Lover’s Companion.”
Breaux’s menu includes crepes made with ham and cheese; spinach and ricotta cheese; sausage, potato and apple; spinach, free-range eggs and ham with fermented tomato salsa; New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp and grits; powdered sugar and local Meyer lemon juice; fresh Louisiana strawberries and Nutella; cinnamon and sugar with a dab of locally made butter; and citrus and berries.
Breaux intends to move her business to the bottom floor of the Muller’s building this summer.
Along with crepes, she will sell fresh produce and other items.
In her mind, the area needs as much access to wholesome food as possible. Not that she is being bossy about it. No, that is just the way it should be.
Eric Cormier writes about food every Wednesday. Contact him at ecormier@americanpress.com or 494-4090.
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