Locals and even those who travel here from out of state often walk up to Ildiko Asztalos and tell her that Taste of Crêpes in West Reading is a little piece of Paris to them, with the joy of palate-happy satisfaction weaving through their every word.
Ildiko is the owner of Taste of Crêpes and runs the Penn Avenue eatery with her husband Steve, her co-owner.
As natives of Hungary who moved to Berks County several decades ago, the couple opened Taste of Crêpes in 2009 and has seen the demand for their food blossom in Berks ever since.
“In Eastern Europe, everyone makes crêpes at home,” Ildiko says. So she and Steve had grown up with crêpes as a norm before they moved to the U.S. But a trip to Paris for her 50th birthday a few years ago is what finally inspired the West Reading food business venture.
“In Berks County, nobody made crêpes, and we knew the people would enjoy them,” Ildiko continues.
The rave reviews for this eatery whisk to life each weekend in the form of the quaint indoor and outdoor setting serving 160 to 170 people in just six hours.
Palate-Pleasing Pouches
Crêpes, akin to thin pancakes you can fill with just about anything, come in both sweet and savory batter blends, with the savory ones crafted from buckwheat flour for an even healthier route.
“The food is freshly made right in front of your eyes, and I buy all products locally,” Ildiko explains, noting that people sometimes call to see where she sources her ingredients before venturing out.
In the savory-batter persuasion, her smoked salmon crêpe is a favorite among many who frequent the eatery. It involves smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onion, seedless cucumber and fresh dill.
The sweet crêpe finished with fresh strawberries, whipped cream, powdered sugar and ice cream is a top-selling fruit-ready selection on the menu.
And done right in honor of their delectable dessert status, many other sweet crepes also come with whipped cream, ice cream and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
A newer addition to the menu, intriguing many with its array of flavors, is the fruit delite crêpe. This menu-must includes a mocha-cappuccino spread, banana slices, strawberries, blueberries and ground walnuts.
Autumn’s upcoming lure suits well with the hot apple pie crêpe, beckoning with hot samplings of apple, cinnamon and a warmly comforting glaze of caramel sauce.
Keeping veggies selling well is the artichoke crêpe, which comes with cream cheese, fresh spinach, marinated artichoke, red onions, olives, feta cheese and tomato.
Homemade soups, custom-blended fruit smoothies and iced lattes are just a few other perks from the simple yet incredibly versatile menu at Taste of Crêpes.
“And nobody is a number here,” Ildiko says. “If we have time, we talk to our customers.”
Ildiko notes that some people are so enthusiastic for the flavor sets offered that they come in several times a week and cross off which crêpes they’ve tried until they’ve tested out each one on the menu.
“We love to make people happy,” Ildiko says, with a passion evident in every last crêpe.
BY JENNIFER HETRICK | PHOTOS BY JOANNA BLESSING
