This weekend while walking down Gay Street, I found a well hidden gem.
The French Market Crêperie isn’t new to Knoxville by any means, but with a solid wood tunnel obstructing the view of the small restaurant, it’s no surprise many students have overlooked its existence. Despite the wooden scaffolding, however, I was able to enjoy Knoxville’s first and only crêperie.
Its a small space that exudes a large atmosphere. There are only a handful of tables inside and on the outdoor patio, but it gives the restaurant an almost homey feel — something you don’t get at many places around here. There are French posters lining the walls and soft French music instrumental music playing, giving the place an obvious but not obnoxious Paris feel.
Because the crêperie is so small, there’s almost always a small to medium sized line, but one glance at the menu ensures that the food will be worth the wait.
They have both sweet and savory crêpes ranging from blueberry lemon — which one customer claimed was the best— to cheese, spinach and turkey flavored ones. As a purely local restaurant, owners Susan and Allen Tate ensure that all crêpes are filled with premium cheeses, imported, all natural meats and stuffed with the freshest vegetables. Using both traditional and buckwheat flour, imported directly from France, their crêpes are as authentic as you can get in East Tennessee. But, if crêpes do not tickle your fancy, the French Market Crêperie also offers baguettes, croissant sandwiches and an array of soups and salads.
After some deliberation, I ordered the strawberry and creme crêpe, cherry cheesecake crêpe, a bacon, egg and cheese croissant and a cup of their LavAzza coffee — when in France, right? Even though I had to wait 30 minutes for my food — the trick is to not go on Sundays — when my food arrived it was like a package from Paris itself.
The presentation of the food was beautiful, despite being served on disposable plates. My strawberry and creme crêpe was a perfect light brown, topped with chopped almonds with a dollop of whipped cream. It was everything I could have wanted from a Tennessean French restaurant. I’m no French culinary expert or anything, but the quality of my food was exceptional. The fruits were fresh and the cheese was premium and I could not have asked for anything more.
If you are looking for cheap, French cuisine or if you just want to expand your palate and try something new, you should give the French Market Crêperie located at 526 South Gay Street a taste.
The French Market Crêperie located at 526 South Gay Street serves cheap, French cuisine.
Dining and Cooking