Caroline's Creperie: Sweet Dream on Elm St. [VIDEO]

If you were one of the New Canaan residents who used as your digital home base during the power outage after Irene blew through town, you might have seen the new blue awning across Elm St. that said, “Caroline’s Creperie.”

It seems plenty of residents noticed, and they showed up when the eatery opened on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Caroline Kaplan and her partners, Deda Sandor and Emma Villavicencio hoped to open their new business without fanfare, in order to give themselves some time to “build slowly” as Caroline said. They had no such luck. By 3 o’clock on opening day, they had run out of crepe batter, and they closed the eatery two hours early.

Villavicencio said she was pleasantly overwhelmed by the opening day reception. She managed the restaurant while Sandor baked peach pies in the kitchen and Kaplan manned the crepe maker.

The idea for the creperie was Kaplan's. Raised in Bordeaux, in the south of France, she has lived in New Canaan for 13 years.

“It’s a dream of mine I had forever,” she told Patch. “I said to my friends, ‘If I find the right place will you join me?’”

She found the right place at 155 Elm St., and the three went to work. 

Kaplan said crepes have always been popular in France, and she’s “amazed how they’re taking off here.”

Caroline’s serves a selection of savory and sweet crepes, savory tartes, and traditional French fare including croques monsieur, madame and provencale. Everything is prepared on premises, with the exception of croissants and baguettes, which are brought in daily from in Norwalk.

Kaplan and Villavicencio met when they both were teachers at St. Luke’s Nursery School in Darien. More recently, Kaplan taught at the in New Canaan.

Nancy Jumper-Herde and were among the creperie’s early customers on Tuesday. Jumper-Herde said she helped her friends with the design of the restaurant.

“I believe people should have their dreams,” she said. “I said I’d help any way I can.”

Caroline's Creperie

155 Elm St.

Phone: 203-966-9891

Hours:

Tuesday-Thursday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Friday-Saturday: 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

Closed Sunday & Monday