Crêpe Cellar Kitchen & Pub adds a new gastronomic dimension to Charlotte cuisine

Posted on 9 Mar 2009 by Justin Ritchie

photo: James Willamor; view this photo on Flickr

In just a few short weeks Charlotte will finally have a dedicated source for European style peasant food: simple, inexpensive and rich in flavor. In the site that Addie’s Jamaican Cuisine occupied before Addie moved back to New York, co-owners Jeff Tonidandel and Paul Manley are dedicating NoDa’s newest eatery, Crêpe Cellar Kitchen & Pub, to the gastropub ideal, a concept that has yet to be realized in the Queen City.

Savory and sweet crêpes will be on the menu, but primarily as a compliment to the rosemary chicken, pumpkin gnocchi, fish and chips, pesto french fries and french bread pizzas. To wash it all down Crêpe Cellar intends to offer carafes of wine from RayLen Vineyards in Mocksville, NC, as long as the paperwork allowing the purchase of barrels of wine is authorized with the NC Alcohol Beverage Control. When warm weather descends, street-side windows can be opened to fill the surrounding area with ambient chatter from the restaurant and Crêpe Cellar patrons with the cool night’s air. Combined with a commitment to no-smoking throughout, Crêpe Cellar promises to innovate Charlotte’s restaurant culture. A bar with delicious food, inexpensive wine, that is smoke free? I think it is just what Charlotte’s been waiting for, even in an economic downturn.

Jeff and Paul wanted to do Crêpe Cellar in NoDa because the area has so much potential, but it took a few months to work out all the details. Seeds for the restaurant were planted after Jeff and his wife toured Europe for nine months following his work with NASCAR, where Jeff managed sponsorships between Lone Star Steakhouses and (what was then) Chip Ganassi Racing. Starting in London, Jeff was able to spend a few weeks with his previously unknown Italian family in Fai Della Paganella (imagine a beautiful North Italian village of 900 people) before heading through Bordeaux, France.

Be sure to follow Crêpe Cellar on Twitter and to check back with CLT Blog for our video preview towards the end of March.