Hot dog stands are to New York City as crêpe stands are to Paris: cheap, good street food. Crêpes are thin pancakes that are filled with either sweet or savory ingredients, rolled and eaten. In a crêperie restaurant, you would eat your crepe on a plate with a knife and fork, but crêpes from a street stand will come wrapped so that you may eat it like a small burrito while walking. While crêpes are made all around the world, a masterfully prepared crêpe from a street stand while walking to see the majestic Eiffel tower just tastes, well, magical.
Crêpes can be fancy, filled with a multitude of ingredients, ranging from the savory cheese, ham and spinach to the sweetly flavored berries, ice cream and whipped cream. Street crêpes, however, are usually simpler (though equally delicious). For me, the Nutella (a chocolate and hazelnut spread) crêpes are the way to go, while my wife won’t eat anything other than the lemon juice and powdered sugar crêpes. We loved the Parisian crêpes on our honeymoon so much that we bought a crêpe pan upon our return and make them regularly for a weekend brunch. Just make sure you watch the delicate art of crêpe cooking each time you order one at a Parisian stand; while crêpes aren’t difficult to make at home, the crêpe chefs do make it look deceptively, and beautifully, easy.