So remember that time three months ago when I promised you regular food cart reviews but never followed through? Well that was admittedly not at all tight, but I'm bringing it back, if you'll have me. And I am more than willing to stand outside your bedroom window in the rain singing Air Supply's Greatest Hits
a cappella with a handful of Juanita's breakfast tacos to win you back.
So for our transition back into loving each with mobile food, let's address the big, fat elephant in the room, that hard-hitter of Austin food carts,
Flip Happy Crepes.
I gotta say, I'm as prone to the hype as most, but these ladies kind of deserve it. I mean how baller is that beret-wearing smiley face, right? Plus, Flip Happy was ambushed and came out victorious on an episode of
Throwdown, the cockiest show on television, and I am in favor of anyone who embarrasses that a-hole, Bobby Flay.
The menu here is essentially two-fold: savory crepes, and sweet. My familiarity lies more with the savory as my sweet tooth is a little under-developed, but i have had the pleasure of experiencing their Nutella crepe and the lemon curd with blueberry.
Both are exceptionally baller with a soft and light crepe I have never been able to manage at home and just the right balance of tart and sweet and messy in portions that don't make you hate yourself.
The concept of a savory crepe was pretty novel to me my first time there, but what you eventually end up with is a fancy, fluffy wrap of sorts. And you really can't go wrong on this menu, a roster of veggies and cheeses and meats in thoughtful combinations with plently of vegetarian options. Standout contenders here are the slow-roasted pork and its soulmate, the caramelized onion. Gruyere is in high supply as well which, let's face it, we could all use a little more of in our lives. Prices are a little high for a cart. A savory and a drink and you can easily spend eight bucks on lunch, which isn't too bad, but it's a cart, for Crepe's sake.
But, it had to happen, here are my petty complaints:
The Menu: Seriously, it is so long. Not in terms of items included, but nothing has a name. I'd even settle for a number at this point, but as it is now, you can only order by listing every single ingredient in the crepe that you want. So its, "Hi! How are you? Fine, thanks. I'd like a slow-roasted-pork-with-cheddar-cheese-pickles-and-tabasco-sauce crepe, please." Maybe I'm touchy, but how awkward is that? And of course the best one has the longest name.
The Popularity: Everyone and my Great-Aunt Ruth is lined up down the block at lunch time, and they ladies running the show are so laid-back that it just can't happen on a lunch hour. I wind up pannicked and frantic and nearly killing myself trying to eat on a moped.
The Lack of Bottom Fold-Over: Details, but IT MATTERS. Sweet crepes get a plate and a fork, but the savories are eaten with your hands like a sandwich. But every time I've had one, there is a failure to fold the bottom of the crepe OVER the goodies rather than UNDER, you know, burrito-style. So on that fateful bite halfway though, all of your delicious goodies squirt out the bottom of your crepe and you are forced to embarass yourself by licking the paper afterward. Maybe it is some piece of complex crepe science that I don't understand, but it is a source of disappointment.
Flip Happy has been off on summer vacation (how baller is that?) and they reopened for business yesterday. We should go.
Overall Rating: Pretty Damn Tight, $$$
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