A Slice of France in Rehoboth Beach
When we were just weekenders in Rehoboth, our visits
downtown would never be complete without strolling down the pedestrian
malls such as Penny Lane, Village by the Sea, The Mews, etc.
Last Thursday, my honey and I grabbed a quick breakfast
at Café Papillion in Penny
Lane where
I ordered a spinach and cheese croissant and Sharon got a ham and cheese
croissant. They were huge and fluffy and buttery. They were so big in fact
that they hung off the edges of the small paper plate on which they were
served.
A fresh croissant is a glorious thing. The ones at
Café Papillion are authentic; they taste like a lot of expertise and
patience (along with a lot of butter) went into making them. The crust is
so flaky that when you bite into it, little bits will tend to fly around,
but don’t let them get away. You don’t want to miss a single morsel of
these lovely pastries.
The pastry window also offers a number of other tasty
items. I especially love the fruit tarts, which are beautiful and
delicious.
Café Papillion has been a staple in Penny Lane for as
long as I can remember. There are two walk up windows: one serving
pre-made pastries, juice and coffee and the other serving crepes and other
made to order items. The outdoor tables are always bustling. Obviously
since it’s an outdoor venue, Café Papillon is a seasonal business. When
they are open, there is usually a long line at the crepe window, but it is
worth the wait.
Crepes are offered as breakfast, lunch or dessert. The
plain sugar or jam crepes are my favorite, followed closely by the cheese
and tomato. If you’ve never had crepes before, think of them as super
thin pancakes. Café Papillon offers a wide variety of fillings for the
entrée crepes including cheese, ham, egg, tomato, walnut, smoked salmon,
sour cream, chives or any combination thereof.
The dessert crepes are warm little sweet beauties
filled with strawberries, whipped cream, chocolate, bananas, nutella, etc.
How can you resist that?
Café Papillon also serves regular sandwiches on your
choice of a croissant or baguette piled high with ham, cheese, turkey,
tuna, and more. The shrimp salad is scrumptious and the vegetarian special
is yummy as well.
The young people who work the windows are always very
friendly and helpful. Since the summer is coming to a close soon, be sure
to get down to Penny Lane before it ends, and enjoy a little slice of
France.
Café Papillon, 42 Rehoboth Ave. (Penny Lane), is
open daily from 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
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