Fresh, French and flavorful, pancakes enjoy a renaissance at C’est la Vie!

David Lalouch had already served nearly 100 customers before the cash register at his High School Road crepe cafe had rung up a single order.

“Come in, have a coffee!” he said last week to one of the frequent gawkers that hovered near his open door. Lalouch’s C’est la Vie! Crepes de Paris cafe officially opens today, but his espresso machine has been busy for weeks.

“We’re not open yet, but come in, come in. Sit! You want milk with your coffee? You want sugar?”

Maria Mason, who had been strolling the Village Shopping Center, took a few tentative steps inside, past a gleaming new crepe maker and a few unpacked boxes before slipping into a chair at one of C’est la Vie’s tables.

“I think it’s a wonderful idea: a Frenchman opening a French crepe (shop),” Mason said, as Lalouch served her a frothy latte and explained his vision for the new business.

“A lot of people on Bainbridge went to Paris, but today, nobody likes to fly,” he said. “So here, you can spend a few hours and have it feel like a cafe on the streets of Paris.”

Lelouch, a Paris native, moved to Bainbridge about a year ago after a lifelong career in the food industry. He’s owned restaurants in Paris, helped run a large fish warehouse in Los Angeles and started a catering business in Columbus, Ohio. He turns his attention now to a smaller scale enterprise with food close to his roots.

“This is the real crepe,” he said, taking hold of one of his buckwheat concoctions. “That’s how they do it in northern France, where the crepe is very fine, and the edges are like a doily.”

Lelouch plans to present a menu today featuring over 20 crepe varieties –- from salty to sweet – featuring many organic ingredients.

His draft menu included crepes stuffed with roasted potatoes and grilled chicken; blue cheese, walnuts and spinach; mozzarella, basil and tomato; as well as numerous combinations of fruits and chocolate. Prices range from $5 for a basic sugar crepe to $11.50 for deluxe varieties.

Lelouch also hopes to draw morning commuters hungry for a quick breakfast, as well as lunchtime diners with a little time to kill at one of his indoor and outdoor tables.

While none have yet tasted his crepes, many are familiar with his coffee. In this area, Lelouch will make no compromise.

“It’s strong,” said Mason, after taking her first sip and pausing for a delicate response.

“It’s coffee,” retorts Lelouch. “If it is not strong, it is not coffee.”

Mason knows she’s outclassed.

“Damn Frenchman!”

Lelouch, who buys his beans from the Seattle-based Caffe Umbria, is out to change the way Northwesterners drink coffee.

“I don’t want to be like these coffee shops with 55 flavors,” he said. “Here, I’ll have real coffee – like in France – where coffee tastes like coffee. In France, if you ask for a flavor, they will look at you like you are crazy.”

Lelouch is also out to change the clean­liness standards of restrooms.

“Did you see the bathroom?” he asks Mason. “You have to see the bathroom. I’m very proud of it.”

Lelouch said he walks directly to the restroom upon entering any restaurant. If his standard isn’t met, he heads for the exit.

“If the bathroom is not clean, you know that the kitchen will be the same,” he said. “Look at my floors, they are all white. It is because these floors cannot lie.”

Lelouch said he inherited high standards from his father and grandfather, who were both chefs in France.

“My first job was peeling potatoes in the kitchen at my father’s restaurant,” he said. “I was maybe 12 then and I told him I wanted to make money. He said, ‘Ok, no problem’ and brought me into the kitchen at four o’clock in the morning. He put 40 or 50 bags of potatoes in front of me and said, ‘You get paid when you get done.’”

It was a valuable life lesson, Lelouch said.

“When I got done, he said, ‘Oh, I forgot to tell you, we have a machine that peels potatoes,’” he said. “Today, I thank him for the experience. It is hard work (giving) quality service.”

Mason, nearing the end of her cup, advises Lelouch that successful American businesses require a few additional ingredients.

“What about advertisements or a coupon?” she asks. “You really should do a two-for-one coupon to get people in here.”

Lelouch pooh-poohs the idea but gives Mason a warm good-,bye. Shortly after she leaves, another curious passerby peaks through the open door.

Lelouch offers a smile, a tour and a fresh cup.

“See? This is why I need no advertising,” he said. “This is my advertising.”

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C’est la Vie! Crepes de Paris cafe opens today at 323 High School Road in the Village Shopping Center. The cafe is open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.