Tonight I joined the fabulous Manuel for dinner at Alcena’s Crepes Cafe & Wine Bar in Ravenna. We have previously ventured to Bouchee Creperie in Fremont, which has both a house magician and delicious crepes, and is thus a hard act to follow. (I’m also a big fan of 611 Supreme in Capitol Hill.)

The restaurant is a little space with about a dozen tables and warm burnt orange walls lined with wine bottles. I asked the waitress to recommend a red wine, and ended up with a lovely slightly dry Pinot, served in a tiny individual carafe. After agonizing over the menu for a while, I decided on the “Mushroom Medley” and Manuel went for the “Island Girl.” His involved mango and looked great, but I was too busy being excited about my own cheesy mushroom concoction to pay any more attention. He was, however, briefly rendered speechless. I was a little concerned about the garlic cream sauce, as I am slightly allergic to garlic, but it wasn’t overpowering at all and two hours later I’m still alive. The mushrooms were just the right kind of chewy and my crepe itself did a great job of holding the flavors together without being noticeable.

The crepes come in a puddle of sauce, so we ordered a side of bread to soak it up with. It worked out wonderfully and is just a little tip from me to you.

For dessert, my companion started with a Jamaican hot chocolate truffle, which I’m pretty sure turned into a religious experience. He followed with the Crepe Suzette and I went for one with chocolate and strawberries. The waitress set the Crepe Suzette on fire and it certainly looked tasty, but again I was too focused on my own dish to come out of the experience with an actual valid review. I’m not a big sweets eater, and so I was pleased that there was more strawberry in my crepe than chocolate. The dish was covered in a very pretty pattern of circles that I was reluctant to disturb, and it was topped with a jaunty pile of whipped cream and chocolate chips.

Our waitress was friendly and more than happy to answer all of our questions. I have to say that these are the best crepes I’ve had so far in Seattle. If the place gets a house magician, I just might have to move in.