The Skinny Pancake, Quechee, VT

Update Review, July 2022

I think I like the idea of crepes more than the actual things.  Or maybe, I just haven't had all that great of crepes?  (Hmm, on second thought, I do remembering loving them at Ti Couz in SF, years ago, before it closed in 2011).  Anyway, The Skinny Pancake is a crepe shop Vermont, with several locations, and seems quite successful (you can read the details in my prior review).  So even though my previous visit to the Skinny Pancake didn't really leave me inspired to return, I did.

The last time I visited The Skinny Pancake, I opted for the loaded "Veggie Monster" filled with veggies, pesto, and cheese, and opted for the more hearty gluten-free buckwheat crepe base.  This time I went for a traditional (savory) crepe and went meaty.  I can't say it was any better.

Lumberjack. $11.

"North County Smokehouse ham and Cabot cheddar in a savory crepe."

Just like my previous visit, my crepe was barely lukewarm when I received it.  I don't really understand ... do they have that much delay getting from kitchen to pickup window?  Unlike last time, it did not come in a cute crepe (or pizza slice) shaped box, just a standard square takeout container.

Last time I got the gluten-free buckwheat crepe shell, hoping it would be more flavorful, but it wasn't, so I went traditional this time.  Last time the crepe was nicely crispy, this time it was soft and doughy.  It was slightly undercooked in the thickest places.  Speaking of thickness, this was by far the thickest crepe I've ever seen.  Much more like a, uh, thin (skinny?) pancake than a regular crepe.  Maybe that is what they are going for, per the name?  It was just odd to have such a thick doughy soft crepe shell.

Lumberjack: Inside.

Inside was 3 slices of local North Country Smokehouse ham and local Cabot cheddar, reasonably well melted and not greasy.  The ham was was fine although not the kind of deli-like ham I prefer, it was more like thin slices of actual dinner ham, and sadly I think I just don't care for Cabot cheddar all that much (I like the super sharp kind with a glass of wine perhaps, but, this mild cheddar melted ... eh).  There was no seasoning, no sauce, nothing to really give it any flavor, and neither the ham nor cheese had a smoky nature to them.

Overall, just very boring, not much flavor, and an oddly thick crepe wrapper.  It seemed pricey at $11 for so little in it.

*+.

Original Review, October 2021

Skinny Pancake.  Otherwise known as, um, a crepe.  Also, the name of a chain of casual restaurants around Vermont and New Hampshire.

"Love Local. The Skinny Pancake is on a mission to change the world by building a safer, healthier and more delicious food shed while creating everyday enjoyment that is fun and affordable. Please join us." 

The Skinny Pancake started as a food cart, expanded to a brick and mortar in Burlington, VT, and now has 8 locations, including one at the airport.  They source ingredients locally, and give back 1% of their revenue to a local nonprofit.  Yadda yadda.

The Skinny Pancake is known for the crepes, obviously, available in both savory and sweet versions, with traditional or gluten-free vegan buckwheat batter.  They also have a few other breakfast items like breakfast burritos, breakfast sandwiches, and classic egg plates, and burger, salads, fries and the like at lunch.  They do not, in fact, serve any traditional pancakes.

The place seems pretty well known, and fairly busy, so I finally gave it a try.

Outdoor Seating.

I visited the Quechee, VT location, located not far from the main Quechee attraction: the gorge.

My visit was during COVID days, so indoor seating was closed, and The Skinny Pancake had set up a tent outside with picnic tables for dining.  The building looked to have decent seating inside, but, alas, closed.

Outdoor Ordering & Condiments.

Ordering was done at a window outside, or, online.  Self-service condiments included creamer and whatnot for cookie, their house made bbq sauce, and hot sauce.

Veggie Monster on Buckwheat Crepe. $10.50 + $0.75.

"Roasted squash, baby spinach, caramelized onions, Cabot cheddar, and basil-sunflower seed pesto in a savory crepe."

For my crepe, I went with a savory option, rather than sweet as you may expect, as I had plenty of sweets at home, and I was looking for something light for lunch.  Options spanned from a simple "Grilled Cheese Crepe" with local Cabot cheese to a kinda over the top but fantastic sounding "Johnny Crepe" with pulled pork, maple bbq sauce, caramelized onions, cheddar, and special cornmeal crepe batter.  Had I been hungrier, I certainly would have opted for that, but instead, I went for the most interesting but lighter sounding option, the Veggie Monster.  I wanted something heartier tasting, so opted for the gluten-free, vegan buckwheat batter rather than traditional batter, for $0.75 more.

My crepe was handed over quickly, but somehow was only lukewarm.  I did like the pizza-shaped custom crepe boxes though.

The shell was not as flavorful as I was expecting, just, boring really.  It was nicely crisp.  Inside the cheese was sorta melted, but ... everything else let me down.  The hunks of squash (delicata) weren't really cooked enough, the baby spinach was raw, and the onions didn't have any depth of flavor from caramelization.  I didn't taste, nor see, any pesto.  Really, it just lacked in flavor all around, and seemed like it wasn't cooked as much as it should be.  The ingredient lineup *should* have tasted better than this!

The "monster" is also available in a vegan version with house-made seitan instead of cheese for $11, or in a "morning" version with an egg for $11.50.

I was not impressed, and wouldn't go back, unless someone really wanted to.

*+.