The Brisket Crepe at Whisk is What The French Call “Delicious, Y’all.”
Brisket Crepes ($12).
Whisk Crêpes Café.
1888 Sylvan Ave (Sylvan Thirty).
When opening a niche concept like a French creperie, one may be naturally inclined to keep things as authentic as possible. And while Whisk Crepes owner Julien Eelsen features plenty of classic crepe recipes to honor his French heritage, it’s the restaurant’s more experimental fare, like its brisket crepe, that really turn heads.
After living in Dallas on and off for nearly a decade, Eelsen came up with this savory Texan-French connection as a way to highlight local ingredients within the realm of his crepe expertise. For something as delicate, yet versatile as a crepe, this required a bit of unique subtlety when it came to the ingredients.
“Since I was living in Dallas, I had an idea to do something kind of local that has a twist to it,” says Eelsen about his creation. “I didn’t want to do something too cliche, either. Everything here is Tex-Mex.”
The build-out of the crepe starts with your choice of flour or buckwheat batter. A hefty handful of shredded brisket from Lockhart Smokehouse is spread through the dough along with queso fresco, mozzarella, fresh jalapeños and pickles. The crepe is then gently folded together into a neat triangle. A barbecue cream sauce is drizzled on top for the final product.
The menu at Whisk Crepes is fittingly small for the intimate setting of the shop, but the selection leaves nothing to be desired. The offerings run the gamut of traditional flavors such as butter and sugar or Gruyere and French ham, to rotating ingredients like smoked pork, shiitake mushrooms and seasonal fruits.
Even as the menu offerings change, the authenticity of the batter guarantees a classic crepe experience every time. This allows Eelsen to experiment, without compromising his favorite hometown dish.
“Crepes reflect where we live, and where we are,” Eelsen says. “They adapt to who we are, and who we are is a French creperie in Texas.”