Skinny Pancake
When Benjy Adler started making crepes back in 2003, he had no idea they would become a local favorite.
“When we first got into it, we really just got into it for fun, and we discovered how versatile this food is. It's like a blank slate that you can paint flavors on. You can do it for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. Crepes are not just a breakfast food.”
And no matter what time of the day it is, there’s always room for a Skinny Pancake.
Born on the streets of Burlington, Vermont as a humble food cart, the Skinny Pancake is the brainchild of Benjy Adler and his brother Jonny, who set out to create quality crepes using local farmers and producers.
“We started finding a lot of inspiration in the local food movement. We looked to our heroes like Ben and Jerry's and American Flatbread. And we thought, gosh, if they can do it with ice cream, if they can do it with pizza, we can do it with crepes.”
And what started small, has grown into nine locations, including this spot in Peabody’s North Shore Mall; an upscale fast casual concept with a comfortable dining room as well as a storefront at the mall’s food court.
“Our Peabody location is particularly dynamic. We have this beautiful patio out front. And then a particularly exciting feature, we have a food truck built onto the side of the wall so that when you're in the food court, you can step up and order from what is an actual historic food truck.”
And Benjy doesn’t just love eating the crepes, he finds making them pretty fun too, using carefully sourced ingredients.
“There's something theatric about the whole process. You pour this batter and then you spin it and spread it across the griddle. You fill it with ingredients, you fold it. That's how you make a crepe and it's just this constant movement process that 23 years of doing this, and I still find it fun and satisfying.”
The crepes at The Skinny Pancake come in two styles- sweet or savory. First timers may want to go from the simple yet satisfying Sugar Shack.
“It's just a simple sweet crepe, butter and maple sugar, and as Vermonters bringing a little maple here, and to every one of our restaurants feels just right.”
The Blueberry Pie crepe may look a little bit different- but it’s just as tasty as the rest.
“We take a full sweet crepe, and instead of folding into a triangle, we twist it into what we call a frumple cake. We source blueberries regionally….We hit it with whipped cream. We've got a local ice cream. And there you have your blueberry pie crepe.”
But Benjy’s all time favorite is the PB and Bee, a crepe he likes to add chocolate chips to for some added sweetness.
“So chocolate chips do not come with the P B and B, but my recommendation is to add them. You get that chocolate, peanut butter, banana combo, and it just hits the spot. It’s delicious.”
On the savory side, you’ll find creative combos like the Chicken Bacon Rancher packed with shredded chicken, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, bacon and ranch. For all the veg heads, there’s the Veggie Monster piled up with Cabot cheddar cheese, spinach, roasted squash, caramelized onions and locally made basil-sunflower seed pesto.
“We call it the veggie monster for a reason. It is full of flavor and those ingredients, they just all meld together so well. It's a great example how you can stack flavors and ingredients on this basic shell, and it transforms into something more than those individual parts.”
For a delicious fusion of French and Cuban food, try the Cubano Crepe. Piled up with pulled pork, ham, swiss cheese, pickles and yellow mustard, this crepe is more than a mouthful.
“The Cubano is great. It's a big crepe. So if you come in with a big appetite and you think crepes are just dainty, well, they ain't. Check out the Cubano.”
The menu at Skinny Pancake goes way beyond skinny pancakes. In fact, they’re known for their tremendous Smash Burger.
“We have a maple Onion Jam and we've got a Skinny Pancake special sauce we add to that layer that in with cheddar, pickles, a good quality bun. And we have a very strong smash burger here at the Skinny Pancake.”
Other options include this Chicken Caesar Wrap- made with housemade Caesar and spiked with Garlic Crepe Croutons for added crunch, a decadent poutine topped with Vermont cheese curds and a tasty gravy and the deliciously different- hash purples.
“So hash purples is shredded beets and shredded carrots mixed together with some spices. We fry it and when it comes out, you'll see it's crispy on the outside, a little chewy, and then the inside is nice and soft. And we pair it with a like delicious dipping sauce, and it's a really unique product.”
Skinny Pancake offers breakfast all day with traditional selections like The Noah’s Ark, with bacon, eggs and frumpled cinnamon sugar crepes. Or handhelds like the so-called “Not Your Average Breakfast Sandwich”.
“This is not a gas station egg Sammy. This is two eggs, a really healthy portion of meat, cheddar cheese, a pesto mayo, it this is, this is an egg sandwich that you can eat and then ride right through to dinner.”
And whether you’re dining at breakfast, lunch or dinner, you’re going to find so many reasons to stop into the Skinny Pancake.
“If you love crepes, come to the Skinny Pancake. If you're into local food. Come to the Skinny Pancake if you're looking for a casual, relaxed environment with high quality ingredients, come to the Skinny Pancake.”
