The Magic Pan restaurant is a popular dining establishment known for its delicious crepes. Located in a bustling city, this restaurant offers a cozy and welcoming atmosphere for its customers. Upon entering the restaurant, guests are greeted by friendly staff and a warm ambiance. The interior of The Magic Pan is stylishly designed with comfortable seating and tasteful decorations, creating an inviting space for diners to relax and enjoy their meal. The menu at The Magic Pan is extensive, offering a wide variety of both sweet and savory crepes. The crepes are made using high-quality ingredients and are cooked to perfection, resulting in a delightful culinary experience for patrons.
I would judge that crepes and creperies reached the pinnacle of popularity in 1976, the year that Oster came out with an electric crepe maker for the home. Soon the downward slide began.
With country French decor, servers in folk costumes, and names such as Old Brittany French Creperie and Maison des Crepes pictured at top, Georgetown , diners were imaginatively transported to a delightfully foreign environment quite unlike the brand new shopping malls in which many creperies were located. A few years later they opened another Magic Pan in Ghirardelli Square and Laszlo patented a 10-pan crepe-maker capable of turning out 600 perfectly cooked crepes per hour pictured here.
The crepes are made using high-quality ingredients and are cooked to perfection, resulting in a delightful culinary experience for patrons. For those who have a sweet tooth, The Magic Pan provides an array of tempting options. From classic flavors like Nutella and strawberry to more unique combinations like banana and caramel, there is a crepe to satisfy every dessert craving.
Tag Archives: Magic Pans
The crepes craze, which began in the 1960s, became intense in the 1970s. By the late 1980s it had all but disappeared.
But before crepes achieved popularity, they were almost unknown in the U.S. The exception was Crepes Suzette, thin, delicate pancakes with an orange-butter sauce and liqueurs that were often dramatically lit aflame at the diners’ table. Like Cherries Jubilee, Crepes Suzette usually only appeared on high-priced menus, such as the Hotel Astor [1908 quotation].
Before 1960 even fewer restaurants served savory crepes, and those that did would also seem to have been expensive restaurants. In 1948 the Colony in New York City served Crepes Colony with a seafood filling. And in the late 1950s New York’s Quo Vadis offered Crepes Quo Vadis, filled with curried seafood and glazed with a white sauce, as hors d’oeuvres.
Although few Americans had ever eaten Crepes Suzette, it’s likely that the fame of this prized dish helped pave the way for the creperie craze, with restaurants primarily featuring crepes. Crepes were regarded as an exotic luxury dish that, by some miracle, was affordable to the average consumer, sometimes costing as little as 60 or 75 cents apiece around 1970.
Crepes enjoyed a mystique, offering a link to European culture and a break from the meat and potatoes that dominated most restaurant menus in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
At a time when America was seen as the world leader in modern ways of living – including industrially efficient food production — Europe was imagined as a romantically quaint Old World where traditional ways were preserved and many things were still handmade.
American creperies catered to their customers’ wish for a taste of Europe. With country French decor, servers in folk costumes, and names such as Old Brittany French Creperie and Maison des Crepes [pictured at top, Georgetown], diners were imaginatively transported to a delightfully foreign environment quite unlike the brand new shopping malls in which many creperies were located. Another exotic touch employed by quite a few creperies was to use the French circumflex mark in crêpes (which I have not done in this blogpost).
Filled with creamed chicken, ratatouille, or strawberries and whipped cream (etc.), crepes soon became a favorite lunch, dinner, and late-night supper for college students, dating couples, shoppers, and anyone seeking “something different.” Along with crepes, menus typically included a few soups, most likely including French onion soup, a spinach-y salad, and perhaps a carafe of wine.
San Francisco’s Magic Pan Creperie led the trend and, after being acquired by Quaker Oats in 1969, spread to cities across the country, with the chain eventually totaling about 112. The first Magic Pan, a tiny place on Fillmore Street, was opened in 1965 by Paulette and Laszlo Fono, who came to this country in 1956 after the failed anti-Communist uprising in their native Hungary. A few years later they opened another Magic Pan in Ghirardelli Square and Laszlo patented a 10-pan crepe-maker capable of turning out 600 perfectly cooked crepes per hour [pictured here].
As Quaker opened Magic Pans, they invariably received a warm welcome in newspaper food pages. It was as though each chosen city had been “awarded” one of the creperies, usually situated in upscale suburban shopping malls such as St. Louis’s Frontenac Plaza or Hartford’s West Farms Mall. When a Magic Pan opened in Dallas’ North Park shopping center in 1974, it was called “as delightful a restaurant as one is likely to find in Dallas.”
Among Magic Pan amenities (beyond moderate prices), reviewers were pleased by fresh flowers on each table, good service, delicious food, pleasant decor, and late hours. Many of the Magic Pans stayed open as late as midnight – as did many independent crepe restaurants. [Des Moines, 1974]
In hindsight it’s apparent that creperies responded to Americans’ aspirations to broaden their experiences and enjoy what a wider world had to offer. It was a grand adventure for a high school or college French class or club to visit a creperie, watch crepe-making demonstrations, and have lunch. [below: student at the Magic Pan, Tulsa, 1979] But what one Arizona creperie owner called the “highbrow taco” did not appeal to everyone. The operator of a booth selling crepes at Illinois county fairs reported that hardly anyone bought them and that some fairgoers referred to them as creeps or craps.
I would judge that crepes and creperies reached the pinnacle of popularity in 1976, the year that Oster came out with an electric crepe maker for the home. Soon the downward slide began.
Quaker sold the Magic Pans in 1982 after years of declining profits. The new owner declared he would rid the chain of its “old-lady” image, i.e., attract more male customers. Menus were expanded to include heartier meat and pasta dishes.
Even though new creperies continued to open here and there – Baton Rouge got its first one in 1983 – there were signs as early as 1980 that the crepe craze was fading. A visitor to a National Restaurant Association convention that year reported that crepes were “passé” and restaurants were looking instead for new low-cost dishes using minimal amounts of meat or fish. A restaurant reviewer in 1986 dismissed crepes as “forgotten food” served only in conservative restaurant markets. Magic Pans were closing all over, and by the time the 20-year old Magic Pan on Boston’s Newbury Street folded in 1993, very few, if any, remained.
The last Magic Pan restaurant (in McLean, Virginia) closed in 1995. With that closure came the loss of the proprietary recipes for the chain. (Magic Pan had never produced a recipe book, although Paulette Fono did write a book about their crepes in 1969.)
The crepes are expertly crafted, with a thin and delicate texture that melts in your mouth. In addition to sweet crepes, The Magic Pan also offers a selection of savory options. These crepes are filled with an assortment of flavorful ingredients such as ham, cheese, and fresh vegetables, creating a savory and satisfying meal. Coupled with a side salad, these crepes make for a well-balanced and satisfying lunch or dinner. Aside from their delectable crepes, The Magic Pan also offers a variety of other dishes to cater to different tastes and preferences. The menu includes salads, soups, and sandwiches, providing something for everyone. The Magic Pan is not just a place to enjoy delicious food; it is also a venue for socializing and spending quality time with loved ones. The friendly and attentive staff ensures that every customer feels well taken care of, enhancing the overall dining experience. Overall, The Magic Pan restaurant is a must-visit for crepe enthusiasts and those looking for a delightful dining experience. With its cozy ambiance, extensive menu, and friendly staff, this restaurant offers a magical experience that keeps customers coming back for more..
Reviews for "The Magic Pan: Where Food and Magic Collide"
- John - 1 star - I had the worst experience at The Magic Pan restaurant. The service was incredibly slow and the staff seemed uninterested in providing good customer service. The food was also a huge disappointment. I ordered a crepe and it was bland and undercooked. The prices were high considering the quality of the food. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone.
- Emily - 2 stars - The Magic Pan restaurant was a letdown for me. The atmosphere was dull and there was no effort put into the decor. The menu selection was limited and there weren't many options for vegetarians. The food that I did try was mediocre at best. The crepes lacked flavor and the fillings were uninspiring. The service was also lacking as the staff seemed disorganized and unattentive. Overall, I was not impressed with this restaurant and I won't be going back.
- Sarah - 2 stars - My experience at The Magic Pan restaurant was disappointing. The restaurant was noisy and overcrowded, making it difficult to have a conversation. The wait time for our food was lengthy and when it finally arrived, it was lukewarm. The crepes were nothing special and there was very little variety offered on the menu. The prices were reasonable, but the quality of the food and service left much to be desired. I would recommend looking for another restaurant in the area instead.