Cozying Up to Icosium Kafe

By John DiGilio in Food on Jul 14, 2011 4:00PM

Don’t be fooled by their simple appearance. Crafting the perfect crepe is anything but an effortless endeavor. Thin and delicate, they take a skilled hand and plenty of precision. Most importantly, great crepes require creativity in both execution and presentation. They should be works of art - great tasting works of gastronomical art. Luckily, the folks at Icosium Kafe have some real artists in their kitchens.

Icosium Kafe strives to deliver a fresh, Algerian twist on this traditionally French fare. Though there are some sweet sounding salads, soups and interesting sides from which to choose, the menu is essentially all crepes, all the time. There are breakfast crepes, lunch crepes, and yes, even dinner crepes. They come in sweet and savory flavors. Each is filled with a selection of fresh and tantalizing ingredients. Order one of their creations from the menu or design your own. The possibilities are almost endless.

We ducked into the Icosium Kafe in Edgewater on a steamy Saturday afternoon. We were looking for something light and sweet to help us beat the summer heat and crepes sounded like the perfect prescription. Choosing from the menu was no easy task. From fruit-filled crepes to crepes stuffed with meats, cheeses and veggies, we were at a loss for where to begin. After a round of robust, organic coffees, we finally settled on a pair of fruit crepes. The Crepe Amar was a decadent layering of fresh strawberries and Belgian chocolate. It was as satisfying as it was delicate. We also ordered a Crepe Labella. This one was stuffed with bananas, Belgian chocolate, toasted almonds and shaved coconut. It was very sweet and very filling. We accompanied these with the Icosium Fruit Salad; a bowl piled high with fresh cut fruits and mango chutney in a light cinnamon sauce. It was delicious.

Some people like to eat their desert before their meal. On our visit to Icosium, we decided to make a complete meal of our desert. Our crepes were so beautifully arranged that they were almost too pretty to eat. Eat them we did, and with great relish. Good cooking, it turns out, is a fleeting form of art. Real masterpieces are devoured far faster than it takes to create them. The cooks here, however, show no signs of flagging in their creativity. You can bet that we will be back to critique their creations again soon. A feast like this, for the eyes and the palate, cannot long be passed up.

Icosium Kafe has two locations on Clark at 2433 North and 5200 North.