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Hallelujah! Well, near-bliss. Wow-ish. More than good enough to say “grab your dog’s leash and check it out!”

We FINALLY had our first truly peaceful “diner dog” experience. Danielle’s Creperie on the corner of Watt Ave. and Fair Oaks Blvd. has the best “dog friendly” outdoor seating we’ve seen yet, a brick half-wall, overlooking an enclosed green space with a big, leafy tree. They have huge umbrellas for shade, and it’s surprisingly peaceful for a place at the intersection of two busy streets.

The patio is crowded, so a big dog would have trouble finding a spot without some table rearranging. Merlin was on his hind feet, front paws on the bricks, watching people learn to fly fish by casting into the courtyard (the waitress explained that there’s a sporting goods shop in the mini-mall).

I thought he’d bark insanely, but he just watched, head cocked (“Humans are crazy!”), then curled up for a nap. Imagine our shock. Merlin. Napped. In a crowded restaurant. Abby cadged treats from our friend Carol, but had a bit of trouble finding a place to lie down. When you go, take one dog and one friend who can go inside to the hostess station to get a table.

The menu has a good choice of appetizers, everything from a brie plate to pâté, plus sandwiches, soups, salads, and the thing we were there for, crepes. Mark’s Bonne Maman was Belgian, so crepes are in his DNA, and Danielle’s has around 20 choices of lunch and dinner crepes. We all opted for the brunch special, a crepe, croissant and fresh fruit ($12.99 per person.

The croissant was hot, flaky, and buttery. Too often, croissants are served a bit stale and greasy, but these were toasted (just a bit) and just right. The fresh fruit was a mix of grapes, melon and strawberries that had never seen a freezer or can. The melon wasn’t as ripe as it could have been, but the grapes and strawberries made up for it. It’s served with whipped cream by the way, so if you don’t do dairy, as Carol doesn’t, ask for it to be left off.

Which brings me to one of our few complaints. Carol ordered her Spicy Avocado Crepe without cheese. It came with cheese, so she had to send it back. She rated the finished product “pass the fire extinguisher” spicy, but said the avocado was “exquisitely fresh” and the cornmeal batter (one of several options) was “flavorful.” Overall, though, she said that without the cheese, it was “bland, every bite the same,” with the hot sauce overpowering the avocado, tomato and mushroom.

She wished for a few more ingredients to liven up her entrée. We didn’t see a list of ingredients available to add. Had the menu listed the heat of the dish (the way some Chinese and Mexican restaurants do), or used a lighter hand with the sauce, she’d have been happier. They might have offered a list of optional ingredients and prices, or offered to replace the cheese with something else. Either would have been nice. That said, they offer a fair number of vegetarian entrees, so this is a good place to go when you have omnivores and herbivores brunching together.

My Crepe Medley crepe (chicken and shrimp) had a creamy texture and was perfectly cooked, generously filled, and delicious. I was a happy girl. Mark’s Crab and Spinach crepe was rated “ultra creamy” with “nice chunks of meat.” Danielle’s didn’t stint on fillings, so by the time we finished our meals, we were full.

When we arrived I was very hungry, so I also ordered a Petite Salad. It’s a nice size for a side salad. The base salad ($3.50) is butter lettuce. From there, you can add from a list of choices. Croutons and/or red onions are free on request. Other options range from mushrooms for $.50 to avocado for $1.50. Most are in the fifty-to-seventy-five cent range, and include things you don’t normally see, like peppered pecans and gorgonzola cheese crumbles. The salad was fresh, flavorful, and I would have appreciated it properly had I not been wondering if my pants were about to split a seam.

Gamely, we waded into the extensive dessert menu, which includes, in addition to dessert crepes, cakes, puddings, cheesecake and crisp. You have the option of splitting your lunch or dinner crepe so you get a half dinner crepe and a half dessert crepe, a decision you have to make when you first order, of course. I wish I had, or opted to pack half of my entrée and salad for later enjoyment.

My Pear and Dried Cherry Crisp ($4.25) was a nice blend of sweet/crunchy. If you love crunchy granola (and I do), you’ll probably enjoy it. It wasn’t heated, which would have been nice, but it had a good mix of textures and the flavor was full without being too sweet.

Mark rated his Preserves Crepe ($3.79) “perfect” and said the taste took him back to childhood. He ate a lot of crepes growing up, so this is a high compliment. The crepe itself was firmer than he expected, but he said that was probably so it could hold its own against the generous filling, and he had no complaints.

Carol had the Christine Favor crepe ($6.79), bananas, almonds, strawberries, raisins, and applesauce. She skipped the ice cream, and proclaimed her dessert “very tasty.”

Mark enjoyed the “robust” coffee. I preferred Danielle’s Special Blend tea, a mix of Lipton’s, orange spice and peppermint tea, refreshing and spicy, but not overpowering.

The background noise was low enough so we could visit (why do so many restaurants think customers want to have to choose between shouting over a rock concert or ear plugs?), and the dogs seemed to feel secure with the option to lie along the wall. It was shady, cool, and peaceful. The food was pretty good, too. On the whole, a very good diner dog experience.

A note – when we called to find out if dogs are allowed, we were told yes, they are, but only at the Watt and Fair Oaks location. The person answering the phone said, “We allow dogs if they’re well-behaved and…” he hesitated, “uh…if the people are responsible.” He hurried on to say that they allow dogs if the dogs don’t become nuisances to the people. When I replied that we wouldn’t expect it to be otherwise, he muttered, “You’d be surprised what we’ve seen.” Okay, dudes and chicks, here we go again. If we want dogs to be allowed in restaurants, parks, etc., then it’s up to us to be sure our dogs are good canine citizens.

If your aim is a relaxing brunch with people you want to talk – and listen – to, this is the place to go. We’ll be going again. – Joey Jones, The Patio Pup, for PatioPaws

Danielle’s Creperie

3535-B Fair Oaks Blvd.

Corner of Fair Oaks and Watt

Sacramento, CA

916-972-1911

Sun/Mon 9-3    Tues-Sat 9-9

http://www.daniellescreperi...

FOOD: 3 ½ out of 4 paws (the Spicy Avocado crepe was a miss, but the rest were right on target)

AMBIENCE: 3 ½ out of 4 paws (love the patio, but it is a bit crowded)

PET FRIENDLINESS: 3 out of 4 paws (they did bring water when we asked, although they didn’t seem to notice the dogs otherwise)

SERVICE: 3 out of 4 paws (harried but polite, although it was hard to catch anyone when you needed something)

PRICE: 3 out of 4 paws. A (very) full brunch for three ran us a pricey $78.90 with tax and tip. Next time, we'll order the brunch special with a split crepe - half entrée, half dessert, and skip the salad.

OVERALL: 3 ¼ paws out of 4