Dominique Crenn's Petit Crenn Set To Open August 11th

Dominique Crenn's Petit Crenn Set To Open August 11thPhoto: Nuala Sawyer/Hoodline
Rose Garrett
Published on July 30, 2015

Back in April, we broke the news that the former Bar Jules location at 609 Hayes St. was set to become Petit Crenn, a project from acclaimed local chef Dominique Crenn, of Cow Hollow's Atelier Crenn.

Yesterday, we were told that Petit Crenn, which will be a casual, all-day café and restaurant, is set to open its doors in less than two weeks. It will be a departure from upscale Atelier Crenn, which carries two Michelin stars. “The menu will be like home, like the food my mother and grandmother made but with local produce and all seafood and vegetables," said Crenn in a press release. “I really want to share the experiences and cuisine I grew up with in Brittany, but with no meat."

Petit Crenn's team is working and crushing... #

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Beginning Tuesday, August 11th, Petit Crenn will be open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. The format will follow a five-course prix-fixe menu, with seatings at 6pm and 8:30pm. The menu will focus on seafood and "family-style" preparations that harken to Crenn's childhood in Brittany, including items such as gougères (savory choux pastry), salmon en croûte, tarte tatin, and mignardises. The prix-fixe menu is priced at $72, tip included. 

If you'd rather stop in for a quick bite, oysters and an a la carte menu will be offered at the 10-seat bar. As for drinks, look out for Champagne, white and rosé wines, and French and local ciders to complete the French bistro-style experience.

La vaisselle @petitcrenn

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Starting in September, Petit Crenn will expand its hours to include breakfast and lunch service. In the morning, expect pastries, marmalade, fresh bread, omelette français, oeuf à la coque, and Stumptown coffee. At lunch, there'll be crepes (a Breton invention), salads and tartines.

Though we've yet to get a peek inside, the press release describes the restaurant's interior as "simple and breezy," with walnut tables, vintage silverware, and porcelain dinnerware, plus nautical touches in keeping with Brittany's coastal ambiance.

Crenn hopes to keep the space a neighborhood-friendly establishment; in fact, she lived across the street from Bar Jules for a time. “Obviously, I loved the space, and it’s a space that has been in the community for a long time," Crenn told Inside Scoop“Bar Jules reminded me of the places where I grew up in France. At Atelier Crenn, I wanted to pay an homage to my father [an artist], so this will be an homage to my mom and my grandmother — and the food they used to cook in Brittany. It will be a home away from home.”