Since the Bellefonte Cruise in June, Courthouse Crepes, on the corner of South Allegheny Street and West High Street in Bellefonte, has been creating a buzz with its wafer-thin crepes and mouthwatering half-pound burgers. Just steps across the street from the historic Centre County Courthouse, the 1,300-square-foot restaurant is quickly becoming popular with locals and visitors alike.
Courthouse Crepes is a labor of love, owned and operated by a unique partnership between former radio personality Gary Miller, designer Justin Melanson of Melanson Designs, and his wife, Shanna. Born in Massachusetts, Justin Melanson was raised Amish in Scottsville, Kentucky, until he was 16 years old. He owned his own Italian restaurant when he was 21 and credits his Amish upbringing for his skills in construction and all the recipes for his delicious food.
Popular in France and other parts of Europe, a crepe is essentially a very thin pancake that can be sweet or savory, depending on the filling. Open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Courthouse Crepes offer diners fresh, made-to-order crepes and build-your-own burger combinations. There are 15 to 18 different types of daily crepes, and each can be ordered gluten-free. The most popular crepes on the menu are the strawberry-banana-Nutella, the apple pie, chicken-tomato-spinach-ranch, and the ham and Swiss with mustard.
“Our gluten-free crepes look and taste like our regular crepes, and we also have gluten-free chocolate chip bread,” says Shanna Melanson. “All our muffins and cookies are also fresh and made from scratch.”
The décor in the restaurant can best be described as comfort meets industrial chic. Justin painted some of the walls with a broom to give it a denim look, repurposed hemlock on the floors, and custom-made the coffee tables with solid walnut countertops, as well as the chandeliers with Edison-style lights.
“I build drones, and I did some drone photography of downtown Bellefonte,” explains Justin. “They are large meaningful art pieces that we proudly display on our walls, and we have some for sale, too, if people are interested.”
This fall, Courthouse Crepes will be offering three different styles of bread every week, such as artisan, gluten-free, and Amish.
“My goal is to make three soups a week, and with each bowl, guests can choose their slice of bread,” says Shanna. “In terms of soups, we plan on having lobster bisque, spicy chili, and homemade chicken noodle.”
Gary Miller adds, “We will also have seasonal crepes of the month and incorporate flavors such as pumpkin for the fall or perhaps a Thanksgiving-inspired one with turkey and stuffing. Starting in the fall, we will have our espresso machine and a barista, so we will be able to offer lattes and other espresso beverages.”
Regularly brewed coffees are currently available and playing on the courthouse theme, Cafe Lemont roasts a special batch of coffee beans for Courthouse Crepes with original names such as the Not Guilty (decaf), All Rise (medium roast), and Grounds for Divorce (dark roast).
In addition to the crepes and coffee, there are salads, burgers, and Meyer Dairy ice cream on the menu.
“We have our basic Courthouse Burger, but we tell our customers that what they see on the menu is just a suggestion. We encourage people to create their own burger, so if you want a fried egg, we can do that,” says Shanna.
The restaurant offers free WiFi, USB connections in the outlets, and a small children’s library.
There are plans for bringing in live acoustic talent and other live entertainment.
Miller says, “We’re going to make this place a destination to come to in Bellefonte!”
For more information, call Courthouse Crepes at (814) 424-7229.
Vilma Shu Danz is operations manager/assistant editor of Town&Gown.
Recipe:
Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Ever!
3 cups of flour
11/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup packed brown sugar
Stir in 2 cups Chocolate Chips
Bake at 350 degrees until golden and delicious.
