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August 31 • 2017 65 jn Le Petit Zinc Creperie & Café M y friend Francine chose a delightful restaurant for our lunch this summer. Though new to me, Le Petit Zinc Creperie & Café has been in business for years. This bright and charming French restaurant, "hidden" in Detroit's Corktown neigh- borhood, is on Trumbull Street, between West Lafayette and Howard. It truly was surprising to find the little building with pri- vate patio in an urban area. When my good friend Susan arrived on the very same Tuesday for her own first-time visit, we had to say: "What were the chances?" The comfortable French dining at Le Petit Zinc won't disappoint anyone in the mood for classic dishes like Ratatouille ( five- vegetable stew) or Salade Nicoise (tuna, string beans, tomatoes, anchovies, potatoes, olives and hard-boiled eggs over mixed greens). These are two of the café's most popular items, according to Le Petit Zinc co-owner Karima Sorel. She also recommends Le Petit Dejeuner (baked eggs served with croissant or baguette, Brie, fresh fruit, mixed greens, broiled potatoes), Saumon Fume et Epinard (smoked salmon, spinach, hard-boiled eggs), Assiette de Fromage (cheese plate) and Citron Sucre (lemon-sugar crepe). My delicious choice was Feta et Epinards — a thick, sweetish crepe stuffed with fresh spinach, feta and mushrooms. Naturally, this healthy choice justified sharing dessert: a thin crepe rolled around chocolate and bananas. No regrets. Another day, Susan and I both chose Salade de Poulet. Somewhat like Nicoise, it features roasted chicken. Our beautifully arranged plates had tomato and potato slices bookmark- ing ingredients in the center. We shared a "chef 's special" dessert crepe, finding bliss in every mouth- ful of fresh strawberries and honey. The coffee Susan praised with its "dark honey and cinnamon notes" comes from Ann Arbor-based Mighty Good Coffee Roasting Company. Sorel has an interest- ing background. She and her Parisian ex-husband, Charles Sorel, formerly owned restaurants in Paris, New York and Rio. Leaving Brazil to rejoin Karima's widowed mother in Detroit, the Sorels opened Le Petit Zinc in 2009 in her mother's own building. The couple decided Detroit need- ed a mid-range dining option that wouldn't require an extensive kitchen. Crepes and other French special- ties filled the bill. The four Sorel offspring live with Charles in Paris. When Karima Sorel goes for extended visits, co-owner Scott Rutterbush and dedicated staff hold down the fort. Le Petit Zinc is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily, except 9-3 for the busy Sunday brunch. The cheerful dining room features colorful artwork on yellow walls with green-trimmed window frames. Two hand-crocheted window panels come from Brazil. Craft paper-covered wooden tables with straight chairs stand on painted terra-cotta tiles. Typical of French neighborhood bars, patrons' wear and tear on the zinc metal bar top gives it a unique texture. There's still time to enjoy the shel- tered garden patio built around a classic, multi-level fountain. Flowers, vegetables and herbs grow around the patio's perimeter. When Francine and I sat at our umbrella table, we felt perfectly at peace with the world. • Esther Allweiss Ingber Contributing Writer Le Petit Zinc 1055 Trumbull Detroit, MI 48216 (313) 963-2805 www.lepetitzincdetroit.com $$½ out of $$$$$ nosh dining in the d EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN * *No workout clothes required. Mind Aerobics iT an innovative, evidence-based program to help adults maintain or strengthen their brain function. Developed by the New England Cognitive Center, Mind Aerobics stimulates six major functions of the brain: Reaction time Visual/spatial relations Attention and concentration Memory Language Problem solving Classes are organized by cognitive level; each level has 24 sessions held over 12 weeks. NEW CLASSES STARTING THIS FALL! Funded by MON WED September 11 - December 6 10 - 11am, Bloomfield Township For more information, please contact Angela Popoff at 248.592.2671 or apopoff @jfsdetroit.org. TUE THU September 14 - December 12 10 - 11am, West Bloomfield jfsdetroit.org KWTEFUPSH