Parisian crepes inspire new Duluth food truck

DULUTH — Serving crepes from the North Shore Scenic Railroad's Chew Chew Food truck brings Linda Nervick, founder of Crepes Amour , back to her childhood.

"Many decades ago, our kitchen pantry had a window that opened. So I would call to the neighborhood kids and they would come to order, and I'd make them a sandwich — when I was like 9 or 10 years old," Nervick said.

On June 1, she opened her own European-inspired food truck. "I feel like a kid again," Nervick said.

Parked outside the North Shore Scenic Railroad train station and museum in Duluth, on the museum and boarding level of the Depot, Crepes Amour is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m- 3 p.m. during the summer. Customer parking is available on Michigan Street. Located nearby are the Duluth Art Institute and the Duluth Public Library .

"What is unique about the Crepes Amour is the uniqueness of the menu," Ken Buehler, executive director of the Lake Superior Railroad Museum and general manager of the North Shore Scenic Railroad, said. "Fresh crepes with all sorts of delicious combinations."

The menu is evolving and will feature different items throughout the season, Nervick said.

A crepe is very thin type of European pancake, she described. Baked on cast iron at 450 degrees until viable, it is then flipped with a stick.

Crepes Amour serves two primary styles: sweet and savory.

The sweet one comes with the choice of fruit and berries, or banana and Nutella. It is quarter-folded and topped with whipped cream and chocolate.

For the savory, add-on choices are salad, chicken or bacon, with a choice of ranch or vinaigrette, and served with pesto — all rolled into a cone.

"I do the cheese right onto the crepe and some of them are crispy," Nervick said. "They're about 16 inches in diameter when I make them."

Peanut butter and jelly flavors and a gluten-free crepe are available, too.

Croissants, macarons and pretzels from Duluth's Best Bread are also sold from the food truck, as well as Mrs. Fun Treats — Nervick's homemade baked and canned good items.

Years ago, Nervick worked at Grandma's Restaurant and also worked in the bakery at Duluth's Best Bread. She said sharing her baked goods with neighbors, friends and family is enjoyable.

"We just did our first week and there's a wonderful learning curve," Nervick said. "It went way beyond our expectations and it gave us great joy to share this culinary experience. I consider it as culinary art."

Nervick's first authentic crepe experience was in Paris. "There was a little gentleman on the street," Nervick said. "I was absolutely enamored by the way he flipped the crepe and put the chocolate on it. It was wonderful. Forever in my memory."

Station manager Josh Miller, who has worked at North Shore Scenic Railroad for 11 years, said there has always been a need for more food options on that end of the city for some time.

The North Shore Scenic Railroad train hauls 80,000 people a year, Miller said —with many trips during the lunchtime window. Passengers often ask about nearby food options, he said.

"There hasn't been that option up until now," Miller said. "We were gifted the truck, so it provided a shell of a home for someone to move into."

The Chew Chew Food truck was previously acquired from Mike & Jen's Cocoa Mix . "They had it towed down to the railroad station because the engine wasn't working and so it's going to be a stationary food truck, which is interesting in its own right," Nervick said.

When the North Shore Scenic Railroad put out a call for new daytime concessions to operate from its food truck, Nervick applied.

"Linda is tons of energy and sunshine, wrapped in human skin. She's someone who goes all in and worked hard to get it started. We're excited about having her here," Miller said.

Travels abroad served as the inspiration for the new business, Nervick said. Oxford Languages defines the French word "amour" as "a secret or illicit love affair or lover."

"When you go to Europe, you'll find little crepe stands by the train," Nervick said. "Crepes are historically European and they were used to just put leftovers. Like, you would have leftover roast beef and you would put it into a crepe. This is something that's from the old country of Europe and it's now making a comeback into the culinary world."

Through research, Nervick found there weren't any creperies in the area. She purchased a 1970s crepe maker, which came with a brochure full of recipes.

"There were so many ideas for crepes," Nervick said. "You can really have a lot of fun doing this."

Considerations for fall are already underway, Nervick said, and catering may be added to Crepes Amour services in the future. "There is a great possibility to be a brick-and-mortar business," she said. "We'd love to have a place downtown, Lincoln Park or Canal Park."

Nervick said she's inquired about two sites so far and Crepes Amour is on the waiting list for those.

"We're feeling like it could turn into something 'amour,'" Nervick said.