Santa Monica conjures up images of ocean, sandy beaches and…crepes? Crepes by the sea? Mais, oui! Yes at Blue Daisy in Santa Monica, crepes are exactly what you’ll find, (although the ocean and beaches are several blocks away).  This super popular (I was going to say uber popular but the word “uber” has taken on a whole other meaning) restaurant draws in crowds on the weekends, desperately seeking brunch.

Located on the bottom of an apartment building, the interior of Blue Daisy, as my husband remarked, is reminiscent of a hotel coffee shop. Maybe it’s the lamps hanging above the tables or the long bar seating that gives it that feel – I’m not quite sure.

The brunch menu is HUGE. I was exhausted after just poring over the breakfast selections and still had the lunch items to peruse. It’s a good idea to at least have an idea of which you’d rather have to help whittle down your choices. Don’t come in here expecting açaí berries though, which caused the young woman sitting next to me to start sulking (#firstworldproblems). At least I knew that I wanted to try the crepes and zucchini hash browns, narrowing my choices to seven – which all cost $15. From that point, it was an easy choice of smoked salmon over spinach.

My organic scrambled eggs were nothing special, not that I though that they would be. The zucchini hash browns were not what I was expecting. Instead of a flattened block, it was two golf ball sized browns. Chock full of zucchini flecked with dill, it was much healthier tasting than I imagined. Some people love them – others don’t. I’m probably in the latter category, dismayed that my images of a crispy brown zucchini patty were just a figment of my imagination.

The plain crepe was fine, though it needed a a little boost from the jam.

The best part was the smoked salmon. Biting into the salmon, I felt like I was living the good life.

Once again, my husband made the better choice with his smoked salmon crepe, which came with mixed greens.

The crepe was wonderfully decadent – stuffed with eggs, smoked salmon, white cheddar and cilantro, served with a side of béchamel sauce. If I had eaten that crepe, I would have been happily patting my belly at the end of breakfast, instead of feeling like I got the diet version of the same dish.

Get here before 9am and you’ll be able to get seated immediately. If you’re not an early riser, well, on the bright side, you’ll probably be ravenous by the time you get your food, so your meal will taste even better. Maybe this is the reason why some people are nuts about those zucchini hash browns – try them and judge for yourself.

Location –  609 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Website – http://www.bluedaisycafe.com
Kid-Friendly – Yes
Kid’s Menu – No
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly – Yes
Gluten-Free Options – Yes