During my recent visit to take photographs at Via Argentina, I stumbled upon a nice looking cafe which caught my immediate attention. It was pleasantly decorated with plants on the outside. Since it was early morning on a Sunday, the place was closed, so I didn’t had the opportunity to see how it was decorated inside.
The name of this attractive place is Cafe Suzette. I tried to obtain more information about this cafe, but there was none on the Internet. However, I did find an interesting story about the history of Crêpe Suzette which I’m sure you will enjoy.
Crêpe Suzette is a typical French dessert, consisting of a crêpe with a hot sauce of caramelized sugar, orange juice, lightly grated orange peel and liqueur (usually Grand Mariner) on top, which is subsequently flambéed.
The origin of the dish is that it was created out of a mistake made by a fourteen year-old assistant waiter Henri Charpentier in 1895 at the Maitre at Monte Carlo’s Café de Paris. He was preparing a dessert for the Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII of England, and his companion whose first name was Suzette.
This is told by Henri Charpentier himself in Life a la Henri, his autobiography, although later contradicted by the Larousse dictionary.
“It was quite by accident as I worked in front of a chafing dish that the cordials caught fire. I thought It was ruined. The Prince and his friends were waiting. How could I begin all over? I tasted it. It was, I thought, the most delicious melody of sweet flavors I had ever tasted. I still think so.
That accident of the flame was precisely what was needed to bring all those various instruments into one harmony of taste . . . He ate the pancakes with a fork; but he used a spoon to capture the remaining syrup. He asked me the name of that which he had eaten with so much relish. I told him it was to be called Crepes Princesse.
He recognized that the pancake controlled the gender and that this was a compliment designed for him; but he protested with mock ferocity that there was a lady present. She was alert and rose to her feet and holding her little skirt wide with her hands she made him a curtsey. ‘Will you,’ said His Majesty, ‘change Crepes Princesse to Crepes Suzette?’ Thus was born and baptized this confection, one taste of which, I really believe, would reform a cannibal into a civilized gentleman. The next day I received a present from the Prince, a jeweled ring, a panama hat and a cane.”
Having said this entertaining culinary story, let me add that I took several photographs of this elegant cafe to share it with our readers. This is the cute cafe at Via Argentina on a cool Sunday morning. Here we go.
Photograph of the entrance of Cafe Suzette at Via Argentina in Panama City, Panama. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)
A close up view of Cafe Suzette's exterior sign at Via Argentina in Panama City, Panama. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)
View of a corner of Cafe Suzette nicely decorated with tropical plants. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)
An exterior view of Cafe Suzette attractively decorated with tropical plants. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)
As you can see, Via Argentina is not only a place of elegant restaurants and discotheques; it also includes a small collection of chic cafes. Drop by this exciting place and relax with a sip of good Boquete coffee. Good Day.
