The stove was European, with a flat top instead of burners, and it radiated heat like a furnace. Ladle in a little batter, swirl the pan to coat it evenly, keep swirling until the batter stops moving, then put the pan on the heat and jerk it back and forth until the crepe has dried enough to loosen and slip free. Flip it out on wax paper and grab another ladle. Now, do it 99 more times. The secret, Gutch said as we swirled, was in the pan.
Some crepe pans stick.
It doesn't matter how cheap or expensive the pan is. In fact, he said, a cheap pan could be even better because if crepes stick to it, you can throw it out and buy another one. Flash-forward several months, to Paris. It was the last day of my vacation. As the hours dwindled, I dashed around in the rain, hitting a few more food high spots.