Truck Treks: La Dominique Crêperie

The quilted, silver cart shines brightly, humbly in the midday sun. A dozen college students amble up to the corner of 33rd and Market, peering curiously at the food truck at hand. It is called, not so humbly, La Dominique Crêperie.

Hidden inside the shade of this cage stood Zbigniew Chojnacki, a 60 year old man of distinctly Polish origin. His heather gray hair matched the shade of his shirt. Thin, round frames teetered on the tip of his nose, threatening to tumble off into the crêpe in front of him. His expression reflected hardiness, but also exhaustion. Ziggy has been twirling crêpes for six years, but, he admits, single-handedly running the small business isn’t his true calling.

The menu ranges from savory breakfast crêpes with homemade pineapple-habenero sauce to delightfully subtle and tangy lemon curd crêpes, dusted with confectioner’s sugar. On this day, the cheery atmosphere calls for a crêpe in high demand at La Dominique: the Banana-Strawberry.

Chojnacki’s hands are worn, yet agile. He pours the batter, glides the trowel around the griddle in one smooth motion, and seconds later, flips an evenly browned crêpe. The confection slides easily onto the counter to be filled. Strawberries, yes. Bananas, yes. Ziggy meticulously carves slices from each strawberry in midair, whipping the paring knife back before it reaches his fingers. The fillings don’t end at the fruit.

He nimbly spreads spoonfuls of Nutella between the layers and sprinkles sliced almonds, which cling to the hazelnut spread. Dollops of whipped cream, extra bananas, and of course, chocolate syrup adorn the top. It is magnificent.

The finishing touches, artful layers of fluffy cream, fruit, and chocolate, give a clue as to Ziggy’s true profession. He is an artist. A sculptor, to be exact.

Chojnacki speaks of his days devoted solely to art with a wistful reverence. Through a thick Polish accent, the yearning in his voice is palpable. He once traveled the world to put on shows in the US, Europe, and Asia. However, a slump in the art market spurred him to start La Dominique, sidelining his sculpting career. Now, his foreign experiences are merely evident through the unique cultural themes of each crêpe–the Mexican, essentially a burrito-crêpe, or the Italian, finished with a sprig of fresh basil.

Ziggy may be busy with crêpes, but his art has not been completely forgotten on the back burner. Aside the faded, delicately striped “La Dominique” sign and menu, he has posted signs for a local art show. His name lines the top of the poster, above an image of an alien-like sculpture. Evidently, the sculptor has managed to keep his passion alive.

While he recounts his life’s story to the students, Chojnacki, meanwhile, has been struggling to slice bite size chunks from the towering crêpe to be shared. Clearly, these treats are meant to be selfishly savored alone. At long last, forks stab into the street food container and deliver morsels to lips.

And how do they taste? Crisp edges, tender centers, sticky-sweet fruit, messy chocolate, the satisfying snap of an almond, powdered sugar melting, flying everywhere. In-your-face, over the top, and downright delicious. It is, undeniably, art. For the tasters, it is reassuring. Even while trapped in the darkened cavern of a food cart near West Philly, this worldly artist can create.