No Crêpe for You

Not since they named a pastry after Napoleon has anything so delicious seemed so dictatorial. Mouth-watering aromas mix with despotism at La Crêperie on Mass Ave., where customers who do not follow rigid guidelines face an unwelcome (and hungry) fate. Is this Harvard’s very own Crêpe Nazi?

Well, no. Owner James E. Murray is not so much a misunderstood genius as a friendly entrepreneur, and has no plans to move to Argentina. Yet Murray does run an efficient operation, posting strict rules meant to keep business flowing during typically packed rush hours at his Harvard Square institution. And, in a world where one can barely look at a Pez dispenser or Junior Mint without memories of Jerry and the gang, he inevitably invites comparisons to the most feared soup artisan of the “Seinfeld” New York.

Murray’s rules, posted on the eatery’s walls under the heading “La Crêperie’s Fine Print,” are for the most part framed politely, dispelling any totalitarian comparisons.

“If you need an extra plate, please ask” is hardly the stuff of tyranny. In at least one strongly-worded exhortation, however, there does lie an ominous hint, as Murray demands more Lebensraum: “Do not lean on the crêpe counter!” The owner, who often rolls the crêpes himself (and no, he has not considered importing Dominicans to help, à la “Seinfeld”), explains simply that he treats his customers with respect, and he expects the same. Has he ever banned a troublemaker?

“If somebody crosses the line with us, we will definitely eighty-six them,” he says.” (According to urbandictionary.com, “eighty-six” means “to kill or knock off.”)

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