One of the most beloved tenants of NorthPark Center is The Magic Pan, a casual, French country restaurant serving sweet and savory crepes. The Magic Pan opened in 1974 as a part of an expansion that included Lord & Taylor.

The Magic Pan manager Bob Butterfield taking Raymond Nasher for a spin on the crepe pan.
Dallas Times Herald, June 16, 1974

The “NorthPark Pan,” as one article from the Dallas Morning News dubbed it, was the 17th location for the San Francisco-based eatery. It was also the largest at the time of opening. The Magic Pan served over 27 varieties of crepes – dinner crepes, dinners that offered crepes with an entree, and of course, dessert crepes. The prices ranged from $2.80 for the spinach soufflé to $5.50 for the evening special of steak kebabs and a crepe. A favorite feature in the restaurant was the “Wheel of Pans” in the dining room, where patrons could watch chefs whip up eight crepes per minute.

The Magic Pan manager Bob Butterfield and assistant manager Lee Henderson at the “Wheel of Pans.”
Dallas Morning News, October 12, 1974

Here is a listing of a few of the delectable items on the dessert crepe menu:

            Chantilly Crepe – whipped cream and banana slices with special sauce and almonds

            Crepe Beignet – deep-fried strips of crepe with powered sugar and apricot sauce

            Strawberry Supreme – fresh strawberries, brown sugar, sour cream of whipped cream

            Crepe a la Mode – vanilla ice cream topped with bittersweet chocolate shavings

The Magic Pan closed almost 25 years ago in 1991. What was your favorite crepe?

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