Locally, crêpes with a California influence are enjoying a surge of interest. Every Sunday at the Los Gatos Farmers Market, Les Crêpes de Antonis serves crêpes hot from the pan to eager, strolling fans.

"They're fun to make, easy to serve, and people seem to appreciate them," says owner Antonis Giakoumis, who, with wife Angela, has been serving sweet and savory crêpes to market crowds in Los Gatos for the past three years. The couple also served crêpes in Saratoga until that market closed after the summer season but continues to bring them to several other farmers markets in the South Bay. They maintain two booths at each market: one for the crêpes and one for hot popcorn at Tony's Original Kettlecorn.

Giakoumis describes his crêpes as having a "California influence," that is, a myriad of combinations beyond the standard European crêpe of ham, cheese and eggs. There are 20 varieties on his menu, starting with a plain sugar and butter crêpe for $3. The price climbs to a maximum of $8 for the more elaborate creations using chicken, baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, pesto and blended cheeses. There's a sweet crêpe smeared with Nutella—a hazelnut spread with skim milk and cocoa—and stuffed with bananas and strawberries or raspberries and blueberries. There's a lemon sugar crêpe with butter; a sugar cinnamon with butter; and the special spice apple crêpe smeared with cinnamon-caramel sauce, stuffed with whipped cream, strawberries and sliced almonds.

Many orders are for vegetarian crêpes that combine organic baby spinach and arugula, feta cheese, tomatoes and artichoke hearts. "This is popular in Los Gatos where there's a more sophisticated crowd which seems more aware of healthful foods," Giakoumis says. He enjoys serving his crêpes to families who say they love eating their fare on the plaza lawn and listening to the "beautiful sounds of water. I prefer downtown (Town Plaza)," he adds. "There's more foot traffic. Families feel like they belong. It's not a dry parking lot."

The Giakoumis family keeps 16 propane gas-fueled crêpe machines for parceling out to various farmers markets as well as private parties like bar mitzvahs, birthdays and showers. Son Georgio, 14, is an expert crêpe-maker, according to his dad. By himself, he cooks at the Sunnyvale Farmers Market every week and also brings a machine to his school cooking class. "He impresses the women," chuckles Giakoumis.

Giakoumis, 38, emigrated at 18 from the small island of Poros in Greece to follow a dream. Soon after arriving in San Francisco, he was "thunderstruck" at the sight of Los Altos-born Angela, then 17, who was dancing in a Greek Independence Day celebration. Two years later they were married. He also achieved his dream of earning an aviation degree from San José State University. As a fully accredited commercial pilot with instrument rating, he now teaches students at various local airports.

Cooking was the natural offshoot of an interest born in his mother's kitchen, where he learned to cook for himself. "I went into crêpes because it seemed like a good business opportunity," he says.

"I love it here," he says of Los Gatos, where he's seeking permanent commercial space.

Les Crêpes de Antonis at the Los Gatos Farmers Market in the Town Plaza, Sunday 8 a.m.­12:30 p.m. Call 650.533.3152 for catering information, or e-mail Tony@doorsteporganics.com.