Cafe 21

Café 21
2736 Adams Ave,
Normal Heights
www.cafe-21.com
619-640-2121

Situated on Adams and Idaho Street, Café 21 has a small parking lot of its own, but there’s usually plenty of street parking. There’s a nice outdoor seating area with four tables, but no heaters, so bring a sweater on cool nights. Inside, it’s comfortable casual with country-style tables and a beer and wine bar at the front. An interesting feature is a ceiling-mounted projector that shows colorful images of Baku. Although there were children present when we chose to eat dinner, Café 21 struck me more as a date-night location.
After we were greeted, our very attentive and knowledgeable waiter brought flaky rolls made with turmeric, cumin, sesame, and cardamom. Easily the most unique “dinner rolls” I’ve ever had, these were very flavorful and light and a great hint of the meals to come.
For appetizers, I ordered the Crispy Wild Calamari ($9) and a Palm ale, which was on tap ($6). My wife had the Grilled Pear Salad ($12), which featured dried cranberries, feta cheese, spring mix, and a honey balsamic dressing. The calamari was lightly fried and presented with fresh pesto and a spicy marinara. The large tasty salad could be an entrée on its own, but we had no problem finishing it off.
My wife ordered the Char Top Loin ($16) with grilled watermelon, asparagus, house fries (large, thick crispy potato chips), and balsamic syrups. The steak was cooked perfectly for her (the well side of medium), and the watermelon was an interesting flavor component. I had the Whole Rainbow Trout ($17) stuffed with blue crab. Light basmati rice, asparagus and carrots and a lemon sauce finished it off. I requested that they remove the trout’s head, but if you’re so inclined, your meal can look at you while you dine. The fish was beautiful on a hot skillet, and the lemon taste contrasted well with the mushrooms and crab—a very filling meal.
We were too full for dessert, which included Leyla’s fresh-baked cookies and other treats, but we vowed to come back and try them, along with Café 21’s extensive tea list, which includes black, red, green and white varieties.
The hospitality Azerbaijan is noted for is very present at Café 21—our waiter made sure our meal exceeded our expectations, and owner Alex visited each table throughout the night to answer questions and make suggestions. We perused the breakfast and lunch menus while waiting for our food and decided to make Café 21 a place we’d revisit with friends.

The Big Easy

The Big Easy
127 University Ave.,
Hillcrest
www.TheBigEasyRestaurant.com
619-249-EASY (3279)

With its unassuming façade, you could stroll right past The Big Easy, which is tucked away near the end of a sometimes-raucous block of University Avenue in Hillcrest. My husband John and I were warmly welcomed into the casual, Cajun-inspired restaurant, where classic rock was playing. The heated courtyard patio is both spacious and homey, but we decided to sit in the small inner den. Our waitress lit a candle for us and we ordered French-press carafes of superb hot herbal tea ($1.60) while we looked over the menu.

Service was excellent and quick. Our Jumbalaya appetizer ($10) arrived and we dug in to Andouille sausage, chicken and shrimp on a bed of heavenly aromatic “dirty rice.” The sausage and chicken were tender and fabulously seasoned. The shrimp was nothing to complain about, but nothing to sing about either.

We also shared the Arugula Salad ($10), considerately split for us on two plates. Shaved fennel, orange slices, pecans and duck confit were sprinkled with an ingenious mandarin Dijon vinaigrette. The confit added a satisfying richness without being greasy, as duck can be sometimes. I could eat this salad every day.
For our main course, I ordered the Blackened Day Boat Catch ($23), a delicious feast of plump scallops nestled with the quirky and delightful combination of shiitake mushrooms and fried green tomatoes in a cream sauce. I can honestly say these were the best scallops I’ve tasted. Bring this dish to me on my deathbed, please.
John ordered the Shrimp Creole ($20), and this time the shrimp were worth singing about. Other than the shrimp, John was not impressed with the Creole sauce. But I was happy as a wild hog in the bayou and joyously helped him clean his plate. John wished he’d ordered the Steak Diane with wild mushroom grits ($25).
The hearty portions didn’t leave us much room for dessert but we forged ahead anyway. The Bananas Foster for two ($12) embodied lovin’ caramelized goodness. But it was served in an elegant glass cup, which didn’t allow us to scoop up all the flavors at once, as we could have if it had been served in a bowl. The waitress’ favorite dessert is the deep-fried beignet pastry ($1.89 for three), which we couldn’t quite squeeze in.
The menu is full of difficult-to-decide-on items, including adventurous temptations like Crawfish Étouffée ($20) and Alligator Arcadian ($26). Though you won’t find traditional kid fare here, children with daring palates might enjoy trying something new. But for date night, The Big Easy is a worthy aphrodisiac. We missed out on several Cajun stand-bys—grits ($12 for grits and shrimp), gumbo ($9) and Oysters Bienville ($15) to name a few. All the more reason to return.