Name: Cafe 21
Location: 750 5th Ave. Downtown San Diego
Date Reviewed: 01/28/2012
Cuisine: New American
Must Try: Sangria, Chicken Curry Cakes

In downtown San Diego, restaurants and bars often come and go, many of which are unable to consistently offer fresh and flavorful food, reasonable prices, and outstanding service. Luckily, Café 21 is not one of these lacking restaurants. Located at 750 5th Avenue between G Street and F Street, Café 21 offers delicious dishes that feature seasonal, organic, and locally grown ingredients, as well as an extensive drink menu to match. Equally impressive to the food and beverage menu is the personal touch that each diner is guaranteed to receive with experience while at Café 21.

“When you’re here, we want you to feel like you are at your friend’s house, to feel welcome,” say owners Alex and Leyla. “We want you to feel like you’ve come to my house and I asked my wife to make food for you.” After moving to San Diego from Baku, Azerbaijan, Alex and his wife Leyla initially opened Café 21 on Adams Avenue in University Heights in 2007 with the motto “Neighborhood fare with a flare.” Luckily for us, the pair recently expanded to downtown, bringing the same neighborhood values, fine food and homey, yet elegant décor to 5th Avenue. After being warmly greeted by Alex and his staff, we were seated at a table that was complete with a portable purse rack for the ladies at the table.

Café 21 takes a communal approach to serving, so we had several servers, including Alex himself, all who offered thoughtful recommendations on food and drinks. But before we even had a chance to get to the food menu, we had our eyes on the 2 page, brightly colored drink menu. While the friendly service and dynamic dishes certainly make Café 21 a superior downtown dining destination, the additional presence of such a dynamic drink menu, featuring both exotic and familiar flavors alike, really helps to set Café 21 apart from other drinking and dining choices in the Gaslamp.

For first timers, do your taste buds a favor and order the sangria Flight. For $10, the Flight includes five sample-sized glasses of their homemade sangrias of the day, garnished to match their featured flavors. The sangria menu changes frequently, based upon the availability of fresh and in-season ingredients. The five sangrias in my flight included blood-orange citrus, mango papaya, cranberry vanilla, almond rosemary, and of course, original. A combination that one might more readily associate with a roasted winter chicken, the almond rosemary sangria proved to be a surprisingly refreshing and delicious combination that you just might find yourself craving on both hot and cold days alike. The blood-orange citrus also packed a punch with bold flavor that I will definitely be back for.

Because we were dining during brunch and were already overwhelmed by two orders of Sangria Flights, the only additional drink that we had room to order was a Bloody Mary. However, this was not your typical Bloody Mary. Forget canned tomato juice and a wilted celery garnish, this cocktail was something much more. Made with Tru Organic Vodka and Café 21’s salty and spicy homemade tomato mix, this brunch time favorite came topped with not three, not four, but five strips of crispy bacon and a massive skewer of olives and sweet peppers. The Café 21 Bloody Mary is sure to ease your Saturday hangover or help to start your Sunday funday. Having been thoroughly impressed with their daytime drinks, we can’t wait to visit during happy hour to check out more of their creative cocktails served from their full bar, which is stocked with top of the line organic tequilas and vodkas. Out for something even more organic? Try one of their organic teas or coffees.

While the drinks alone are reason enough to visit Café 21 for a quick lunch out of the office or happy hour, we were anxious to try some of the food too. Inspired by both their American and Middle Eastern roots, the menus at Café 21 are unique and full of flavor. We ordered three items from their brunch menu: Curry Chicken Cakes, Lamb Sausage Omelet, and the Prosciutto Omelet. The Chicken Curry Cakes were served with poached eggs, creamy saffron sauce, red onions, and Havarti cheese. A great combination for those indecisive between breakfast and lunch, this dish was perfectly seasoned and satisfying. The omelets were each served in their own individual cast iron skillets and baked to perfection. For salt lovers, definitely try the prosciutto omelet, which was generously filled with meat, cheddar cheese, tomatoes and cremini mushroom. Sausage and meat enthusiasts should definitely try the lamb sausage omelet, which came with four juicy, meatball-sized pieces of lamb sausage, goat cheese, tomato and mozzarella.

Not a fan of meat? Try their feta or herb omelet, which are packed with tasty veggies and cheeses. All omelets are served homemade house toast and a choice of one side, which vary but generally include Café 21’s signature pancakes, grilled prosciutto, mixed greens with strawberries, fruit, potato chips or soup. Though we ordered brunch, Café 21 also offers an extensive lunch and dinner menu which, like their signature sangrias, varies by the availability of seasonal, fresh, local, and organic ingredients.

The bottom line: Whether you’re downtown for business lunch, a night out with friends or for a romantic dinner date, the quality of the food and the thoughtful and gracious service truly make Café 21 a superior restaurant worth frequenting.

Check out the Cafe 21 website for updated menu information and more on Alex and Leyla: http://cafe-21.com/

Photos by Bonnie Dickson

Finally. It’s here. Wintervention 2012. This event is going to be so crackin that I almost want to stay in on Saturday to conserve my party juice (almost). This Sunday, January 15th in the Legends Ballroom at the Hard Rock hotel, not only is DJhere bringing you one of winter’s biggest day parties, but the event is also going to be headlined by Nervo.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Nervo, these blonde bombshell sisters are much more than just a pair of pretty faces. Their track record includes working with some of the industry’s most influential names, such as David Guetta, Afrojack and Steve Aoki, so not only do they know how to play with the big boys, but they throw down some serious beats on the turntable!

This event doesn’t begin until 2 p.m., which gives you plenty of time to hang up your Sunday best and change into your favorite polar bear outfit. So what are you waiting for? Grab your tickets, book your VIP table, and come get wild for San Diego’s hottest Wintervention yet!

VIP TABLE/BOTTLE RESERVATIONS CALL Andrew Hadley 619.793.6821

Listen/Watch:

http://www.interventionsd.com

www.Facebook.com/Nervomusic
www.Twitter.com/Nervomusic

I know we have been hearing/talking about it all week since its creation…but I didn’t expect to witness and do all the things that I did in those five short hours of Guesthouse Dayclub! This was definitely a party of epic proportions, and everyone who was involved in the making deserves a HUGE pat on the back. My particular experience was one involving a shitload of champagne, confetti throwers, and sight-blinding neon…basically, the raddest party I have attended since the famed Interventions of summer. Do I see a new winter Sunday trend starting? YES, and one with staying power

We started off the day by being welcomed by stilt walkers at the front entrance of Guesthouse. We were immediately let in, and sat at our table just in time for the food to be walked out by gorgeous girls wearing serving trays…which by the way, the food is AMAZING! Mini breakfast burritos, fruit and yogurt parfaits, and macerated blueberries…YUM! The best part? It was free!

After we all felt full enough to start tackling the bottles, the real fun started to happen. All I really can do to explain what the hell happened is just list the series of random events I actually remember occurring:

1) Me getting lost SEVERAL times in the fully packed house.
2) My boss walking around in an elephant head and feet with a cryo gun backpack.
3) SEX PANTHER dropping ice-scooper vodka shots straight into peoples mouths from the DJ booth.
4) Confetti. EVERYWHERE!
5) Stilt walkers literally dancing and partying amongst us.
6) There were people taking beer bongs from the mezzanine!
7) Ronnie Magro from Jersey Shore made a special appearance, and joined us in the bottle-popping celebration.
8 ) There were bubbles being constantly blown all over the crowd all day!
9) The tasty drink mixers that made the drinks basically taste like fruit…love it when that happens.
10) Seeing ALL of my friends and co-workers show up in one spot to support and party!

Writing all of this out actually makes me excited for next Sunday…and I’m still hungover from yesterday. If that doesn’t explain how crazy/insane/ridiculous/fun/memorable this party experience is, then I honestly don’t know what is wrong with you.

Guesthouse/Stingaree, DJhere, DDJ, and Night Access rocked the house hard yesterday…and we hope that all of you left with the same feeling. We welcome you to come back to Guesthouse every Sunday this winter…HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE!

FOR MORE PICTURES FROM THE DAY, PLEASE VISIT OUR GALLERIES:

http://djhere.com/photos/12042011-guesthouse-dayclub-opening-day/

1) What’s your story?: I was born and raised on the east coast in Cocoa Beach, Florida. I moved to Jersey City/Manhattan working on yachts, and shortly after that, ended up in south Florida. I lived in Miami Beach for 3 years; bartending at all the top nightclubs. I needed a change and decided to randomly to give the west coast a shot and which brought me San Diego
2) Which do you prefer, boxers or briefs?: Briefs for sure
3) What’s your favorite food?: I’m obsessed with sushi!!!
4) Describe your perfect girl: About 5’6, 104 pounds, C boobs, has to have a nice ass,d ark long hair, keeps up on herself, a girly-girl but enjoys out door activities ( hiking, snowboarding , etc.) great personality, family oriented, a sweetheart, and very easy going. ( In other words, I’ll die a lonely man)
5) How did you get those amazing abs/give us your workout routine?: Work out abs every other day to LMFAO- Sexy and I Know it. Lol kidding, I only make videos to it

6) What is the craziest story that you have happen while working as bartender?: Blew a girls clip on bangs off her forehead across the club with a CO2 tank
7) Blonde’s or Brunettes?: Brunettes
8 ) What is your idea of a perfect date?: My perfect date is anything that neither me or her have ever done before. I think it makes it a better/more fun time and loosens things up a bit right from the start but I would like the evening to end with going to a super nice wine vineyard.
9) What do you think about dating in the industry?: As long as she meets the description of “my perfect girl”, I’m all for it.
10) What is the biggest difference between the people you met in Miami and San Diego?: People in SD are waaaaay more down to earth!

Once again, DJhere Productions brings you a killer weekend setup for you to forget about the work week with! Come join our always-pleasing crew, and you better bring your party face! On this weekend edition, we have a mix of super star DJ’s and a special treat on Saturday at the IVY for all you guys and gals in our Armed Forces. Don’t miss out on our events because with us making your plans, you know you can’t go wrong!

Thursday 11/10/2011- AN21 and Max Vangeli at Voyeur: This Thursday at Voyeur, we bring you two VERY special guests…we have AN21 (brother of Steve Angello from Swedish House Mafia) and Max Vangeli (already a rising superstar on his own). They come together to bring a power-packed performance that you will have to witness yourself! They will be playing many of their new hits off their album that dropped earlier this year…you might be familiar with their sound from the Pendulum remix of “Islands.

For more information:
—-> http://on.fb.me/an21maxvangeli (Event Flier), http://bit.ly/DJheretickets (Tickets)
—-> http://www.soundcloud.com/an21
—-> http://www.facebook.com/maxvangeli

Friday 11/11/2011 – DJ Fingaz, Diggs, and Frankie M at 207/Float: DJ Fingaz is the special guest here tonight with amazing beat-maker DJ Diggs coming on before him. Fingaz is Xzibit’s DJ and has spun for some of the most influential names in the business, including – XZIBIT, Beyonce, Paris Hilton, Snoop Dogg, Tyrese, Black Eyed Peas, Drake, Lil Wayne, T.I., EVE, Trey Songz and more. At Float, the rooftop oasis, we have our very own Miss Frankie M on the turntables. She comes full force and always keeps the party bouncing. Our resident Fridays at the Hard Rock Hotel San Diego are always going off…so make sure to be there this to check out our awesome DJ showcase!

For more information:
—-> http://on.fb.me/ujWN2L (Event Flier)
—-> http://www.djfingaz.com
—-> http://on.fb.me/djdiggs
—-> http://www.myspace.com/djfrankiem

Saturday 11/12/2011 – DJhere Presents: HERE’S TO THE GOOD GUYS!: This is our special celebration for all of you who have done this world some good. We like to thank all of you, and know no better way to do it other than throwing you the ultimate party to blow off some steam! We know military life is no cake walk, and we also think you deserve the ultimate night of rest and relaxation so come join us for YOUR special night!

Also, a BIG BIRTHDAY SHOUT-OUT to our girl Ayla Simone!

For more information:
—-> http://on.fb.me/goodguys11 (Event Flier)
—-> http://www.djmrbest.com
—-> http://www.djaylasimone.com
—-> http://www.facebook.com/DJESTE
—-> http://www.djtill.com
—-> http://www.myspace.com/d.j.a.d