Cafe 21 in the Gaslamp District

 For breakfast on our first morning in San Diego (before we went to the Point Loma lighthouse and the botanical gardens in Balboa Park), we went to Cafe 21. This was without a doubt everyone's favorite meal in San Diego. The cafe is adorable, and it avoids attracting the drunken or hungover Gaslamp crowds by opening early (8 am) and closing after lunch. So the overall ambiance is refined and calm, which I think is a hard combination to find in that neighborhood. Mom had the salmon cakes (made like crab cakes except with potato added in) with a poached egg on top. Dad had the lamb sausage scramble. The sausage was well spiced. I had the spinach crepes with feta and goat cheese. The inside of the crepes were perfectly melted together. Although I didn't indulge, there was also a wall of homemade sangrias in many appetizing flavors. (Mom and Dad would probably have judged if I started drinking at 9 am.) On top of great food and atmosphere, Cafe 21 also has great service. Our waiter was chatty in a jovial way, and my coffee never wanted for a refill. If I find myself back in San Diego, Cafe 21 is top on my list of places to return.

Cafe 21
750 5th Ave.
San Diego, CA 92101