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

Old Point Loma Lighthouse

Prior to spending the afternoon in Balboa Park, my parents and I drove out to Point Loma to see the old lighthouse in the Cabrillo National Monument. The spot is beautiful in a barren way. I cannot imagine living out there along 150 years ago with just the wind and the brush to keep you company. The view from lighthouse is impressive though. You can see the bay and the ocean, and the spot is supposed to be good for whale watching, although I didn't see any whales. My favorite thing was not the view or the lighthouse but the red flowers that almost looked as if they were burning up.

Botanical Gardens at Balboa Park

In the afternoon, my parents and I went to Balboa Park. The park is enormous. It contains a handful of museums, the zoo, maybe a half dozen gardens, 20-some international houses, an outdoor concert area for a giant organ, and I think there's a few trees and grassy fields in there too. Out of all these options, we chose to visit the botanical gardens (one of the few free things and I highly recommend it!), and we unintentionally caught an organ concert while I refreshed myself with some ice cream.

Drinks on the Water

Pictures from the San Diego portion of family vacation coming tomorrow!

Zanzibar in San Diego

A great recommendation from a friendly bartender led my boyfriend and I to check out this restaurant on our first night in San Diego. The place is wonderful. It has an eclectic menu. You can order slightly fancier/more substantive meals, like steak or lamb. You can order simpler meals, like fish and chips or fish tacos (my choice). Then, there is a solid list of sandwiches and burgers.


The execution of the food was good, but left a little to be desired. As I said, I got the fish tacos. The fish was cooked pretty well, and the toppings it came with are great. In particular, there was a hot pepper on the side that was very well done. I think it was pickled and roasted? It put my boyfriend's taste buds to the test! If there was a failing in the tacos, it was that it did not come with any pico de gallo or similar salsa. It did have some great guacamole, but I missed the freshness that salsa adds to a dish. My boyfriend got the pastrami rueben, since that is a combination of two of his favorite foods. The filing of the sandwich was fantastic, but the bread was too crunchy so that it scratched the top of your mouth.

One thing that Zanzibar did absolutely perfectly was its drink flights. Jeremy got the flight of beers. Although, to be honest, it's hard to mess up pouring 3 small glasses of beer. I got the flight of mimosas. They had about 6 or 7 flavors you could choose from. I chose the pomegranate, peach, and strawberry. Each one was more delicious than the last. I would definitely go back just for the champagne cocktails.


Outside of what we ordered for dinner, Zanzibar seems to have a lot going for it. The service was great. Our waitress had the unique quality of instantly making us feel like we were old friends. The decor is relaxed and warm, but not overdone. There is a market area attached to the restaurant, which serves up cheese, sweets, and pre-made foods. I was particularly interested in the sweets. There was an old-school lollipop stand. I haven't seen a stand like that outside of the local orchard near my parents house, and the stand was filled with lollipop flavors that I don't think I have ever seen. I didn't end up getting any of those lollipops on this trip, but I'm determined to make it back in the near future so that I can try more mimosa flavors and a lollipop.