Cafe Chloe

I've been to Cafe Chloe about a year ago and it was a very pleasant experience... so this time around when I visited San Diego again, I decided to pay them a visit. Cafe Chloe is in downtown San Diego, but it's not near Gaslamp District or Little Italy - it's located where they call "East Village." Amidst the numerous lofts and new apartments, Cafe Chloe sits in the corner space of 9th Ave. and G Street. There are a few tables in the outdoor patio, but most grab a seat in the bistro-esque dining room (think Breakfast at Tiffany's with a splash of Jackie O). We were seated in the cute loft elevated from the main floor, overseeing the rest of the tables and what folks were munching on :)

Last time I was here, we had the Mussels Indienne and the Salmon Gravlax Tartine. While the mussels were good, I didn’t care for the salmon all too much. Since I wanted a lighter lunch, we decided to order the Poached Eggs with Wild Mushrooms and the Dungeness Crab Tartine.

Dungeness Crab Cake Tartine

I like crab cakes, but all too often restaurants stuff those things with everything BUT crab. Although I was wary about ordering this… I was convinced to give it a shot. And boy am I happy I did! The crab cake was filled with real crab meat, finely chopped red bell peppers and celery. It was breaded and fried, then topped with a garlic aioli that gave it a nice kick! The crab cake was placed on top of a thick piece of toast (I guess to fill you up) and served with a rather bland couscous salad that I didn’t care for. I liked the crab cake and just wish they would have given me two instead of one… now I am just being greedy.

-$14-

Poached Eggs with Wild Mushrooms

Some people like their eggs scrambled, over easy, sunny-side up, hard-boiled, egg whites only… but you seldom hear someone say they like their eggs poached. Well, I LOVE my eggs poached- there is something so satisfying about the yolk oozing out and trying to spoon up every last drop. I am a total sucker for eggs benedict so when I saw poached eggs with wild mushrooms (two of my faves), of course I had to order it. With all that said, the poached eggs were a bit overcooked… the yolk wasn’t oozing out. But the wild mushrooms cooked in a truffle beurre blanc sauce more than compensated for the eggs. Those mushrooms soaked up all the flavors of the wine while still retaining its earthy flavors. The eggs and mushrooms were served on toasted baguette, so it soaked up all the extra sauce. The dish was served with an asparagus citrus salad that was a bit bland and forgettable. If you like Eggs Benedict, this is definitely a great vegetarian version of it!

-$10-

Café Chloe is a very charming, little bistro where locals gather to mingle and share some good bistro fare and have a glass of wine (or two). Although it’s highly rated, it still retains that neighborhood gem kinda charm. Gotta love it!

Cafe Chloe

721 Ninth Ave. #1

San Diego, CA 92101