Friday night was date night...
TC was at a youth group retreat and after dropping her off, we headed to the dreaded Gaslamp Quarter.
to give Zymology a try...
Zymology is part of Cafe 21 and is actually the site of Cafe 21's previous downtown location before they took over the old Croce's spot. The restaurant is a bit gimmicky in that everything is science/chemistry related. Everything down to the hexagonal decor (tables, plates, mirrors, beaker glasses, test tubes, etc) and paintings of scientists on the walls. There was also a clock (not pictured) which Bert found amusing because instead of numbers, there were chemistry equations.
Zymology is the science of fermentation. Throughout the interior were jugs and jars filled with fermenting fruits and herbs. There was also a shelf with siphon coffee makers.
We chose to order a couple of items from the Happy Hour Menu (which is from 3 to 8 pm; damn, 3 is pretty early!) and one from the regular menu. Bert was also curious for us to try their Shrub Flight.
I wasn't sure if I'd like this because a shrub (which seems to be the rage now in hipster bars) is basically fruit and sugar fermented in vinegar. Yes, vinegar. Those who know my particular likes and dislikes know that I don't like vinegar unless it's in chicken adobo. So, drinking it was a bit of a stretch for me.
Five different flavored shrubs in the alcohol of your choice (we chose rum) are placed in test tubes in a beaker filled with dry ice. Our server lit a small container of liquid fire and then poured it into the beaker which caused the dry ice to exude lots of "smoke".
Afterwards, we were instructed to turn the tubes upside down so the ingredients could be mixed. I thought the tubes would be "hot" since that liquid fire was poured on top. It wasn't. They are ready to pour into the beakers afterwards.
The flavors are numbered on the stoppers. The first flavor, the Stone Fruit Habanero was spicy, of course. The flavor of the vinegar was masked by how cold it was. Towards the end of our dinner, the tubes lost their iciness and the flavors were pretty strong. While I drank half of the first one, I only took sips of the other flavors; Bert ended up finishing them off. The rum was kind of strong. The alcohol's effect on me was not fun - flushed and sweaty face, ugh!
The shrub flight is worth one try for the novelty but I would not get this again. I still do not like vinegar no matter what flavor it is. Drinking it kind of grossed me out.
Our entree and appetizers...
Chicken and Waffle with an egg ($14/I didn't realize it would be overeasy, my least favorite preparation)plus an arugula salad and a beaker filled with maple syrup. In looking at Kirbie's post (linked at the end), the waffle was originally those Taiwanese egg puff waffles which are hexagonal shaped. Looks like they did away with that. The waffle here was nice and thick, made with buttermilk and made savory by rosemary. The chicken pieces on top (breast and part of a wing) were nice and juicy. I wished there was more skin though.
The Hangar Steak Slider ($5) - We liked this very much. If we didn't order the chicken and waffle, I would've gladly had one more of these. Inside was arugula, pickled red onions and housemade pickles.
After seeing the Avocado toast ($3) on Kirbie's recent visit, I wanted to try it too. I forgot that it came with a sous vide egg on top. I had to carefully slide it off without breaking it. Bert ended up enjoying the egg. We had to trade plates so I wouldn't have a yolky mess on it. I liked everything about this except for the egg (I would've liked it fried over hard).
Another Happy Hour item were the Lobster Pops ($2 each) served with fried leeks and a creamy aioli. We liked these as well. Delicious!
Bathroom signs:
Mirrors in the women's bathroom:
When we arrived a little after 5 pm, it was dead. We sat outside for better lighting as well. Our server Ben was friendly and very talkative. Their service was a little off. We had no napkins or silverware on our table and when the water was brought out, there was no ice even though I was asked if I wanted some and I did.
I believe this place gets pretty busy at night. I know that my godson (who is 27) likes this place especially since it's open 'til the early morning hours. Youth, ha ha. By the time we left, it was starting to get filled up.
Who else went to Zymology 21?
Kirbie went back in February (their waffle was different back then; they used the egg waffle mold in keeping with the hexagonal theme) and more recently, this month's visit where they had a few of their fun specialty drinks plus new to SD bloggers, localdventurer (whose photos are gorgeous)
Plus Darlene's writeup on Zagat SD, "What to eat and drink at Zymology 21" October 17, 2014.
Zymology 21
750 5th Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 546-9321
www.zymology21.com
The evening wasn't over yet. Dessert would be in nearby Little Italy...
4 comments:
Aww, I'm sad they changed the waffle design. The other one matched their theme better. I love the long happy hours here, though every time we go it's also pretty dead but maybe because we go so early. haha
I thought something looked different when we got our chicken and waffle plate. I still liked this circle waffle though. It might have been better if it didn't have so much rosemary in it though. I was surprised their Happy Hour started at 3! Most places it's 5.
That chicken looks so tiny! Like half a piece of chicken or something. Or is that the waffle is really big? Haha. I like the gimmick but I probably wouldn't want to pay for any fancy pants drinks.
The chicken pieces were substantial. I wished the waffle wasn't so savory. I'm not a fan of rosemary. Those shrubs were horrid. Fruit flavored vinegar. I'd rather have regular alcohol.
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