Birthday crawl with MFH : Cafe 21 on Adams + Holy Matcha

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of meeting up with my dear friend MFH...

I hadn't seen her since her birthday last fall and now that it was spring...

it was my turn.

So, notice the sign in the first photo and compare it to below:

(photo from my "Bert's belated birthday dinner @ Cafe 21, Adams Ave post from Sept. 2016)

Gone is the old sign and the arrow too!  I liked the older sign. Now it looks boring and generic. Sad face.

They even have new lettering on the liquor store as well. Bigger and easier to read.


Compare to 2010. Paint job was different as well.

(photo from my very first Cafe 21 post from Nov. 2010 when I went with TC using a coupon, ha ha)

There is now a wooden door to the patio. Seem unnecessary to me though.

Repurposed booths with hexagonal pattern from their now defunct Zymology restaurant from the Gaslamp.   Of all the times we've been here, we've always eaten outside. Better lighting.

MFH got a cappucino while I ordered the Summer Solstice cocktail (gin, vermouth, pomegranate juice + basil). Refreshing!



My loaded fancy burger with a potato cake on the side.  MFH got cranberry cheesecake pancakes.





Avocado, plain aioli (my request because it originally had blue cheese or goat cheese which I absolutely loathe to the utmost of my being), pickled red onion, cucumbers and fresh lettuce and tomato. I ended up deconstructing this since it wasn't very easy to pick up and chomp on.

MFH is still enjoying retirement taking yoga and line dance classes in her leisure. I wish I could be in her shoes and do whatever I want to do without worrying about working.  She has a second grandchild now and babysits her grandkids a few days a week.  I miss when we used to work at the same site. Our offices were next to each other and we would take lunches together.

I drove for this particular outing. Normally, I drive to her place in Jamul and she drives from there. Sadly, her car is in the shop and the only other car available, her husband's red Oldsmobile Delta 88 (1970 model), aka "La Bamba", as cool as it was, was way too big for her to drive comfortably. She said every time they take it out, they get looks from everyone. For one thing, the car looks amazing for being nearly 50 years old.  But it is a huge honking boat of a car and also a gas guzzler. She told me that if we took it out, we would be stared at for sure, ha ha.  Therefore, I drove that day.  I even parallel parked successful on one of the neighborhood streets in North Park.  We made sure to search for free, untimed parking, ha ha.

MFH hadn't been here before, so we were off to Holy Matcha. She had the matcha lemonade while I tried the strawberry  matcha lemonade. We shared the vegan chocolate donut with matcha frosting. All of our food items were decorated with flowers.  No early 90's gangsta music playing this time though, ha ha.






I mixed my drink after taking the photos.  It was a refreshing combination, that fresh strawberry puree and the matcha.   MFH likes her lemonade and we both enjoyed the donut. I was afraid it would be gross and dry, but it was actually moist and flavorful.   We didn't eat the flowers though.

Wang's has been out of commission for several years now. I wonder what will take over that space? It's in a prime spot in North Park too.

Previous visit to Cafe 21 (on Adams):
May 2017 - My birthday brunch last year, also with MFH

Previous visit to Holy Matcha:
March 2018 with my neighbor (MN)

As always, it was great spending time with my good friend.  Our next planned get together will be in the early summer for Mr. TJ's birthday...