Café Eleven – Still the Best

Patio at Cafe Elven- Courtesy Photo

A classic eatery tucked away on University Avenue in Hillcrest, Café Eleven serves up an impressive menu of country-French inspired cuisine. From start to finish, you can expect every bite of your meal to be a journey through the French countryside with some North American twists along the way.

A great starter is the Shrimp Floridian; a perfect blend of shrimp baked with bleu cheese, sun dried tomatoes and wine under a light pastry crust. Another great appetizer is The Mushrooms a la Sheri. The delicious dish of mushroom caps stuffed with scallops, topped with Swiss cheese and baked in garlic butter is fantastic.

Café Eleven is especially known for their mastery of sauces that further enhance the flavor of each entrée. The Filet of Beef Brittingham is a filet mignon rubbed with fresh garlic and thyme, grilled, then paired with a demi glace flavored with brandy and mushrooms. The Fresh King Salmon is broiled and served in a light cream sauce of Dijon mustard and capers. The Shellfish Crepe is a combination of shrimp, scallops and mussels blended with mushrooms, leeks, fresh tomato and light cream, then flamed with cognac.

If you can, take advantage of Café Eleven’s Super Saver Menu offered Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights when gourmet menu items are featured for just $13.95. Selections include the Fresh Almond Trout, Center Cut Pork Chops and their signature Roast Duck Dinner — a half duckling served crisp with your choice of raspberry, green peppercorn or orange sauce. All items include your choice of soup or salad and are served with fresh vegetables and warm bread and butter.

Cocktails are quite creative at Café Eleven with such offerings as Blueberry Bliss, Godiva Chocolate and New York Cheesecake Martinis, Italian Margaritas and Blueberry Mojitos. Their $3.00 Happy Hour is a great bargain and is offered every day form 3-6pm. House margaritas, bottled beer, well drinks and select appetizers are all offered for just $3.00. There is a special bar and patio menu with some great selections to choose from. One item not to be missed is the Brie Burger, a ½ lb angus beef burger stuffed with brie cheese, served on a toasted garlic roll then finished off with a port wine mushroom demi glace.

Experience coffee fusion from the bar and order from their extensive list of coffee cocktails. The signature Javarita is a combination of tequila, cream de cocoa and a chilled espresso shot that is either blended as a frozen drink or served shaken on the rocks. Another Café Eleven original is the Mocharita, a blended or shaken concoction of tequila, torani chocolate, half & half and chilled espresso.

The cornerstone of Café Eleven is the staff and the wonderful attention to service that they provide. They pride themselves on being able to offer just the right taste of wine and cheese to satisfy any palette. See for yourself during one of their special wine dinners offered on Friday and Saturday nights when a 4 course wine dinner for two is offered for $49.95 per couple.

The lunch menu is served everyday from 11am till 6pm and offers some delicious choices such as the oven baked Lamb Sandwich, a daily Quiche offering and a rich and creamy Mac & Cheese casserole.

Café Eleven also serves up an impressive selection of brunch classics every Sunday. Selections include the Grilled Vegetable Frittata with Brie, Poached Eggs Benedict with Crab & Artichokes, Petite Filet with Fluffy Scrambled Eggs, and Bananas Foster Waffle. Be sure to save room for a square of their Berry Bread Pudding topped with Devonshire cream.

For a great dining experience visit Café Eleven, still one of the best eateries San Diego has to offer.

Café Eleven
1400 University Avenue
Hillcrest
www.cafeelevensd.com