THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Balboa Cafe

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Balboa Cafe Restaurant Review:

Balboa Café has ditched out-of-place items (gnocchi? huh?), streamlined its menu and returned to what it does best: serving quality, seasonal, American comfort dishes. Smoked trout cakes are paired with fresh, vibrant charmoula (Moroccan marinade) made with dill. Steamed clams arrive, simply and appropriately, in white wine-garlic broth. Queso Oaxaca (a Mexican melting cheese that stays smooth when heated), roasted poblano chilies and sautéed onions and mushrooms compose a light but filling veggie quesadilla. Duck fans should try the trio of rillettes, salami and smoked breast. The California grass-fed rib-eye comes in six- and ten-ounce portions. Fava beans, baby artichokes and lemon-olive sauce actually make a stuffed chicken breast interesting. The ahi club sandwich is gone, but the signature Balboa burger (have it on a crisp baguette) remains. On weekends, a DJ sometimes spins.