Elite Event: Zanzibar Cafe

No drinks make Lisa crazy.
Again, I wasn’t able to drink at this event. I went crazy… so instead of not drinking I ate and ate. The food was delicious!!!
It was a sad event… as it was Estefany last event as an intern. She graduated to a CM of TJ. We’ll be seeing her again! We at least got to meet the new intern– Sandra. She’ll do a great job as well. It was a great event as there were plenty food coming around and a dessert table. The dessert chef was amazing, he took his sweet time decorating and making the dessert look amazing. The big charcuterie board was outrageously good. You had everything! Fruit, bread, and all types of meats. I love it all, so many options.
Zanzibar looked like a cool place to hangout with friends as I would definitely love to come back and sip on some of their delicious wine… since I wasn’t able to try it at the event.

Zanzibar Café is a great place to hang out with friends. The atmosphere is cool-​hip, and the food is even better.
We attended another five star Unilocal Elite Event at the Zanzibar Café recently which made us all a little bit sad. Our wonderful (in every way) intern Estefany B. was stolen by Unilocal MX to be the new Community Ambassador for Tijuana, Baja California Norte, Mexico! Congratulations to Estefany — TJ is so lucky — and it is our huge loss.
Drying our tears now…
Back to the event: It was fantastic as usual. As most folks know, Brad B puts on the very best events in the Unilocal nation (that is no exaggeration) and this one was another chart-topper.He even suggested that we all bring a flower to give to Stef to say goodbye and wish her well. Wow– very cool, man!
The bites were delightful and the drinks flowed a plenty. But the best part was the camaraderie we all experienced from the moment the line was formed outside the entrance. Jeff S. was there. So was Conrad R., Soo H., Mai, Mikey, Chang and Mercy, Melanio, Nette, and even Diego. Of course, Mel J. was there! A fabulous list of celebrity Unilocalers.
Thanks to the owners and staff of the Zanzibar Café for hosting us this super fun evening. And thanks, of course, to Brad, Stef, new intern Sandra, and Unilocal for sponsoring this outstanding event.

I’ve been here a while back for lunch with the girl, it was a bittersweet lunch. As she had just gotten a job and was a full time student so it meant mom didn’t have her lady to lunch with anymore. So how fitting would it be to bring her to the event!!!
The girl and I showed up and were handed a book by the always thoughtful Conrad! Thank you for making me love Unilocal even more, how would I ever met such a great friend like Conrizzle?! We all wrote a little Estefany love in a great Dr. Suess book.
We made our way in the door and were greeted by everyone so nicely I felt at home… not to mention the cheese display at the door! Holy cow, I was in heaven! The cheese, fruit, meat and veggies were so tasty! The girl and I couldn’t help but get seconds. Although she kept smacking my hand while I was trying to serve myself… man I love my girl.
Snacks were abundant as well as the drink, like always! I partook in the red wine… with my cheese of course. I saw some martinis going by as well as beer! Didn’t taste them but I saw the smiles on other Unilocalers and could tell they didn’t disappoint!
We loved the pastry chef… no really LOVE him! That chocolate cake business was no joke and I would have traded my second born. The first one was there with me and enjoyed it way too much so I’d have to share it with her! The crème brûlée business was to die for as well! Thank you dear sir you are loved by the two of us!
The owners were very sweet and I know I will be hanging out at Zanzibar again. It was a nice send off for the very lovely Estefany. Thank you Brad B and Unilocal and welcome Sandra!

Sorry so late but it’s hard to keep up. Boo! Estephany’s last event with Unilocal SD. I was happy to be part of the showering her with the beautiful flowers. Aloha Estephany!
Zanzibar is such a chill place to hangout. I loved the décor.
I was able to taste a few drinks especially the STRONG martini that the bartender made for me. :) The desserts were amazing and I tasted a handful of the cheeses and salami. I tried all the small bites that was being passed around and thought they were all delicious.
Overall, Brad throws the best parties ever. Thanks to Zanzibar Café for a great event and I will definitely try out their brunch.

«What’s your favorite dish?
I’m not gonna cook it
But I’ll order it from ZANZIBAR!!!
And then I’m gonna love you completely
And then I’ll f…»
Well, I’m sure you remember the Tenacious D song, so I won’t get into the rest of it! Who knows if this is even the same Zanzibar or if it is just a coincidence, but it’s literally ALL I could think of when I heard there would be an event here!
I have never been to the Zanzibar Café before but it is now on my must-​try list when I head back downtown! Especially after hearing that they have brunch until 3pm! Hooray for those of us that sleep until 1pm after a night of (ahem…) light drinking!
First off, those meat and cheese platters were bomb! I was thankful that I got in the door early because I was sure that those bad boys would be cleaned in no time at all. But they must have had magic platters that just kept re-​filling themselves because no matter how much I ate, there was always more! And don’t even get me started on the bites they were passing around! Everything was so plentiful, it was incredibly generous. I must have had like 5 Mac & Cheese cups (YUM) and I even loved their bruschetta, even though I don’t care for tomatoes!
I really liked browsing the little cheese shop and found a few items I want to go back for!
Overall, I was really impressed with the venue, the food, the wine and the staff. Everything was just awesome and I had a really great time. Thank you for putting on such an amazing event! (I’m not even going to TALK about how this was Estefany’s last event because I refuse to believe it!)

This Unilocal Elite event marked my first visit to Zanzibar Café. I heard that the eatery is well-​known for their breakfast, but they supposedly feature a great dinner menu as well.
I had been in this area before – once, when I went to Neighborhood – but the Café was easy to find. Located in the East Village, Zanzibar is known for their exclusive wine selection, as well their adjacent gourmet market that features salads, entrees, homemade baked goods and cheeses.
I brought a friend to the event with me and we came really early (since we allotted lots of time to find parking). Even though this was only my third event, it’s been my favorite YE event thus far! I really liked the restaurant’s venue – I would definitely return for an actual meal. I felt like there were a lot of other Elites (and plus-​ones) at the event, so the interior filled up fast, but props to Zanzibar for keeping us well fed all through the night.
My friend and I basically got to sample everything offered, and I really enjoyed the assortment of cheeses that was featured on the cheese platter (I absolutely love cheese, especially bleu cheese and Brie, so all I really needed was that platter to keep me happy). All of the servers walking around were really attentive, asking if we wanted more of anything and were always on-​hand to take our empty plates and trash. I definitely had a great experience at this event: warm hospitality, excellent service, delicious food (a lot more than I was expecting) and, of course, an amazing time connecting with other Elites. Thanks again for a great event, Brad, and good luck, Estefany, in your new ventures!
Here were some of my highlights:
«Mini Mac & Cheese»: This had to be my favorite hot entrée, and I loved how the mac & cheese was served in little cups. My first cup had to have come fresh out of the oven — it was piping hot and super cheesy. The macaroni was cooked well but not overbaked, and I could taste a good amount of cheese in every bite (more like three bites cause each cup was so small). Definitely a good sample size and my favorite taster of the night.
«Gourmet Cheeses and Antipasto Display»: These cheese stations were enough to make any cheese fiend like me go nuts. I probably tried a little of every cheese that was featured on the display – I didn’t even know what I was eating at times – but I especially enjoyed the bleu cheese, Swiss, cheddar and brie. I got some of the fresh bread and grapes to pair my cheese with, but I mostly just enjoyed the cubes by themselves. There was an ample amount of the different cheeses on the two displays, enough for Unilocal Elites to make second and third trips to the serving stations.
«Fired-​Up Crème Brulees»: I’ve actually never had a crème brulee dessert in its entirety, since I tend to not like custardy textures, but these bite-​sized pieces were absolutely perfect (and I ended up getting two because I liked them so much). I liked the crumbly tart-​like exterior, as well as the caramelized topping. I actually saw one of the dessert chefs torching up the platter of crème brulees … definitely neat to watch!
«Mini Layer Cakes»: These bite-​sized desserts were available in vegan and non-​vegan options. Though they looked similar, I just got one of the cakes from the non-​vegan tray. These little morsels featured a shortbread crust, chocolate topping and edible garnishes. I liked the fresh-​tasting shortbread crust – great texture and taste – and the creamy chocolate layer. The edible pearls provided a nice crunch as well.
«Salmon Cakes»: This was almost a hybrid between a crab cake and salmon patty, and I definitely enjoyed it! (If it were a larger size, you could totally make a delicious burger out of this one). The salmon cake featured a slightly crispy exterior and tender, flavorful interior. The salmony taste wasn’t super strong, but just enough so that I could tell that I was eating salmon. Yet, the patty had the consistency of a crabcake. Definitely a great marriage of the two and if I wasn’t so full on cheese, I would have opted for another one of these salmon cakes.

Zanzibar Café did a great job hosting this wine and dine type of party!
All the hosts and hostesses and manager were great!
Great job guys and thank you!
I absolutely LOVED the mini mac and cheese bowls, the ahi poke tuna wonton crackers, and especially all the delicious desserts!
The elite-tini’s were a nice touch as well!
It was a great place for socializing and meeting people!
I would definitely love to come back to check out their brunch !

So many back to back events that I can’t keep up. But another awesome event goes in the books. A bit of a sad one as our intern Estephany graduates from Unilocal and goes into the big league as the TJ CM!
There was lots of food being passed around and drinks that came out as quick as I could order them. The staff provided excellent service and was very tentative.
I always pass by this place on the way to neighborhood and never realize its there. Cute little café with some snacks, drinks, and sweets.
Thanks Zanzibar Café, Brad, Estefany, Sandra, and Unilocal for introducing us to another local spot and an amazing night. Good food, drinks, location, and company makes the perfect combo for any event.

This was a wonderfully bittersweet event. On one hand, the venue, food, and service was awesome, but on the other hand it was the last event for Estefany in San Diego, which makes me a sad panda. I still have to hand it to Brad, Estefany, and the whole crew at Zanzibar for making it a night to remember!
After adding to Estefany’s giant pile of flowers at the front door, I ventured in to see a cool and cozy restaurant with stylish décor and a small retail store on the side. I couldn’t go past the enticing meat and cheese station because it was packed to the rim with handmade meats, cheeses, and antipasta! It was so good to mix the variety of offerings together on crackers and baguettes. Yum!
I grabbed a glass of red wine and went outside to chat with Mercy B and her boyfriend, Stephen, who broke his Unilocal Elite Party cherry this night. I really like the small outside area that lets patrons watch the San Diego nightlife from a slightly elevated area. Some tray-​passed items came by. Some were great, some were rather mediocre, but the service was top notch and very friendly! I have to hand it to the dessert guy because he was on fire!
I didn’t recognize most of the Unilocalers here this night, but that’s OK because we’re a friendly bunch and I met some new Unilocal friends. All in all, it was a great event, and it was heartwarming to help make it an extra-​special night for Estefany.

Slow to review because some of these events are back to back and with work (who am I kidding, I could have written the review during Jury Duty selection the next day)
Truly a remarkable surprise that this café which I and most countless others pass by and have not given a chance is actually a wonderful little place to go to during visits to Downtown. When tourists are filling out the usual humongous places, this is an oasis.
For visitors to town and friends I will recommend this as a wine bar that will not tax your pocket and bother your fear of crowded places. The service for our event was excellent with the bites just the right nosh with your wine or beer if you are here. They offer much more and you should try it out.
Décor has that 70’s imagery of photos of Rock Icons on the walls. But the openness of the café would really be a nice place to relax and enjoy their offerings.
Thank you Zanzibar café and Bradster fo reintroducing us to local places we normally just pass through.
Oh if you are on the mood for picking this place for a date and wanted fresh flowers, there is a reasonable florist around the block. I am sure if you are trying to impress, it would get you farther with your date or Significant other!

Zanzibar (/​zænzbr/​) is the semi-​autonomous part of Tanzania in East Africa. It is composed of the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 25 – 50 km (16 – 31 mi) off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands and two large ones: Unguja (the main island, referred to informally as Zanzibar) and Pemba. Thanks, Wikipedia.
Zanzibar Café is a cozy restaurant and full service bar with a sidewalk patio at Downtown San Diego’s East Village neighborhood. There is also an adjacent European-​style market with baked goods, coffees, teas, chocolates, olive oils, vinegars, in addition to a chilled deli case displaying scratch made salads and entrees available by the pound. Catering services are offered. From the variety of bites and beverages that were showcased at this latest Unilocal Elite Event, the folks at Zanzibar Café can deliver the goods.
Prior to start time, Unilocal Elites lined the sidewalk that wrapped around the street corner at 7^th & G. Many brought flowers to show their appreciation and continued support for Estefany, the super intern that was a key part of many spectacular Events. A bittersweet moment, but also a thoughtful sendoff for the now Community Manager for Unilocal Tijuana. You’re a major league superstar, kiddo.
Too many names to mention, but shoutouts to those that helped fill the pages in the little going away Dr. Seuss book. A small token of our appreciation in the form of endearing notes and memos for eStef, plus some light reading on the trials and tribulations of trying unfamiliar cuisine. Flashbacks of working the room and thinking «Will you sign my yearbook?» It was a good excuse to schmooze for a series of moments with a mix of newbies and old schoolers. See y’all at the next one ;)
The evening’s spread provided by Zanzibar Café was ridiculously generous. The fancy cheeses and antipasto stations? Amazing. The tray passed apps were plentiful to a point where trays once picked clean were passed over later that evening. I was fortunate to try the bruschetta, the mac & cheese, bruschetta, tuna poke on wonton chips, bruschetta, salmon cakes. The honey roasted tomato and goat cheese bruschetta was tasty too. We even got treated to a variety of decadent dessert bites from the pastry chef’s action station in the dining room. The handy culinary torch kind of action.
Thank you to the awesome team at Zanzibar Café for hooking it up in fine fashion and raising the bar for others to achieve. We’ll definitely be back, either here and/​or at your UCSD location at the Loft.
It’s the next era of awesome 2015 Events with Unilocal veteran CM Brad and introducing new intern Sandra. Baseball hasn’t officially opened, but your preseason metrics are like a postseason streak and the analytics are trending some MVP-​like numbers. Sandra, it may be a rookie year, but the scouting report is highly favorable. Welcome to the team & SYOY!

What a great YEE/​send off for Estefany! The East Village is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots and shame on me for not visiting Zanzibar Café sooner. I like the ambiance of the place and thought how nice it would be to have a glass of wine and tasty pastry as a mid-​week treat. We got that and much more at the beautiful event.
While all the food was delicious, highlights for me were the crab cakes and that carrot cake! The pastry chef was whipping up delightful eats and the carrot cake was accompanied with a carrot gelee and candied pepitas that made the dessert incredible. You could tell by watching him plate that he takes pride in what he does. I also cruised by the dessert display near the front to see what other options I need to come back for.
It was fun to surprise Estefany with the flowers and always great to be among the Unilocal Elite group. Zanzibar has been added to my list of places to brunch (and chill out with some wine and desserts).
Thanks, Brad for setting us up for a fun night and calling my attention to a spot I definitely needed to have on my radar!

Zanzibar completely exceeded my expectations! I’ve never been to Zanzibar before and I’m not much of a downtown gal, but I’ll definitely be back. We’re thinking of coming to Zanzibar to try out their breakfast/​brunch.
You walk in and there is just this huge, beautiful cheese, meat, veggies, bread, and fruit table. Amazing cheeses and some delicious grilled veggies. Artichoke was definitely on point.
Bummed because I wasn’t able to try the salmon cakes, but everything else I ate was DELICIOUS.
Had the butterscotch crème brûlée, the carrot cake, the vegan chocolate cake, and the other chocolate cake. All were amazing. What I loved about the pastries is that none of them were overpowering and none of them were crazy sweet. They were all light and delicious. The perfect amount of light and sweet that I was able to eat one of each with room for more!
Their ahi tuna poke was one of my favorites. The ahi tuna was marinated just to my liking. I absolutely loved their bruschetta. I’ve never had bruschetta with whole cherry tomatoes, but the goal cheese and the cherry tomatoes marinated in olive oil is definitely going to be a new appetizer when I have people over. Delicious! Can’t not like it.
The mac and cheese was the most disappointing for me. I loved it because it wasn’t really heavy or overpowering, as some mac and cheeses can be, but I felt that it could have used more flavor. It was great as a mini, but I’m not sure I would be able to fully enjoy the mac and cheese as a main meal.
Their elite-​tini was also great! I’m not much of a martini type of girl, not really much of an alcohol type of girl, but they weren’t too sweet and they weren’t crazy strong tasting of alcohol. They were light and refreshing.
My favorite thing about this café was that fact that everything we tried last night was light and fresh. The profile flavors of each dish were amazing and we didn’t leave yearning for other food to satisfy, but we also didn’t walk out with the need to unbuckle our pants.
Props to the pastry chef because he was amazing! I’d definitely come by just for the pastries. They looked beautiful in the front showcase.

My first Unilocal event of the year and thank goodness I went. I would have missed my chance to see the lovely Estefany! Good luck in the future girl and don’t worry, my facebook posts will still be there for you to stalk. *wink*
Anyway, how I’ve missed these events. Good food and great company is a hard thing to pass up. There’s a Zanzibar at UCSD, where I practically live and I LOVE their truffle fries. Unfortunately, no fries were to be seen, but there were a good amount of other foods that were equally delicious. My favorite of the night definitely was the tuna poke on that wonton chip. I kept saying that I was full, but every time that tuna poke passed me, I had to grab another one. It’s the chub life man. The honey roasted tomato and goat cheese bruschetta was pretty good too and the presentation was fantastic. I probably sounded like a broken recorder because I kept saying how cute it was. I love tiny food. I can’t help it. Desserts were good. My favorite had to have been the chocolate coconut bite.
The staff was great and so welcoming. Everyone had a smile on their face and checked up on us every so often to see how we were doing. Loved every minute of it. Thank you to the staff, both Zanzibar and Unilocal,for all your hard work. I had a blast.

I’d be an Arrogant Frog if I didn’t tip the impressive servers at Zanzibar Café. They found me swallowed up in the crowd of Unilocalers, and offered me Salmon cakes, mini Mac n cheeses, and goat cheese bruschetta. Even when I sat outside to get some cool air on a hot night, as far from the kitchen as possible, they came and found me and offered me fresh tuna poke. (-; It was so relaxing to chat with Melanio, and not have to miss a bite!
The Arrogant Frog Cabernet Sauvignon-​Merlot blend was fantastically smooth, and easily slipped between my lips. Normally I find that Cabs taste like turpentine to me, but this Cab-​Merlot blend is brilliant. It’s their house red wine. I look forward to returning to this welcoming full service bar. Zanzibar’s gourmet market and café also offers tempting foods. We sampled tasty aged cheeses at this fun Unilocal Elite Event.
Did I mention fired up Crème Brulee, Jeb’s cool hat, and 2 of my favorite chicks, Elle and Camilla? (-;
Oh Estefany B, we will miss you! It was Estefany’s last event with us, as she’s off to be a Unilocal ambassador in TJ. I always appreciate Estefany’s beautiful smile and the welcoming and graceful touch she brings to everything.
Brad B and our generous host, the Zanzibar Café, thanks for another special opportunity to hang out with my Unilocal Family, and discover that G Street is the place to be street in East Village, San Diego!

POP QUIZ: Which of the following was the most gorgeous part of last night’s event at Zanzibar Café?
(A) The massive gourmet cheese and antipasto display that seemed to go on forever
(B) The mouthwatering trays of tuna poke, mini mac and cheese, salmon cakes, and tomato/​goat cheese bruschetta
© The stacks of mini crème brûlées, layer cakes, and chocolate coconut bites at the dessert station
(D) The free-​flowing martinis and wines
(E) The buckets of flowers and cards for Estefany, who is movin’ on up in the Unilocal world to become the Mayor/​Queen of Unilocal Tijuana
The answer is…
(F) All of the above!
Thanks for the wonderful evening, Brad and Estefany and the staff at Zanzibar Café!

I don’t remember my cell phone number. But there are moments in time that shine like today. The taste of the apple turnovers at Jack in the Box. The first and only time I went to Disneyland with both my parents and the cool Mickey Mouse balloon they bought me.
I will miss your smile as you carded me.
I will miss the little touches that make the décor at each event perfect.
I will miss the photos we take at each event.
I will miss the rare moments you are not surrounded by Unilocalers and I get to say hello.
You were the coolest and nicest person to card me. Good bye. Good luck. Congratulations Estefany.
Thanks Brad, Estefany, and Sandra for this most excellent event and the opportunity to say goodbye. Thanks to the staff and the owner of Café Zanizibar for welcoming us to your café. I was impressed by the how nice the blonde girl behind the bar and the servers were. Thanks to the pastry chef for creating all those wonderful confections. I particularly liked the crème brûlée. The way the hard crunchy texture of the pastry swirled with the soft creamy top.

(Edited for sobriety.)
This is mostly going to describe the sweet things, because fabulous. From the kingdom of Zanzibar, a play by play:
The chocolate-​coconut thingie is awesome.
The pomegranate vodka tini thing is the stuff of drunk dreams.
The desserts are awesome, but I’m wondering where the crème brûlée is.
Oh wait, I found it. It just doesn’t look like crème brûlée. It’s in a small tart shell with a dollop of mousse on top. I’ve already been eating them all night.

Again… As always an entertaining fun social event. I got to chat with one of the employees at Zanzibar, Chrey. She was extremely nice, friendly & it was great talking to her, Welcome to SD Chrey :)
I’m glad I brought my dear friend/​Sister/​Mom Donna P. She got to experience the elite shenanigans! It was great to see familiar faces and meeting new people. Everyone is ALWAYS friendly & approachable.
Nette B. See you Thursday! We’ll be there to support you and the YMCA organization (after my kickball — not sure what time). «2Pac (sp?)» small world! MHS Tigers!
Definitely coming back to Zanzibar for dinner. Everything they served was amazeballllssss — and those were only appetizers!!! I can’t wait to try their main dishes! & their desserts OMG to die for! I kicked myself out cz I was eating tooooooooo much!
Good luck & Congrats to Estefanie!!!
Brad it’s always a pleasure seeing you & thanks for your big hugs! See you soon :)

A bitter sweet night tonight was. What a great way to send out beloved Estefany off to her new adventure.
Holy Cheesus it was fantastic!
Zanzibar you get a million stars for such a wonderful evening, not only did we get treated like royalty but we sampled cheese and charcuterie until our pants snapped open.
Everyone was so attentive it was truly a great night.
The venue was cozy and charming.
And omg the desserts were fantastic as well.
Thank you David G for the Wine Aerating class, now I will never look at wine the same way and I will feel a little bit more sophisticated!
To my wonderful handsome +1 thanks for another fantastic funlovable evening.
Brad great job on everything but an A+ for planning the flower surprise for our sweet Estefany!
Estefany my best wishes as always, you will be missed but I’ll be seeing you in TJ. Now I have another excuse to visit Tijuana ;)