Crunchy crabcakes aside,
Tupelo American offers
some surefire hits

Tupelo American manager Jeff Gollaher
with food ready to serve.

Newly opened in the Gaslamp Quarter, Tupelo American is comfortably nesting in a space once occupied by Sfuzzi, an earlier fatality of the cruel and competitive Fifth Avenue restaurant world. For the heck of it, I drove the "food strip" one morning and counted 35 food shops on Fifth Avenue between K Street and Broadway. This is a seven block area, everybody - you do the math. Personally, I would be chicken to attempt anything on Fifth Avenue simply because of the numbers. (And so the saying goes, those who can, do and those who can’t, talk about it.)

Well, David and Lesley Cohn ... they ain't chickens. They're doing it again and they're doing it up. There are several meanings for the name Tupelo. In brief, it’s one of the rarest and most expensive honeys in the world, it’s a famous Van Morrison song (Tupelo Honey) and it’s also the small town in Mississippi where Elvis' grandma lived and where he spent his boyhood years. Other possible references aside, I think the proprietors just liked the way it sounds. And that’s a good enough reason for me.

Tupelo's ambiance is casual and comfy. Lesley Cohn made a great call by lining the north wall of the restaurant with big upholstered booths. The booths, along with a deep burgundy star-patterned carpeting, quiet the restaurant and at the same time warm it. The tables were made in Alabama and the craftsmanship is exquisite. A technique called marquetry, which is almost a dying art form, makes them especially beautiful.

I immediately felt at home as I was greeted by many familiar and smiling faces. Tupelo seems to have attracted the best and brightest "all-stars" from many of San Diego’s top eateries. General Manager Vito Gambini, who spent many years with Prego, greeted me at the door with a great big hello, and many of the servers seemed like old friends.

The menu is not extremely large, but it is extremely eclectic. Tupelo has pizza, pasta, ribs, burgers, fish, filet mignon, heck, it even has a chicken pot pie. It’s hard to believe that anyone could have trouble finding something to order here.

I’ve visited Tupelo three times now and I’ve had a fair number of its menu selections. The Cohns are still in the fine-tuning stage, as I’ve seen some items come out of the kitchen three different ways. I will say though, the third time has been the charm. I recommend the spinach salad with toasted pecans, asiagio and a strawberry vinaigrette ($6). It’s that sweet and salty combination thing and six bucks is a steal. I also really liked the seasonal vegetable risotto with balsamic syrup ($11). I almost missed it because it is under the "light" category on the menu and I never ever eat from the section of a menu labeled as "light." I’m out for dinner and I want my calories.

Another surefire hit is the grilled filet mignon with cabernet sauce, garnished with little crunchy onion rings ($21). I tasted this two out of my three visits and it was excellent and beautifully cooked both times. All three evenings I started with an order of the Maryland crabcakes, a good value at $7, but someone in the back needs to quit yakking and pay a little more attention to those shells!

The easy favorite in the dessert department is the chocolate peppermint ice cream cake with hot fudge sauce ($6). Or you could always drink your dessert. The menu lists a "deep chocolate martini" that I didn’t have the guts to try. If you try, do let me know how it is.

Tupelo American is located at 340 Fifth Ave., and can be reached by calling 231-3140.

- Terryl Gavre

Server Ryan Jaurequi holding a Warm Wild Mushroom Salad.

At last, I can find my way around Fashion Valley without getting lost in a maze of construction. There were times when I couldn’t find my desired shop or restaurant. I am happy to learn I wasn’t alone. "We had people calling us from the parking lot, asking 'Where are you?'" says Shawn Ko, general manager of the shopping center's Crocodile Café.

Now the Café has emerged from the mall remodeling and some sprucing up of its own, adding 60 seats on the patio and recently updating its menu. (The menu is updated twice a year, thanks to customer feedback and creations from the Café's R&D team.) And like the rejuvenated center, Crocodile Café has been very busy, with business up 40 to 50 percent since August.

I first peeked in on a Thursday to find the place packed at almost 8 p.m. New customers sat patiently, and were seated within 10 minutes. (The Café doesn’t take reservations.)

The colorful menu offers a variety of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pizzas/calzones, pasta and entrees, but Ko reveals the most often-ordered item is a cheeseburger. It’s not just any ol' cheeseburger. This burger is cooked over the Café's signature oakwood grill that, despite reaching 900-degrees, somehow cooks everything just right throughout and sears in the flavors. No wonder the café also uses an oakwood pizza oven.

When we tasted the "Tortilla Soup," we knew that lunch would be a hit. Oakwood-grilled veggies are pureed and added to chicken breast pieces, fresh avocado chunks and spices. It definitely had a kick (from the chile), but even I could handle and enjoy it. (Add a side salad, and that alone can be a meal.)

The new barbecued "Duck Quesadilla" is a must-have. Made with duck breast, yellow corn, sweet peppers, leeks, cilantro and cheese, it melts in your mouth with flavor. Another must-try is the new "Blue Corn Taquitos." I often avoid taquitos for fear of chewy, greasy tortillas that lack in filling, but this starter was the opposite. Made with crispy, fresh tortillas wrapped around lots of tender smoked chicken breast and cheeses, it was delicious.

Other new items include "Oakwood-Grilled Hearts of Romaine Salad," "Pacific Rim Chicken Salad" and "Pizza Salad." And speaking of salad, for mushroom lovers, the "Warm Wild Mushroom Salad" is excellent. It is served slightly heated with lots of portobello, shitake and regular mushrooms.

Other good bets are the oakwood -grilled "Roast Half Chicken," which comes with garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed garlic spinach. The "Moo Shu Chicken Calzone," made with a wonderful pizza dough, offers a nice alternative to traditional pizza and toppings.

If you are not already full, look at the variety of desserts. The carrot cake is supposed to be outstanding. I’ll take my chances next time, when I leave room for it.

Crocodile Café is located in the Fashion Valley shopping center and can be reached at (619) 297-3247.

- Melissa Jacobs