Advertisement

Dining out

Share via

Annie Bettelli

GLENDALE -- On the assumption that everybody knows about Crocodile

Cafe, I have avoided reviewing it all this time and almost forgot how

really good this place is.

So for all of you who have never experienced its original and eclectic

cuisine, Crocodile Cafe should be on your list of one of the better

restaurants in our area.

The atmosphere is bright, colorful and casual with a whimsical sort of

decor. The service is friendly and attentive, and the menu offers a

delightful mishmash of flavors and entrees from pizza to pasta and

chicken to seafood.

An excellent starter is the crab cake appetizer ($7.95). It offers two

large pan-fried patties made with chunks of fresh crab and seasonings

served with a mildly spicy mango-chili sauce and jicama daikon salad.

I was most impressed with the herb crusted salmon with tiger shrimp

salad ($9.75). Served cold, this is one of the best tasting pieces of

salmon I’ve ever tried. Also served with fat stalks of tender-crisp

asparagus, red onion and tomato tossed in a flavorful balsamic vinegar

dressing, this is not your average boring salad.

The jambalaya fettuccini ($11.95) is a generous bowl of pasta made

with shrimp, sausage, chicken and vegetables coated with a spicy gumbo.

I eagerly dived into this dish and loved the initial burst of flavor

from the chili sauce and cayenne pepper, but about halfway through, it

became almost too spicy for me to finish.

Crocodile Cafe has another location in Burbank at 201 N. San Fernando

Blvd., at the corner of Orange Grove Avenue near the AMC Theaters.

ANNIE BETTELLI welcomes requests. Send correspondence in care of the

News-Press/Leader to 111 W. Wilson Ave., Suite 200, Glendale 91203 or

contact her directly via e-mail at BERIES@aol.com. Her column appears

each Wednesday.

IF YOU GO

*WHERE: Crocodile Cafe, 626 N. Central Ave., Glendale.

*PHONE: 241-1114.

*LIQUOR: Full bar.

*HOURS: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Friday and Saturday.

*PRICES: $6.75 to $16.75.

Advertisement