Kush Café (CLOSED)

Once you find this spot, you’ll be glad you ventured outside familiar territory. When the weather is warm, take a seat in the garden with mismatched tables, kitschy umbrellas, a cabanalike nook and groovy music. For a place that blends African and French cuisines, the menu is surprisingly straightforward. The Kush salad, dressed with tangy Dijon, is studded with beets, asparagus and slivers of almonds. Chunks of beef and shrimp in the surf-and-turf brochette are tender and the grilled chicken breast is loaded with raisins, apricots, toasted nuts and a spicy Cajun rice.