Gate 21 is divided into two stories—a lounge/cafe on the first floor and the kitchen and restaurant in the basement. Although the two seem separate, you can order à la carte on the lounge level, where it's typically teeming with customers enjoying meals paired with beer every spring and fall. The menu is rather limited, but they try to stay true to the original flavors of the ingredients without prepping too much. Grilled webfoot octopus pasta with tagliatelle and black roe, bruschetta with grilled eggplant and mozzarella, and crostini made with steak offcuts make an excellent, light three-course meal. The kitchen is equipped with Le Creuset cookware shipped all the way from Germany even before the restaurant’s opening, which shows how highly the owner thinks of the signature of pan-fried steak. With a plate full of perfectly cooked steak with cheesy mushroom and potato wedges, you couldn’t possibly resist a cold glass of beer.
