Dear Lord, what an unexpected treasure this place is! It's basically a tiny gourmet lunch counter with a few tables in the back. Exactly the kind of place where you stop in for a bite to eat before dashing off to your next meeting. But what a bite!
The Redwood Cafe cultivates a high level of cuisine - almost everything on the menu is made fresh, and everything is bright and clean. I had their soup du jour, which was cream of mushroom, and it was thick and chock full of pureed mushrooms. I practically melted into my seat while eating it.
For my main dish I had their ever-popular crab cake sandwich, and it was just fabulous! It was one of the best crab cakes I've ever eaten, and the lemon aoili sauce was absolutely divine.
The price was very fair at about $13 for the meal and I was in and out in just 15 minutes - about half the time it would have taken me if I'd sat down in one of the full-service restaurants across the street. But I got the same quality food as I'd expect in a full-size restaurant. I was sitting there talking directly to the chef and enjoyed seeing them cutting up the mushrooms and continuing to cook while I ate.
If this level of quality continues I can't see the chef staying in this hole-in-the-wall space for more than a few years - Redwood Cafe is destined for great things one day. Come grab a bite while they are still small and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.