Show Review: Seesaw Ensemble @ Cafe La Maze

In all honesty, I ignore most of the emails that show up in my in box vis a vis bands and junk. Mostly because it has nothing to do with San Diego/local music or anything else I find interesting. Sometimes, however, I get emails that get me very excited. Here are some elements that excite me:

1. National City.
2. Recently renovated Steak House w/ a checkered past.
3. Improvisational Jazz
4. Free drink.

Reader Peter Graves sent me such an email, so I was obliged to drive down to Cafe La Maze and check out the first of their series of tuesday night local music showcases. Last night, the inaugural addition, featured Seesaw Ensemble, the well reputed local improvisational jazz group.

Now, I'm the first to confess ignorance when it comes to jazz appreciation. Point of fact- I received a C- in "jazz appreciation" class in high school. As it turned out, high school me did not actually appreciate jazz. Seesaw Ensemble featured Preston from Habitat House/Habitat Sound System as the keyboardist, and I really enjoyed his avant jazz performance at the Sessions Fest 2007, so I gave it my best ear. I liked what I heard, if only because it was such a drastic change of pace, and also perhaps because Cafe La Maze is a TOTALLY AWESOME PLACE TO HANG OUT.

First of all, it's not a "cafe" at all but rather a "vintage steak house" a la: Turf Supper Club, Albie's Beef Inn, The Red Fox Room & The Butcher Shop (Chula Vista.) I.E. red banquette's for seating, red wallpaper and a menu that is heavy on the turf as well as the surf. La Maze was recently purchased by the ownership group that operates the Bluefoot Bar and Lounge in North Park, and it seems like their goal is to restore some of the grandeur without wrecking the vibe.

La Maze has a lot of back story- some true some false. It was reportedly opened by the same guy who opened a hollywood restaurant by the same name- that is false. It was raided at least twice- once for unpaid taxes, and once for providing illicit gambling opportunities. It may or may not have once been a "house of ill repute."

Of course we had to eat a steak or two for dinner, and the steaks we got left a favorable impression compared to other restaurants in the "vintage steak house" category. Specifically, the meat was way, way better then what you get at Albie's Beef Inn or the Red Fox Room. It's not really fair to compare the Turf Club because that's a different kind of thing but my point is that you don't sacrifice any quality by making the five minute drive south.

Looking at the photos and the newspaper articles on the wall is like getting a glimpse back in time- to an era where national city was something other then the regional capital for underage prostitutes. There was a time, roughly from the beginning of World War II through the 50s, where National City was powered by the presence of soldiers and funded by the economic activity in the ship yards. It must have been an exciting time for National City.

So next time you are thinking about taking in a vintage steak house consider Cafe La Maze. You shant regret the decision. The local music night is tuesday- and if I hear anything about future acts I will pass along the 411.