Josh Pesin
Google
Kitchen 21 is a combination of everything that's great about Coney Island all in one location. It was carved out of the long-derelict Child's Restaurant off the Boardwalk that once had its heyday during Coney Island's Golden Age. Over the past few years, the building was lovingly restored back to it's original splendor including original nautical-themed plates that adorn the facade. Humongous semi-circular windows that punctuate the walls of the building give diners great views of the Atlantic Ocean, the Parachute Jump, and MCU Stadium.
The restaurant is actually composed of three distinct sections: a rooftop bar, a ground-floor cafe where you can order from a 'to-go' menu, and a more formal restaurant. Diners have a choice of sitting at a high table or a low table. The place pays homage to old Coney Island with various amusement park items such as a bumper car and High Striker strongman game. There is also a reproduction of one of the original Parachute Jump chairs. Up to three people can sit on the chair and make it bounce up and down.
We sat down and ordered fried calamari as an appetizer. The calamari, which was drizzled with some sort of brown sauce was one of the most delicious I've ever tasted. For the main course, my son and I ordered a Mediterranean Chicken sandwich. Everything about this sandwich was fresh and delicious including the glazed bun that held the sandwich together. The only drawback was the slippery layer of olive tapenade that made the sandwich fall apart, but that was a price I didn't mind paying for such a delectable sandwich. Complementing the sandwich was a decent portion of freshly-cut onion-flavored french fries.
My meal was topped off with a TALL glass of Mermaid Beer that was "imported" from the Coney Island Brewery two blocks away.
By the time our waiter asked if we wanted a dessert menu, I was too stuffed to say yes. Overall, the prices were reasonable and the quality and healthy-sized portions of each dish were well worth our visit.