Kitchen
1540 Del Mar Making its Mark
Now
a year after Kitchen 1540 restaurant's Executive Chef,
Scott Thomas Dolbee, debuted a new seasonal menu featuring American
cuisine he describes as "playful, whimsical and modern,"
the effort is a resounding success. This as the award-winning
restaurant-a landmark inside the picturesque L'Auberge Del Mar
hotel-continues to garner industry acclaim and patron accolades.
Now
at the helm of Kitchen 1540 for just over a year, Chef Dolbee
has taken the esteemed eatery in an exciting direction rife
with bold flavors and culinary intrigue.Adhering to the restaurant's
commitment to creative cuisine and memorable dining experiences,
the rethought menu is all about progressive cooking techniques
and originaldishes that allow the high-quality, locally sourced
ingredients to shine. Dolbee's focus on fresh, local, and sustainable
products fuels his vision and creativity, and the edible innovation
that ensues has made Kitchen 1540 a draw for locals and tourists,
alike.
Dolbee
is making the most of his "endless possibilities"
philosophy with his seasonal dinner menus, which include a few
surprises like the addition of an abalone dish-notable as this
ingredient just recently become available from a sustainable
seafood farm. The menu overall is divided into sections: raw,
artisan, cure, coastal, inland and sidekick, changing up how
diners think about, and select, their food. The raw section
of the features items like oysters and steak carpaccio while
the artisan selections are focused on salads and cheeses. The
cure segment of the menu has a selection of smoked and cured
meats. Inland and coastal offer diversified main entrées
while sidekicks provide a range of exciting side dishes that
can be shared.
The
evening of my visit I had the opportunity to sample a cross
section of Chef Dolbee's spring menu and the experience left
me longing for more. Much more.Tastings of the amply portioned,
artistically plated dishes included the fresh Ahi ($16) with
hot miso, yuzu cucumber, crispy oyster and smoked ikura; Truffle
Salad ($19) with tomato and burrata; Un-French Onion Soup ($10);
Abalone ($18) with artichoke, arugula puree, lemon nutty brown
butter and northern lights caviar; Diver Scallops ($15) with
scrambled corn, sweetbread "bacon" and tonic 5; Wild
Boar ($33) with black kale, black mole, apple, parsley root,
charcoal and white chocolate; and Halibut ($31) with green garlic,
ramps, nugget potato "mugaritz" and chicken fried
fiddlehead fern; and, as the side, the Fried Brussels Sprouts
($10) tossed in a red hot sauce with bacon and topped with blue
cheese. From the dessert menu, I reveled in the Red Velvet Cake
($10) with red vanilla beet, flexible chocolate and cocoa nibs;
the Tres Leches Cake ($10) with coconut, white chocolate, and
pickled blueberries; and the Frozen Yuzu Pie ($10) with lime
sugar and nori cookie.
The
inventive dining philosophy at Kitchen 1540 also carries through
to the restaurant's newly introduced L'Party Planners service
for up to 100 people-offering everything from theme ideas to
photography-with venue options that include indoor seating,
outdoor patio parties surrounded by lanterns and a waterfall,
and intimate celebrations in the private wine room. The private
wine room also boasts an exclusive "Kitchen Sink"
tasting menu ($85 per person or $150 if paired with wines),
which essentially allows up to 10 diners to sample nearly everything
on the menu over four courses-five dishes per course-served
family style."One of the unique things about Kitchen Sink
is that, unlike most tasting menus which feature one-time specials,
it is a tasting menu entirely made up of items that are on our
regular dinner menu," said Dolbee. "So, if a guest
really enjoys something, they are able to come back to the restaurant
and order it for their meal."
Prior
to taking the reins at Kitchen 1540, Chef Dolbee helped the
Four Seasons Resort Whistler earn Canada's only Five Diamond
distinction, and his work was also integral to the conception
and design of the popular SIDECUT restaurant. A Los Angeles
native, Dolbee started his culinary career at 18 as a chef tournant
for the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in Laguna Beach. He also
worked at the Jonathan Club in Los Angeles. Other of Dolbee's
professional culinary quests around the U.S. include Manele
Bay Hotel in Hawaii andThe Sagamore Resort in New York, as well
as working for famed culinary master Joaquim Splichel at Pinot
Provence followed by French 75 in Laguna Beach.
Now
in command of the brigade at Kitchen 1540, the stakes remain
high for Chef Dolbee. To date, the restaurant has received numerous
awards and accolades, including Wine Spectator magazine's Award
of Excellence; The California Restaurant Association's Gold
Medallion-Best Hotel Restaurant, Fine Dining; San Diego magazine's
Best Hotel Restaurant; and Ranch & Coast magazine's Editor's
Pick for Best Restaurant.
Having clearly risen to the occasion, Chef Dolbee has assured
a fine dining experience that's nothing short of remarkable.
Kitchen
1540
1540 Camino Del Mar,
Del Mar, CA 92014
(858) 793-6460
http://www.laubergedelmar.com
By Merilee Kern, 'The Luxe List' Executive Editor
"The
Luxe List" Executive Editor Merilee Kern scours the luxury
marketplace for exemplary travel experiences, extraordinary
events, and notable products and services. Submissions are accepted
at www.LuxeListReviews.com.
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***Some
or all of the accommodations(s), experience(s), item(s) and/or
service(s) detailed above were provided at no cost to accommodate
this review, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of
Merilee Kern and have not been influenced in any way.***