KITCHEN 1540

Overall Rating based on 2 reviews

Map It 1540 Camino Del Mar
Del Mar, CA 92104
(866) 536-9120
Homepage:Click Here

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Nearby Neighborhoods: Cardiff by the Sea, Solana Beach

Category: Restaurants

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Additional Business Info:

Cuisine: California, Fusion
Dress Code: Casual Dress
Payment options: All Types
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Private Party/Banquet Phone: (866) 659-3686
Featuring: Full Bar, Bar Dining , Wine List , Lounge, Fireplace, Patio / Outdoor Dining, Weekend Brunch

Dining Style: Casual Elegant Dining
Executive Chef: Scott Thomas Dolbee

Editorial Review of KITCHEN 1540

Known initially for a modern American menu from Paul McCabe, L’Auberge’s high-end casual restaurant opened in 2008 (replacing J. Taylor) and proved it was in tune with the seasons and popular with the locals. Kitchen 1540 is still all that, even after McCabe surrendered his executive chef post to join Delicias last year. The guy who took over is Scott Thomas Dolbee.

Dolbee isn’t as in awe of Asian ingredients, nor as playful as McCabe, who set off his seared foie gras with Pop Rocks back in the (legal foie) days, and teamed kimchi, farro grain and fried egg with his tenderloin. But I like how Dolbee keeps lab-inspired molecular gastronomy in the background. (Weird science is more apparent in pastry chef Jeff Bonilla’s upgraded dessert classics.) For dinner, Dolbee rewards you with good-looking meats, always presented in chunks and arranged with haute-produce-like dioramas. His BBQ Pork Roast is a trio — braised pork belly, smoked pork leg and pork shoulder cooked sous-vide until it shreds like carnitas — countered with mild red orach spinach and pickled scarlet turnips. It’s knee-quivering good. My quibble? The chicharrón garnish tastes like diet food. -- Keli Dailey

Read the full Kitchen 1540 review here.

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More to Check Out: KITCHEN 1540 ( 5 )

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Executive Chef Scott Thomas Dolbee joined L’Auberge Del Mar in January, overseeing all food and beverage operations. Chef Dolbee holds a...more

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KITCHEN 1540 at L'Auberge Del Mar Resort, the newest member of the village elite, is redefining three-course monotony with an avant gard...more

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2 Reviews of KITCHEN 1540:

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277

Kyle K.

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Added 04/20/11 Coming back, soon.

Ate here and was lucky enough to get a seat on the outdoor patio. 1540 must be this kitchen score on a scale of 1-10. To top it off, the red velvet cake we had for desert sent our tastebuds into overdrive. Everything was absolutely delicious.

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J.E. Gilbertson

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Added 01/16/09 Outstanding experience!

We dined early the second day of "Restaurant Week". Having arrived a little too early, we went to the bar for a cocktail. What a beautiful setting and a very charming bar tender. (Daniella?) For dining we were seated near the fireplace. My wife was facing the open kitchen and felt the scurrying of help was somewhat distracting. The offerings on the fixed price menu were all so interesting that making a choice was difficult and we chose outstanding courses. My wife was astonished at the large size and excellent presentation of her prawns. My entree course, a filet was perfectly prepared and nicely presented. Our server, Holly, was outstanding, as were the attentive bus men. Desert offerings were so-so.

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