Flavor Del Mar has gotten a lot of buzz lately. It's in the Del Mar Plaza in the old Epazote space. Jason Maitland was the opening chef. We didn't like Arterra after he took it over from Carl Schroeder, so saw no need to try it when it opened. But the new chef, Brian Redzikowski, is getting lots of raves from critics and Yelpers. So we gave it a try.
PLUSSES: I found the food very flavorful! I was ready to add it to my fave restaurants list (maybe at #5) after the first course.
Bread was delicious (whole-wheat, warm and yeasty, with a quartet of flavored salts).
Salad looked humdrum/plain but was spectacular. Super-fresh greens, very light dressing. Peppadew peppers: never ate one, so delicious - just perfectly spicy. Nice mozzarella. Huge portion for $9.
Wine: yummy and super-generous pours. My glasses (of viognier and albarino) were $12 each, but they were very good and I was pleased.
Tuna tataki: This was a very good dish, and totally carb-free (and cold and a little small), but very nice.
Dessert: liked the "chocolate bar," though it wasn't humongous.
NEGATIVES
Very slow service: Waitress was friendly but spend a long time at each table and there weren't enough wait stuff compared to bussers. So you would wait forever for her to finish at a table and have to flag someone down with requests. My salad arrived before my wine - I had to wait another 8 mins. or so for it to show up. Not cool.
CH's sous-vide jidori chicken: He thought it was nasty - tough and and weird tasting. he ordered another dish (steak), which was fine, but the aftertaste of the bad chicken is still with him hours later and he thinks the place is vile.
More on the service: after 25 mins. of waiting for our (cold) dessert, they finally brought it with apologies - and comped it. I'd still give them another chance on this basis, but this was the last straw for CH, who was still grossed out by his chicken and wanted to go.
Bill: At first, they charged us for the chicken AND CH's replacement entree. As soon as they saw us looking unpleased and trying to flag someone down, they figured it out and brought a replacement bill. But this was definitely not top service.
Cocktails: I'm sorry - the mixologist may be doing very respectful farm-to-table this time of year. But the whole list was citrusy and did not call to me. Didn't want a tangeriney, orangey or grapefruity cocktail. The only other alternatives were not appealing (cinammon apple? sounds like dessert).
I'd try Flavor again at lunchtime with a girlfriend, esp. because they take passport. But CH won't be returning with me ever.
For Valentine's Day we're heading to Grant Grill, where we haven't been in almost 2 yrs. Hope we have a spectacular dinner, with great service, fantastic cocktails (Jeff Josenhans, don't let me down!) and delicious food like last time. I still remember the wonderful bread and quiet chill atmosphere.
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I was underwhelmed too. The place felt like an A-list meat market (especially in the front), and I felt like they had the attitude that I was lucky to be eating there, which meant they didn't have to try hard. Our food wasn't gross, but it also wasn't very inspired. There are better experiences to be had elsewhere in Del Mar, in my opinion. :-)
ReplyDeleteOh, but maybe we had the old chef. It was a few months ago. Still not a fan of the scene though!
ReplyDeleteThanks, USDF! This used to be THE meat market til Burlap opened. Now it's still a mini-meat market. :) I think the food of this chef should be better than the last one. But I don't think it's a must try at all - and the Husband definitely will not be returning!
ReplyDeleteLatest review for Grant Grill on Yelp: "New citrus craft cocktails!" LOL!
ReplyDelete