Afternoon Elegance at Kitchen 1540

Arriving in San Diego County on a warm, slightly cloudy, summer afternoon, I was headed to my first production meeting with team members of, none other than, The Place: Mike, Sue, Lisa, and Anja. I was a little nervous (as this was my first, official meeting) and I hadn’t expected such elegance.

We entered the hotel L’Auberge Del Mar and were quickly shown the way to Kitchen 1540, which is actually located within the hotel lobby. Apparently, we had a reservation for a cabana table. A cabana? My memory searched for what this meant. And the only thing that came up was that this is the place someone gets VIP treatment when on location for a movie shoot.

The setup definitely boasted a VIP vibe; it was quite exquisite. The cloth-covered cabana table made me feel invited and official. We all sat amongst our various papers and spreadsheets in order to conduct the meeting. And everyone at the table ordered San Pellegrino, iced tea, and plenty of coffee. As a starter, my colleagues chose the Grilled Calamari (a house specialty) atop arugula, grapefruit, artichoke, and green olives, with a lemon vinaigrette. Unfortunately, Anja and I couldn’t partake (she being vegan and I being incredibly, and sadly, allergic).

Besides the calamari, of course, the menu seemed to hold everything that I could ask for – I even got to order my favorite sandwich: the Reuben. This sophisticated rye Reuben Panini came with pastrami, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing. I also chose the Seasonal Soup,
the chef’s creation from a seasonal crop (which just so happened to be delicious asparagus).

When the food arrived, everything looked divine, and I couldn’t help but stare at everyone’s dishes. Lisa's plate looked like something out of Top Chef. Her Grilled Skirt Steak featured beautiful slivers of savory meat, roasted fingerling potatoes, forest mushrooms, green beans, and a Madeira reduction. Sue chose the Lobster Salad with avocado, hearts of palm, local greens, and a basil-shallot
vinaigrette. Mike ordered the Loch Duart Salmon (accompanied by preserved lemon spaetzle, sweet and sour pomegranate, and a shaved fennel salad) and he told me it was “outrageous”. Anja's dish was a tad bit different than the rest, perfectly made-to-order for her likes as the vegan foodie we've all come to know. The chef created a special Local Vegetable Tasting plate just for her (even though this is normally a dinner-only selection). The dish was comprised of organic beets with pistachio brittle, roasted forest mushrooms, a savory risotto, and artichoke hearts with red and yellow heirloom tomatoes.

But back to my Reuben. It arrived in front of my face and the aroma of the Thousand Island dressing and the pastrami slowly made it's way into my clothes. Everything was delicious. Someone made a comment that I “eat like Mike” (very fast!) and I agreed. When I’m hungry and a plate of my favorite food is in front of me, I will inhale it. Though this was not the best decision for me, because the meeting was far from over. I had to unbuckle my belt so that my stomach could protrude. I guess I had forgotten to have breakfast that day, so my overeating was an attempt to make up for the lost
morning.

I sat patiently through the meeting with a full belly as I enjoyed the atmosphere of the Del Mar air, the delicious dessert soon to come, the elegant service, and the warm meeting with my colleagues.

Kitchen 1540 is located inside the L’Auberge Del Mar hotel at 1540 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar. For more information, check out laubergedelmar.com or call 858-793-6460.