Amaya at the Grand Del Mar

As the second week of San Diego Restaurant Week ends, I thought that I would share my second SDRW experience at Amaya at the Grand Del Mar. 

For those of you not familiar with San Diego and the surrounding areas, Del Mar is a quite posh town north of San Diego. It is home to a number of celebrities and the wealthy. For one night during SDRW, it was nice to imagine what that life would be like.

The Grand Del Mar hotel is secured by a gated guard, and only those dining at the restaurants or staying at the hotel are allowed on the grounds. The hotel is absolute splendor. The architecture is exquisite, with beautiful columns, fresh flowers everywhere, and the utmost of service.

Here are a few pictures of the gorgeous hotel and grounds.

Amaya is an absolutely gorgeous restaurant, complete with a patio. It was a perfect setting and view for a special dinner. 

Some bread was brought out to start the meal, and I have to say, this was some of the best bread that I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. The crust was nice and firm, with a soft, delicious inside. 

We opted for the wine pairing with the meal for an additional $15. For three glasses of amazing wine curated to match our meals, it was quite a bargain.

The appetizers that we selected were the beef brisket served over risotto. The beef was incredibly tender and well-seasoned, and the creamy risotto was decadent. 

The other appetizer was a salad with endives, spinach, goat cheese, and hazelnuts, lightly dressed with a house vinaigrette. It was a perfect 

The first main course was a delicious filet mignon served with broccolini and potato croquettes.

I'm not a big fan of filet mignon -- usually I find it to be a fairly tasteless cut of beef. However, this filet was absolutely scrumptious. Juicy, flavorful, and tender.

The potato croquettes were amazing, topped with a cheesy sauce.

Our other main course was fresh sea bass, served with a cherry reduction with peeled grape tomatoes. I have to say, this might be the best fish that I've had this year! The texture and flavor was sublime. 

Dessert came with two glasses of light moscato as part of our wine pairing. The final glass was a wonderful ending, very light and not too sweet.

Dessert was an apple bar with salted caramel, and crispy crust. The balls in the picture are apple balls! So yummy and creative! I've never had anything quite like it. 

The other dessert was a bourbon pecan pie with ice cream and a chocolate shell. Another amazing dessert, and an incredible end to an incredible meal.


I'll definitely go back next Restaurant Week.