By A Yahoo! Contributor, 01/30/08
We dined last night at Jake's Del Mar during their Restaurant Week fixe-prix menu special. Our reservations were honored immediately -- no waiting at all for us, even though there were other parties of hopeful diners in the entryway.
From their special menu, we chose the crabcake appetizer and the apple walnut baby greens salad. Both were outstanding. The crabcake was huge and full of meaty crab. Even the next day, when I reheated the half crabcake I took home, this dish was wonderful. My preference would have been for the crabcake to be a bit crispy on the outside (this one was softer), and perhaps a bit more prominent taste of seasonings and celery, but boy was it good anyway! The salad was also large and delicious. Warm bread was great.
Our entree choices were the seared ahi and the salmon. I did not taste the ahi because it was -- as designed -- mostly raw inside, but was told it was very good and the portion was large. For me, the salmon was undercooked and I sent it back twice because while the inside was juicy, it was also barely lukewarm compared to the hot exterior. The chef must be adverse to cooking any fish medium. Perhaps another factor was that the warm fish was served atop a cold medly of seafood and vegetables. The salmon was listed as "tangerine roasted," but I didn't taste any citrus flavor. Both entrees would have been better balanced with a side of mashed potatoes or a similar starch. For dessert, the rich chocolate cabernet cake was dense and fudgy. On the other hand, the apple tart tatin could have used more cinnamon for my taste.
Service was pleasant and attentive. Our leftovers were carefully boxed and bagged when brought back to our table. Even at dark, Jake's illuminates the beach and waves on their west side, making for a scenic dining experience. Parking can be tight, keeping the valet service busy. I would recommend this restaurant to diners who are comfortable with their price level, which seems average for the upscale Del Mar area. Restaurant Week helped us enjoy a fine meal a bit closer to our budget.