THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Blackhorse Grille

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Blackhorse Grille Restaurant Review:

Sami Ladeki's Blackhorse Grille is a scaled back, mellower version of the space's previous incarnation, Prime 10. We like the sleek, yet inviting design: soothing tan and chocolate tones, textured river rock walls and expansive leather and suede booths. Executive chef Ryan Johnston comes to Del Mar by way of Thomas Keller's Bouchon; his menu combines fresh regional produce with steaks and seafood to create eclectic American fare. The small plate selections are many and varied: we like the tender duck leg confit (with spinach, frisée, Bing cherries and sweet potato shoestrings), the crisp scallop, spinach and bacon empanadas (with rich, relish-y Rockefeller sauce) and especially the spicy basil eggplant (with roasted chilis, Thai basil and tofu squares). Steer clear of the flat lobster bisque; a better option is the bright avocado, grapefruit, grilled corn and celery salad. Blackhorse Grille's king of steaks, the porterhouse, weighs in at 20 ounces. We like it with sautéed spinach, mushrooms and fries. The unpretentious buttermilk fried chicken is light and crispy and paired with to-die-for mashed potatoes (with corn, bacon and scallions mixed in) and lemon coleslaw. Dessert highlights include the delightful tropical fruit soup topped with coconut ice cream and the decadent chocolate-syrup drenched profiteroles filled with peanut butter ice cream.