New Bistro Thirty Nine Opens at Hilton Garden Inn Del Mar

Adding contemporary flair to what once was The Great American Grill, the Hilton Garden Inn Del Mar introduces Bistro Thirty Nine – a new affordable fine dining experience.

"We are excited to debut the new and improved restaurant at the Hilton Garden Inn," said Bob Rauch, General Manager of the Hilton Garden Inn. "We are the only Hilton Garden Inn in the U.S. to have a world class Executive Chef. His experience and touch bring a fresh and modern flare to delicious classics."

Executive Chef Larry Difolco, originally from New York and a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, blends fresh California ingredients with sophisticated East Coast flavor in the creative and contemporary cuisine of Bistro Thirty Nine.

"We're going to provide a menu of classic bistro favorites with a California twist," said Difolco. "Our fresh dishes, fine wines, and contemporary ambiance will transform this restaurant from the former 'hotel restaurant' to a 'restaurant inside a hotel.'"
  
A sneak-peek menu sampling revealed some of the early favorites. Start the night out right with the flavorful and fresh lettuce wraps – featuring your choice of orange beef, fine spice chicken or peppered shrimp with crisp vegetables wrapped in fresh bib lettuce. Or, warm up your taste buds with the Grilled Figs and Grilled Caesar. The Grilled Figs feature four large sweet figs stuffed with rosemary goat cheese and drizzled with honey. The Grilled Caesar combines whole romaine heart brushed with garlic oil and singed on our grill with Caesar dressing, ciabata croutons and aged parmesan cheese. This savory starter is also available with shrimp, sea scallops, chicken breast, or sliced skirt steak.

For the main course, Bistro Thirty Nine offers everything from a California Grilled Pizza to the New York Strip Steak to Moroccan Chicken to Wrapped Grouper. Red meat eaters will delight in the hearty steak. "The Kansas City" is a 12 oz. bone in New York strip, grilled to taste, and perfected with herb butter. Those in favor of a lighter fare will savor the Moroccan Chicken, which is an aromatic chicken stewed on the bone, served over a bed of chickpeas and apricots. Equally enchanting is the Wrapped Grouper, a white fish wrapped in banana leaves, and seasoned with ginger, cilantro, chili peppers and coconut.

A favorite for the grand finale is the Classic Fruit Cobbler. This warm, flavorful dish is made daily with the ripest fruits, and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The intimate Bistro Thirty Nine Bar serves specialty cocktails and appetizers and is a favorite spot for locals to meet. Join the P.O.E.T.S Club each Friday for a fun-filled Happy Hour… hint, it has nothing to do with traditional poetry. Big screen TVs and an outdoor patio provide a place to satisfy everyone from the sports enthusiast to the sunshine seekers.

The new Bistro Thirty Nine at the Hilton Garden Inn Del Mar serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch as well as daily happy hour specials to give patrons a plethora of choices any time of the day, seven days a week - beginning April 1, 2009.

Insider Tip: Also notable at the Garden Inn is Serenity Spa and Salon – get the beauty details here.