One word: Go. Just go. You’ll be happy you did. Acclaimed local chef, Paul McCabe, makes a splash in Del Mar as the Executive Chef of the romantic L'Auberge Del Mar Resort and Spa and J.Taylor’s Restaurant.

Chef McCabe has cooked some of Hollywood’s most revered stars including Barbra Streisand, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert DeNiro, Courteney Cox and Kevin Costner. He is recognized as a Chef de Rotisseur- the cream of the crop- of the prestigious French dining association, the Chaine de Rotisseurs. McCabe’s cuisine has been featured in:The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune and on the Discovery Channel and Food Network.

Chef McCabe is a passionate culinary artist who draws inspiration from the natural beauty and majestic coastal setting of Del Mar. His approach to the menu reflects his youthful vitality, showcasing the best of each season in a refreshing, imaginative style, using the finest local produce. You’ll find diverse styles of food at J.Taylor’s but never intermingled in one dish. Instead you will find American regional ingredients reminiscent of a single culture’s fare. Breathtakingly pure flavors in unexpected juxtapositions- never layered, masked or overly adorned.

J.Taylor's newly inspired menu showcases Contemporary American cuisine. McCabe continues the tradition of culinary excellence at J.Taylor’s with his own sophisticated flair. Premium quality seafood is his starting point, but you might find a potato crust and hint of truffle butter on your John Dory, porcini mushrooms flirting with your Maine scallops, or an Asian flavor to the boneless short ribs with perfectly tempura-ed shrimp. Motivated by the beauty of food, McCabe consistently creates unique, flavorful and memorable dishes and delights in such ambitious preparations as Stone Seared Foie Gras with Slow Roasted Pear, Hazelnut Mousse and Elderberry Gastrique; Hamachi Crudo; Roasted Chestnut Agnolotti with Butter Poached Lobster and Shaved Winter Truffles; Rack Loin of Colorado Lamb with Goat Cheese Gratin, Spiced Pepper Jam and Smoked Tomato-Rosemary Glacé; Sautéed Barramundi with Chanterelle and Manila Clam Fricassee, White Asparagus and Sauce Blanchet and Roasted Sonoma Duck with Wild Rice Risotto, Chino Farms Beets and Pomegranate Reduction. And if you want a little something different, why not a festive epicurean delight made to order?- Thursday and Friday nights savor specialty cuisine at J.Taylor’s Chef Table for groups of up to twelve people.

There’s never been a better time to exercise your palate. Formerly at Top of the Cove and Star of the Sea, trend-setting chef McCabe is heralded as one of the ‘Rising Stars of American Cuisine’ by the James Beard Foundation. Chef McCabe’s culinary background includes extensive classical training in French, Mediterranean, Southwestern, Pacific Rim and Spa Cuisine. McCabe started his culinary career in 1984 apprenticing under renowned Chef Michel Blanchet of L’Ermitage restaurant in Los Angeles. From there he moved to L’Auberge de Sedona Resort before landing in Hawaii, where he fine-tuned his Asian cooking techniques at Sibu Café in Kona. In 1998, he returned as Executive Sous Chef at the newly renovated Five-Star L’Ermitage Hotel in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, before moving to the Mobile Four-Star Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Arizona in 1999, eventually being named Executive Chef of the resort and its destination spa Mii Amo. An opportunity to return to California brought McCabe to La Jolla’s Top of the Cove in 2001 and Star of the Sea in 2003.

J.Taylor’s is casually elegant, romantic restaurant with a crackling fireplace, orchids, cathedral ceilings and French doors opening to an outside courtyard and patio dining area featuring decorative waterfalls and a lush herb garden.