Del Mar by Rooted is a pescatarian-forward craft eatery that features seasonal fish and vegan dishes. I was really looking forward to this lunch as I want to be more intentional with eating healthy in 2021; but I also don't want to sacrifice good taste! Del Mar hits the nail on the head with numerous healthy (but V tasty) options.

Del Mar (which means “of the sea” in Spanish) is located in Avanti Food & Beverage in the Highlands.

Chef Nicholas Kayser took care of us and was wonderful.

For starters we had the Baby Heirloom Caprese and the Grilled Artichoke Hearts.

The Baby Heirloom Caprese is made with Baby Heirloom Tomato, Pistachio Pesto, Cashew Ricotta, and Pea Shoots.

Ricotta is certainly on my list of love languages & I've never had a baby heirloom salad with ricotta. Needless to say, I loved Del Mar's twist on a classic caprese & the salad was delish. This is going to be a dish I crave as we get into some nice Spring weather!

The Grilled Artichoke Hearts are made with Lemon Caper Aioli, Parmesan, Crispy Shallots, Lemon Vinaigrette, and Sumac.

These artichoke hearts were sweet and smoky; they were bomb. The lemon caper aioli was unlike any aioli I've had to date and we really liked it - the capers added brine and the lemon a zesty, clean flavor to this sauce. The crispy shallots added a nice crunch to the soft texture of the artichoke. I also loved that this starter was just the artichoke HEARTS so no peeling or messy hands were necessary!

For drinks, we tried two of Del Mar's Zero-proof cocktails.

The FEVER-TREE is made with Mandarin Orange, Ginger Beer, Mediterranean Tonic and Sparkling Lemon. The YUZU SO CRAZY is made with Yuzu Juice, Pickled Fresno Chiles, Rice Wine Vinegar, and Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic. The Fever-Tree was my favorite and these drinks are great non-alcoholic options to go with your meal. If you're looking for a bit of a buzz, adding some gin or vodka to either would be tasty!

For our entrees, we had the Yum-Yum Tuna Poke Bowl and the Tacos Del Mar.

The Yum-Yum Tuna Poke Bowl is made with Ahi Tuna, Sushi Rice, Nori Chips, Pineapple Mango Salsa, Seaweed Salad, and Furikake.

The Yum-Yum Tuna Poke Bowl is Del Mar's most popular entree and we can see why. The glistening, marinated raw ahi tuna was super tasty over the sushi rice and I loved the burst of tangy-sweetness from the pineapple mango salsa. This poke bowl was fresh, light and filling. 10/10!

The Tacos Del Mar are made with Lightly Fried Alaskan Cod, Cabbage Slaw, Truffle Tomatillo Salsa, Pineapple Cilantro Rice, and Raquelitas Tortillas.

The raquelitas tortillas gave the tacos a nice depth of sweet, corn flavor and the cod was warm, white & flakey. The acidity of the Cabbage Slaw and Truffle Tomatillo Salsa goes really well with the flavor of the cod.

Big thanks to Del Mar for hosting us!

Check out Del Mar by Rooted in Avanti and tell them denv.her. sent you! xoxo

Del Mar by Rooted - Avanti Food & Beverage

Address: 3200 N Pecos St, Denver, CO 80211
Health & safety: Mask required · Staff required to disinfect surfaces between visits · More details
Menu/Order: avantifandb.com
Phone: (720) 269-4778