BlueFire Bar and Grill

The BlueFire Bar and Grill, fashioned by San Francisco’s award-winning Puccini Restaurant Group, has recently become the centerpiece of the La Costa Resort and Spa’s new outdoor plaza. Here, guests can relax in a comfortable patio complete with fire pits and custom fountains, or retire to an adjoining indoor venue that features a warm ambient setting along with a hand blown glass flower fireplace wall, timber ceilings and an indoor fountain.

BlueFire offers décor that epitomizes the essence of contemporary elegance, as well as providing a complimentary alternative to La Costa Resort’s other paragon of fine dining, Legends California Bistro. Chef de Cuisine, Scott Diehl, is a seasoned professional that has created a fresh, masterful menu that is designed to cater to practically any taste preference imaginable.

On a recent visit, our cultured server, Marshall, suggested that we begin our meal with a few of their signature appetizers, each a marvel unto itself. The BlueFire Bruschetta was comprised of a warm duck leg confit, Port glazed onions with Cabrales Blue Cheese and a dried cherry mojo on ciabatta bread, which all combined to become a decidedly rich treat.

We also sampled the delicate Pan Seared Diver’s Scallops, which were tastefully presented on a bed of julienne heart of palm, aside a petit Chanterelle mushroom and microgreen salad and drizzled with a delightful touch of bittersweet orange sauce. But the most innovative presentation turned out to be the Sugar Cane Skewered Grilled Ahi Tuna with roasted apple barbeque sauce, which also came with a refreshing shaved fennel, Medjool date and sweet onion salad. The toothsome chunks of sushi quality tuna were fresh, tender and offset perfectly by the lightly piquant sauce.

Marshall saw to it that each dish was paired with a taste of an appropriate wine, which carried over beautifully to our soup and salad courses. My guest and I shared a thick, refreshing gazpacho that was replete with flavors of fresh vegetables and cucumbers, along with a salad featuring a Spiced White Port Poached Bartlett Pear with arugula, Belgian endive, blue cheese and spicy glazed pecans. They were both perfect precursors to the delicious entrées that we were served immediately thereafter.

My guest’s Herb Crusted Rack of Colorado Lamb with a ragout of roasted sweet peppers was served atop a crisp polenta cake with pesto and black olive jus, and was nothing less than a succulent masterpiece. My Red Wine Braised Boneless Prime Beef Short ribs with broccoli rabe and celery root-apple puree was absolutely fork-tender, and came in an incredibly savory demiglaze that was truly memorable.

Once again, Marshall came to the rescue with a suggestion that we try a rare Canadian ice wine with our desserts that is made exclusively from the Vidal grape, a fruit that is generally reserved for the making of Cognac. When teamed with our rich, flourless chocolate cake filled with mousse and a separate bowl of fresh strawberries sprinkled with imported balsamic vinegar, the wine provided an exceptional balance with undertones of apricots, peaches and honey.

By the time we took our leave and walked past the courtyard fountain, my guest and I had already concurred in our prediction that La Costa Resort and Spa now had yet another ‘Legend’ in the making.