Market

Since moving to North County, I've spent nearly all of my time by the coast.  I try not to let a day go by without seeing the Pacific even if it is just from the car.  And quite frankly, I feel lucky to admit it, but it's really not that hard to do.  So when I decided to head east of the 5 for dinner one summer evening (yes, I now say THE 5 when referring to the highway), my destination had been well-researched and highly recommended.  And, without a doubt, Market Restaurant and Bar was well worth the "trek" inland.

While Market is hardly 3 miles from the beach, crossing the 5 and entering farm country would make any one feel like they are in new territory.  That's the beauty of where I currently live - in a blink of the eye you can go from the ocean to the hills.  And Market is a great reminder of all the good reasons to venture beyond the surf.

When you go to Market, be ready to eat. This is certainly a restaurant to visit on a special occasion where you can justify a feast as its plentiful menu will make it nearly impossible to dine lightly.  The menu boasts gourmet, farm-inspired cuisine and changes constantly depending on local produce and preferences.  At the same time, for the sushi loving California culture, there are the freshest raw fish options.   As I said earlier, the hungrier you are, the better - that way you won't have to decide between sushi and farm!

To start off our evening, we were presented with an amuse bouche - spicy gazpacho paired with burrata bruschetta - an excellent summer taste to get the palette going.   For the entire meal, we shared all dishes - mainly from the appetizer section of the menu. These were extremely sizable portions, which was fine by me as all were delicious.  I was a little nervous that there was too much going on in each dish, but the minute we began eating, I was absolutely reassured.  Each and every ingredient truly added to the unique dishes.  I highly recommend the local heirloom tomato salad served with sweet corn cheddar biscuits, braised bacon, basil coulis, and balsamic reduction over wild arugula.  There wasn't an item in that dish that I didn't love.  And then there was the braised baby artichoke and burrata cheese salad with fresh chickpea garlic puree, olive pepper relish, and roasted onion focaccia - another excellently prepared dish that was packed with so many of my favorite ingredients.   For a different taste and one that should be fresh and available in all seasons, I recommend the local yellowtail tartare and spice seared salmon belly served with cucumber soba noodle salad, shiso vinaigrette, yuzu aioli, and coriander crackers.  While we opted not to order sushi that night, this dish guaranteed that the sushi would be top notch.

 

And finally, it would be a sin not to order any meat from such a farm friendly restaurant so we chose the cast iron roasted beef tenderloin served with truffled twice baked potato, crispy bacon, aged white cheddar, forest mushrooms, and zinfandel jus.  This was an extremely decadent, flavorful dish - one that really rounded out the evening.  It's been awhile since we enjoyed this meal, but my mouth has started watering as I write down each and every one of these fresh ingredients.  There wasn't a single item that I didn't love that night.  And, at the end of the meal when the bill came, I was actually convinced that the restaurant had been designed just for me as a plate of homemade, salted caramels arrived.  There is truly no other small sweet that I love more.  I am guessing by the way we gobbled those down and a fresh plate of two more arrived before we had finished paying the bill that my weakness for salted caramels had been discovered.  Time spent away from the coast can be a very sweet thing.




Market Restaurant and Bar
3702 Via de la Valle
Del Mar, CA  92014
(858) 523-0007

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FOOD RATING (Out of 5):