If I were to rate this restaurant by individual category including service, food, menu, cleanliness, ambience, bar, etc., Market would get 5 Hearts all the way around. This restaurant, located in Del Mar, California, is quite possibly my favorite restaurant in Southern California. From the valet parking service (which is free!) as we arrived, to Kristen, the friendly, hard-working, talented bartender, to Frank, the sushi chef extraordinaire, to the patrons seated around us, this place has got it going on. The fact that everything was absolutely delicious was almost an afterthought. If you are a fan of the amuse bouche, or if you don’t know what that is, you are in for a real treat! I could write here about the amuse bouche alone. Are you getting the picture? My friend ordered one of Market’s specialty cocktails, the Cucumber Gimlet, and I had a very nice Tempranillo to start. I tasted her cocktail and made up my mind right then and there that I was coming back. Apparently another one of the restaurant’s signature cocktails, the Spicy Don, also warrants a return visit. The menu, inspired by produce-driven cuisine, changes daily and features locally sourced, seasonal ingredients. S’mores for dessert, Market-style, was out of this world! And just when you think it can’t get any better, a trip to the ladies room sealed the deal for me. Check out the restrooms on your visit. You’ll see what I mean. I cannot wait to go back to this restaurant. Fortunately or unfortunately, it is right on my way home from work! The bar and sushi bar opens at 5 pm and the full-menu restaurant opens at 5:30 pm. Do NOT go without a reservation unless you arrive early and intend to sit in the bar area. (The couple seated next to me dines there often and will only eat in the bar.) There’s lots of seating and a big flatscreen, for you sports fans. There is one more little treat served at the end of the meal but I’ll keep that a secret here and let you find out about it when you visit. Chef/Owner Carl Schroeder clearly knows what he is doing. Call 858.523.0007 or visit www.marketdelmar.com
Market recently earned the “Best Service” award by San Diego magazine. Click on link to read all about it:
http://www.sandiegomagazine.com/San-Diego-Magazine/June-2013/Best-Restaurants-2013/The-2013-Best-Restaurants-in-San-Diego/
