DEL MAR — Residents and visitors now have a convenient place in Del Mar Village to buy specialty groceries, snacks and high-end meats and seafood, following the long-awaited opening of the newest Valley Farm Market location.
Derek Marso, the third-generation owner of the family business, has also opened a new Baja-style coastal restaurant, High Marea, next door to the new market along Camino Del Mar.
High Marea’s menu focuses on “clean” ingredients, free of seed oils, featuring dishes such as tacos, ceviche, seared ahi, Sonoran ribeye, spicy poke, elote, and tallow fries. This is Valley Farm Market’s second market-and-restaurant combo, mirroring the attached barbecue-and-breakfast eatery, The Shack Kitchen and Coffee, at its Spring Valley location.
“Valley Farm Market has always been about feeding families the right way. High Marea is an extension of that — Baja flavors, fresh-caught seafood, and cooking methods we actually believe in. It’s the kind of place where you can grab a great taco and know exactly what’s in it,” Marso said.
While the market technically opened a few weeks ago, Valley Farm held a grand opening for the market and restaurant on Saturday morning, including samples, giveaways, and special discounts on products.
Marso’s grandparents, Felix and Eleanor Marso, established the first Valley Farm Market location in Spring Valley in 1956. A second location opened in La Jolla in 2019.
Like its other locations, the highlight of the Del Mar market is its butcher shop. Customers peer into the case at cuts of prime boneless New York steak, alongside fresh salmon, Mexican wild-caught shrimp, rockfish, and other meat selections.
In addition to specialty grocery staples and snacks, shoppers can find fresh produce, wine, and freshly prepared meals such as sushi, sandwiches, and salads. Valley Farm also sells its own award-winning in-house products, including imperial carne asada, pollo asado, beef tallow, artisan jerky, and seasonings.
Customers said having a market in the village is a game-changer. Resident Bob Anderson said he has stopped in several times since it opened.
“I’m stoked on it. I live in the Beach Colony, and to be able to walk up here is killer,” Anderson said.
Valley Farm Market and High Marea join breakfast spot The Cottage, which expanded to a new location at the Del Mar Plaza last summer.
Valley Farm Market in Del Mar is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. High Marea is open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Both are located at 1555 Camino Del Mar at the Del Mar Plaza.
