SOURCING IS IMPORTANT
Top of the Market has been serving sea to table, sustainable fish since before it was cool. Our relationships with local and international purveyors go back decades. Our team has traveled to the Bering Sea to witness king crab catch in action and to the Faroe Islands in Europe’s North Atlantic to ensure the sustainability of our salmon. The seafood and produce on our menu are in constant flux to honor the bounty of Southern California’s ocean, rivers, farms and orchards. Here’s some of what we’re preparing right now:
SEAFOOD
Our primary supplier is Chula Seafood, based in Point Loma, San Diego. Jim, his wife Amy and their team source from local fishermen, some of whom dock their boats on the G Street Pier, right next to our restaurant. They also have their own boat, ‘The Chula’, which is equipped with both historically sustainable harpoons and new, high-tech fishing equipment: Deep Set Buoy Gear. Used primarily to catch Swordfish, Deep Set Buoy Gear is considered to be the best way to achieve a sustainable fishery and greatly limits bycatch. Learn more here.
We source all of our farmed salmon from Bakkafrost in the Faroe Islands.
Our scallops are overnighted to the San Diego airport direct from divers in New Bedford, Massachusetts. This expensive but expedient mode of delivery allows us to purchase only ‘dry’ scallops. These are the freshest of every catch and as such do not require treatment with sodium tripolyphosphate or STPP. Dry scallops have a noticeably sweeter flavor profile and softer, richer texture.
And because not everyone eats seafood, we source Mary’s Free Range Chicken, a third-generation family-owned company committed to the 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Standards Program.
PRODUCE
Top of the Market purchases from Specialty Produce who in turn sources from local farms. Typically, Specialty will visit Santa Monica Farmers Market early in the morning before it opens and select cases of what’s in season based on Chef requests and what is really shining that week. Here’s just a few current examples of what’s made it to our kitchen:
Rhubarb from Mendoza Family Farms
Summer Squash from D’Acquisto Family Farms & Fresno Family Farms
Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes from Valdivia Farms
Snap Peas from Tutti Frutti Farms & Two Peas in a Pod Farm
Salanova Lettuce from The Garden Of…
Meyer Lemons from Rancho Del Sol Organics
Persian Cucumbers from Beylik Family Farms
AND MORE
Local artisan pasta producer Assenti’s Pasta in the Little Italy neighborhood just a few blocks away provides our current squid ink fettuccine and the linguini in our cioppino.
100% Organic & Sustainably Sourced Coffee from Cafe Virtuoso