Valle

My last dinner during this short visit to SoCal took me about 30 minutes south of Laguna to Oceanside, just outside San Diego. After enjoying the sunset views on the pier just across the street from the restaurant, I wandered over to Valle for what would be my 50th Michelin starred meal.

It’s been years since I’ve been to a Mexican fine dining restaurant (Topolobampo in Chicago). I was excited to try different flavors and explore an elevated take on this delicious category of cuisine.

Here is what I had for my visit on November 16, 2024:

Kumiai oysters grilled and raw

Botanas - “Not oyster”, plant based sphere with flavors of oyster

Botanas - Fried fish “taco”

Cebolla - Charred onion tarte, Sterling supreme caviar

Chayote & Ike Jime - Leche de tigre, rock cod

Etixtamal - Ayocotes, pipian rojo

Molleja - Sweetbreads, pipian verde, snap peas

Tetela - Masa, chicharron prensado, salsa verde

Lenguada - Dover sole, serrano beurre blanc, local asparagus

Barbacoa - Niman Ranch Lamb braised, avocado leaves, adobo, corn tortillas

Taco assembled

Tascalate - Mamey, leche quemada ice cream

I enjoyed my meal at Valle. Service was excellent and the timing between courses perfect, with no lag or long waiting periods between. I was also offered a tour of the kitchen after dinner and had a chance to meet the chef and chef de cuisine.

The bright and vibrant flavors of the opening courses were some of my favorite bites from the meal. I found the sweetbread taco to be more delicious than the main course of lamb taco. While I did not find much fault in any of the courses, there wasn’t necessarily a standout moment or flavor similar to ones I experienced at Topolobampo.

Overall, I felt that Valle is deserving of its 1 Michelin star rating.

Valle
222 N Pacific Street
Oceanside, CA 92054
www.valleoceanside.com