Maybe because he's locally grown himself, Carl Schoeder prepares his cuisine that way, too.

That would be the cuisine at Market, the Del Mar restaurant Schroeder owns with partner Terryl Gavre. Calling the menu California modern, Schroeder changes it depending on what he finds across the street at Chino Farms every morning.

"It's totally inspiring there," he said, seeking to describe the tantalizing variations of vegetables the Chino growers bring out for him to incorporate in his cooking. "It's like being a painter and being told, 'Hey, here's a new color.' "

Schroeder, who was born and raised in La Jolla, said he strives for clean flavors and dishes that are creative without tasting manipulated. "We have to have one of the most active, changing restaurant menus around," he said. "For great cooking, you have to use great product."

And while he acknowledges there is more affordable produce around than Chino's, he is quick to add he doesn't think their produce is overpriced. "We just have to be really smart about what we use and how we use it," he said, adding that he will showcase the special, exquisitely grown ingredients.

Gavre said the same philosophy -- supporting small local producers -- is true for the wines served. Brian Donegan, the wine director, chooses boutique bottles and hand-crafted wines, said Gavre. The wine categories listed each begin with a short quote sure to please wine aficionados, like this one, a Spanish proverb under Zinfandel: "For a bad night, a mattress of wine."

Gavre and Schroeder took over the location of Black Horse Grille, owned by local restaurateur Sami Ladeki, on July 13 last year, one day before the Del mar racetrack opened. "It was crazy," remembered Gavre. "We operated with the old decor, menu and kitchen … Then at the end of October, we closed for three days and completed the remodel."

The restaurant's look changed dramatically. "It was very clubby," said Gavre, who was in charge of transforming the interior. Brown leather banquettes line the retro-styled dining room, which seats 125. Objects on the 25-foot mantel in the back of the dining room change from time to time. So do the images on the 52-inch flat screen TV in the bar area, which flash photos of the kitchen as well as shots of fish, produce and the chef.

The understated black room dividers and window boxes of succulents give the room a casual flair, as do the monkey pod wood chargers and cream-colored linens. Fresh bread and tiny sweet corn muffins with whipped butter are served in an old-fashioned metal loaf tins.

Gavre, who was a food writer and owner of Cafe 222 in San Diego, said it was her intention to create a clean, fresh atmosphere that lets the food be the show.

She mans the front of the house while Schroeder takes charge of the food. "He's all about the food," said Gavre. "He really is our leader, and he is definitely passionate and perfectionist about the food. He gets hot, but not hot-headed," she added, noting that Schroeder is at the restaurant every night.

"Since we opened, he took off Christmas and New Year's, but we closed both of those days. He recently took two nights off for a business meeting in New York and the staff did really great, so he was pleased."

The menu, a simple legal-sized white sheet, features some 12 starters and nine entrees, all simply described with foreign terms used sparingly. From Organic Artichoke Soup With Forest Mushroom-White Cheddar Panini And Shaved Artichoke ($8.75) to Organic Baby Beet Salad With Romaine, Applewood Smoked Bacon And Buttermilk Ranch Dressing ($12.95) and Spice Seared Ahi With Marinated Cucumber-Seaweed Salad, Avocado, Soy-Citrus Broth ($14.95), the starters cover all the bases.

As for entrees, Market offers a Kobe Flatiron Steak With Citrus-Soy Broth, Baby Broccoli-Cipollini Onion Saute, And Braised Pork Spring Roll ($35.95); Prime Filet And Beef Shortrib With Whipped Sweet Onion Potatoes, Root Vegetable Roast And Cabernet Jus ($31.25); as well as a vegetable tasting that includes Roasted Artichoke Cannelloni and Crispy Eggplant And Zucchini ($22.25). On this evening, the menu also included King Salmon And Spiced Wild Bay Shrimp With Marble Potato Baby Carrot Saute And Spice Roasted Peanuts in a coconut curry sauce ($26.50) and Bacon Wrapped Duck Breast And Leg Confit With Citrus Roasted Rhubarb, Choy Sum And Braised Duck Jus ($29.50) -- but those dishes, of course, could change.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Schroeder brought his fans from his previous post at Arterra restaurant in Del Mar with him to Market. "The location was right in Carl's demographic. This is his client base," Gavre said, adding that the restaurant, right across from the polo fields, is at the crossroads of three exclusive communities: Del Mar, Carmel Valley and Rancho Santa Fe.

"We're doing better than we expected," she said. "We're really pleased, but we're not taking anything for granted."

- Contact staff writer Ruth Marvin Webster at (760) 740-3527 or rwebster@nctimes.com. Comment at nctimes.com.

WHAT: Market Restaurant + Bar

WHERE: 3702 Via de la Valle, Del Mar

PHONE: (858) 523-0007; www.marketdelmar.com

HOURS: Dinner, 5 to 10 p.m. nightly

PRICE RANGE: $8.75-$35.95