Local diners take first plunge into Sonoma seafood restaurant Valley Swim Club

On Tuesday afternoon, a steady stream of curious diners took a first plunge into the opening menu at Valley Swim Club, a new casual seafood-focused restaurant from the owners of nearby Valley Bar + Bottle in Sonoma.

“We’re getting our sea legs,” read a sign behind the register, acknowledging to visitors that things don’t always go as planned on opening day, even for restaurant veterans. The shipment of clams for the fried clam appetizers had not arrived. Yet, as restaurant openings go, this one appeared to be going swimmingly as staff carried fried oyster rolls and plates of Little Gem lettuce salad drizzled with miso dressing out to a dozen patio tables.

“Swim Club references classic poolside, seaside and roadside traditions, as well as the spirit that imbues them. Swim Club exists where New England flavors, surf aesthetics and late ’60s California Naturalism intersect,” says the restaurant’s website.

“It’s what we really love,” said co-owner and chef Emma Lipp as she took a quick break from the opening shift and explained the team’s affinity for casual, coastal menus from Mexico to New York.

News that the Valley owners would take over the former Delicious Dish space last December created an immediate buzz. In 2021, Valley Bar + Bottle garnered critical acclaim from Esquire magazine as one of the “Best Bars in America,” and the New York Times took notice of Valley Bar + Bottle this past May. Since opening in 2020, the restaurant has received enthusiastic support from Bay Area diners for creative cuisine and an expertly curated wine list and bottle shop focused on natural wines.

Chefs Emma Lipp and Stephanie Reagor head the culinary program at both restaurants, and Lauren Feldman and Tanner Walle handle the dining area and wine programs.

Where Valley Bar + Bottle exudes a chic Wine Country atmosphere, Valley Swim Club’s outdoor covered patio — currently the only seating — is purposefully dog- and family-friendly.

Just to be clear, there’s no pool at Valley Swim Club, but blocky wood tables and chairs anchor the outdoor space while tongue-in-cheek signage (“No Swimming”), white clapboard siding and a wall of abstract waves tie together the crab-shack theme. That come-as-you-are ethos extends to the no-reservation model, where jeans- and apron-clad servers bring out dishes, but customers order at the counter.

Lipp’s menu is a deep dive into her fascination with Baja’s beachy fish tacos, Hawaiian poke and New England and California coastal cuisines (fried oyster rolls, steamed littleneck clams). There are nods to Japanese and Korean flavors, with nori, kimchi and miso dressing accenting some dishes.

But more than an affinity for coastal cuisine sealed the deal to create a seafood-focused restaurant. Lipp said wildly fluctuating prices for chicken, eggs and other meat drove the Valley team to focus the restaurant on local seafood, with its more stable costs.

There are several land-based dishes on the menu, however, such as beefy smash burgers and grilled cheese. Plant-based dishes like an Impossible Burger, fried oyster mushrooms and vegan cashew-based queso dip drizzled with smoky macha salsa round out the menu. Additional salads and a takeout menu will be available in the coming weeks.

“We live and work in this community, just blocks from here,” Lipp said. “We wanted a neighborhood place for ourselves and our community.”

Valley Swim Club is currently open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and located at 18709 Arnold Drive in Sonoma.