Neighborhood butcher shop Zonda Fine Meats opened last month around the corner from Menke Park in Corte Madera, filling the void left by the 2021 closure of Belcampo at Larkspur’s Marin Country Mart and, 10 years earlier, Bryan’s Fine Foods at Town Center Corte Madera.

Owner Alberto Lataliste, a Novato resident and native of Argentina, was determined to fill that gap when he signed the lease in late 2023. His vision was a European-style shop with an exclusive focus on premium meats not typically found elsewhere in Marin and a dedication to personalized service.

Six months later, the storefront, which was once a children’s art studio and then a marketing firm, was gutted and rebuilt from the bones up.

Now you’ll find a clean-lined space with concrete floors, white-painted beams, cowhide rugs and full-length windows looking out onto a terrace with cafe tables. Center shelves stocked with market goods divide the room from a small seating area near the front.

The dry-aging cold case reveals a quality-driven selection that includes ranch-raised Brandt Beef from Southern California, Midwest-sourced varieties from Greater Omaha Packing and imported meats from Argentina.

Mary’s chicken, Idaho pork, pasture-raised lamb, sausages, cold cuts and a range of frozen seafood, including ahi tuna, shrimp, Chilean sea bass and salmon, complete the lineup.

Add Acme Bread, house-made chimichurri or fresh handmade empanadas from the father-son team at The Secret Lab in Petaluma to the shopping list, along with pantry staples such as seasoning salts and Italian pastas and olive oils.

Lataliste has applied for a beer and wine license and plans to carry Argentine malbecs, Napa and Sonoma reds, and a few varietals from Spain and Bordeaux.

Originally from Argentina, he moved to California in 2001 to start a wine import company and has remained in the industry ever since. He co-owned El Raigon, an Argentine steakhouse in San Francisco’s North Beach (2002 to 2009), and Alsina Station Grill in Sonoma (2010 to 2011). In 2023, he co-founded Novato-based Argentinian beef importer and wholesale distributor Alsina Foods, which partners with ranchers in the Pampas region to supply grass-fed Angus and Hereford beef raised using sustainable practices.

For Lataliste, the shop is intended to be more than just a place to buy meat. He hopes to revive a sense of connection between butcher and customer, offering someone who can speak to the provenance of every cut and provide guidance on cut selection, preparations and pairings.

Zonda Fine Meats is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays at 305 Montecito Drive in Corte Madera. For more information, visit zondameats.com or call 415-758-7074.

Leanne Battelle is a freelance food writer and restaurant columnist. Email her at ij.lbattelle@gmail.com with comments and find more local food news at therealdealmarin.com.