Picco's market-driven cuisine blends Italian flavors with those from California and is designed with sharing in mind.
On the menu under a section called Labor of Love lies Marin’s most famous risotto. The ultimate slow food dish insists the kitchen pours, stirs, repeats until the rice glistens and the season’s best vegetables give with just the right amount of resistance beneath your teeth. This attention to slow carries across the menu, including the day’s selection of mesquite-grilled options which adheres to the Cal-Italian ethos in plates of Spanish octopus zhushed up with crispy yuca and harissa or sweet potatoes and lentils adorned with urfa chile-spiced cashew “goat” cheese.
Picco's full bar serves seasonal mixed drinks and classic cocktails, and their award winning wine features an eclectic collection of bottles from the best growing regions around the globe.
Don’t miss: Seasonal Risotto, Mesquite-Grilled Bone-in Pork Chop, Kampachi Crudo
On Larkspur’s main drag, in the space where Roma Antica and Locanda once served Roman/Italian cuisine, comes Mediterranean-inflected Tavola Rustica.
The menu features handmade pastas like pappardelle with oxtail ragu and ricotta-lemon filled ravioli with pesto, as well as Spanish octopus with piquillo peppers and bluefin crudo with citrus vinaigrette. “In Marin, branzino [whole seabass] is already a best seller,” Turap says, “served deboned and ready to eat with grilled lemon and mixed salad.”
Owner-manager Zoti Ali Turap’s years as wine director for Chez Panisse are visible in the well-considered by-the-glass and bottle list. An extensive Spritz menu is balanced by European aperitifs (vermouth, sherry), daytime tipples designed for sipping with brunch fare like breakfast pizza with wild mushrooms or The Rustic poutine. Available Friday through Sunday, brunch transitions to all-day service and dinner, which can be enjoyed inside or on the back patio.
The view from R'Noh's back patio looks out over a small patch of nature near Corte Madera Creek. The restaurant offers inventive Thai cuisine with a variety of regional specials.
Lunch specials, like Pumpkin Chicken Curry, arrive with enough veggies, rice and salad to make a satisfying meal. And you can never go wrong with with their fresh rolls and pad Thai.
Don’t miss: Larb Chicken Salad, Panang Curry, Garlic Noodles; Thai BBQ Pork
A California Cuisine devotee, chef-owner David Monson shares his gusto for local and seasonal at breakfast and lunch. That means the creamed spinach that accompanies a plate of scratch biscuits and sausage gravy is organic, and wild mushrooms grace the portobello mushroom panini.
There’s often a line on weekends after 10 a.m. The smooth move, especially if your goal is a seat on the shaded patio, is to arrive early and savor a cup of organic, fair trade Bicycle Coffee while you wait for a table.
Don’t miss: Chilaquiles, Scratch Biscuits & Sausage Gravy, Potato-celery Root Pancakes with House-cured Gravlax
Chef Yoshi Abe has over 20 years experience working at some of the finest sushi restaurants, including stints in Kobe, Japan, Sushi Sasabune in Los Angeles, and Morimoto Napa. He and his wife opened Keiko Fish in December 2021, and it quickly became a community favorite.
While you may be handed a menu to peruse, make sure to read what’s listed on the chalkboard as that’s where the freshest sushi action is. One would be wise to select the Omakase, chef’s choice of four, five or six courses that may include blue crab hand roll and whatever is most recently plucked out of the ocean. It’s a small restaurant with about 10 tables so don’t be shy about sitting at the sushi counter. That’s where the action is anyway. Chatting with the chef entirely optional but recommended.
If you're thirsty, the restaurant offers four types of sake, three bottled wines and Asahi Japanese beer.
Don’t miss: Fried Onion Albacore Sashimi; Sliced Yellowtail Jalapeño Crudo with crispy garlic, cilantro & ponzu sauce; and Crispy Sushi rice topped with spicy tuna and avocado drizzled with eel sauce
