You already know that Nick’s Cove placed number one on Travel & Leisure’s “10 Best New Resorts in the US” for its “delightful seafaring-inspired wallpaper, vintage clawfoot tubs, cozy wood-burning stoves, and plush beds.” Even if you don’t stay the night, you can enjoy the views over Tomales Bay from one of the waterfront patios or inside by the fire when summer’s chill is just too much. Perhaps best-known for cioppino and large platters of barbecued oysters, the
restaurant also deserves attention for its cast iron skillet mac ‘n cheese and seasonal salads, the greens plucked from the garden just steps away. Be sure to wash it all down with a drink from their vast local wine and beer list.
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Don’t miss: Cioppino, Steamed Mussels, Oysters
Beloved for its fireplace when the fog breeze is blowing and candle lighted, old-school English public house vibe, the inn’s namesake restaurant does not have a thatched roof but it does have plenty of cozy corners for quiet dinners and/or enjoying a beer, a game of darts, and possibly a song after a hike.
Tap beers are available by the half pint, pint or pitcher, perfect with a plate of bread and butter crafted at neighboring Zen Center. In keeping with the British theme, Cornish pasties, a Ploughman’s Lunch and Shepherd’s Pie are just a few of the classics on the menu. California sensibilities, however, demand organic salads and Miyagi oysters.
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Don’t miss: Beef Wellington, the Bangers & Mash, and the Beer
Are you as excited as we are about one of Point Reyes’ iconic restaurants moving back into the building where it got its start some 34 years ago? Maybe you are just keen to know that the flaky popovers remain a menu mainstay and can be ordered by the two’s or in a basket with corn bread. Always in step with the sustainable food movement, the restaurant’s classic dishes – clam chowder, oysters on the half shell, Hangtown fry – remain menu staples while newer items – spirit-free cocktails, shrimp lettuce cups – reflect the current moment’s food mood.
Don’t miss: Popovers, Flank Steak Salad, West Marin Reuben
The full-service sibling to the Hog Island empire makes the decision about what to eat easy.
Simply scan the top of the menu where the specials are located and pick a few. The day’s oysters are given plenty of space, but room is given to local seafood tostadas or perhaps a warm goat cheese salad and the like. The burger is made with Stemple Creek beef, and a three-cheese grilled cheese sandwich is piled on onion focaccia. House made pie and It’s It ice cream sandwiches sum up the dessert menu, so save room.
Don’t miss: Clams Linguini, Fried Oyster Po’boy
Sitting outside at one of the restaurant’s picnic tables in the garden with the sun on your face, the fog breeze blocked by the restaurant, and a heat lamp at your back is so perfectly Marin as to be cliché. Who cares? It’s nice here. Order up a plate of barbecued oysters, seafood stew or avocado pasta to amplify the coastal Marin vibe. With breakfast available until the afternoon and an all-day menu, it gets busy, especially inside on chilly days. When the weather calls for beach, the takeout window has soft serve on cones and a small market includes house made baked goods.
What doesn’t Parkside offer the community?
Don’t Miss: Niman Ranch burger on brioche bun, beet/butternut/apple salad, house made granola
