Where to eat dinner in Tomales Bay/Point Reyes area?

[polentaface]

2 Chow fishetarians--seafood, pasta/noodles, vegetables--looking for rec's on either side of Bay: Olema, Inverness, PRSta, Marshall,Tomales--would even go inland to Petaluma for a really good meal! Thanks!

[angella]

in marshall, all i can remember at this time is Tony's seafood. but be warned, it's hit or miss there. when it's a hit you are gloriously happy eating the steamed clams, bbq oysters, mussels and grilled fish. but get a miss and you'll call yourself foolish and crazy for driving nearly 2hours to eat there.
if you want more than fresh shucked oysters then DON'T eat at the olema farmhouse. i can't vouch for the inn, so maybe try them instead? i think this place is is still on the "map" because of it's proximity to the main road.
use the link below for more ideas. have fun!

Link: http://www.pointreyes.org/dining.html

[susancinsf]

hubby and I played hooky to head out to Pt Reyes today to enjoy the sun and offshore breezes...we had a picnic lunch but ended up staying the day and getting hungry...I tried to convince him to eat at the Olema Inn, but he was feeling too grungy for any place more upscale than a dive or close thereto...

anyway, we ended up at Tony's, and for us it was a hit. Hubby doesn't eat oysters, but that was ok, more for me, and theirs, on the half shell, were excellent(and obviously very fresh, shucked in front of us). Hubby was happy with his grilled shrimp (a special), and I had cioppino (also a special).

Now, cioppino is not something I normally order in a restaurant I am not familiar with (Partially because I make a pretty darn good version myself, if I do say so, and I am fussy about it). but nothing else appealed, except more oysters, and that would have required more cash than we had to eat enough to be dinner (Tony's is cash only)...so, I got the cioppino, and was quite pleased. The broth was too tomatoe-ey (my most common complaint about restaurant cioppino) and a tad saltier than I would like, but the seafood was of high quality, and the crab legs particularly fresh and succulent...good mussels and scallops in the cioppino also.

both entrees came with large salads, that were mostly (decent) lettuce greens. hubby had fries too, which I didn't try.

the wine list is a miss however; very limited, even for a casual place. No problem, as they had Sierra Nevada, served in chilled glasses...

our table was right over the bay, so the views are great, but the place is casual (divey) enough that even tired hikers who hadn't showered, like hubby, would feel comfortable. Friendly service. Cost for half a dozen oysters, two entrees, with tax, tip and three beers: $68.

No, I wouldn't drive two hours to eat there: but it is a good suggestion if in the area, especially for oysters. and check out the seafood specials, as the quality of the fresh seafood is high ....

[JRL]

Second Tony's. We fell in there a number of years ago while cruising through the area on our way to or from SF. Tried the bbq'd oysters, something you never see here on the right coast. They were out of this world - made with an Italinesque bbq sauce, butter and garlic and six were more than meal - the biggest oysters (probably way too gross to eat raw) I've ever seen.

Went through the area again on a more recent trip and had to have those oysters - they lived up to memory and expectations.

[janet of reno]

I too have had the BarBQued Oysters at Tony's, and yes, they are delicious. That and a cold beer is heaven....

[try this]

maybe washington oysters?

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[susancinsf]

don't think so, at least as of my Friday visit: ....I did ask, and was told they were Tomales Bay, and the answer was certainly believable after seeing and tasting.

[bulavinaka]

We liked Tony's as well. Nothing fancy, the menu is straight forward, but they cook the seafood just right. The wine list is somewhat brief, but you will probably find something that will work with whatever you're eating. Good QPR and obviously easy to find...

[rworange]

Any updates about Tony's since this 2005 post

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Tony's Seafood Restaurant
18863 Highway 1, Marshall, CA 94940

[jen maiser]

We go to Tomales Bay a couple times a year -- friends can attest that we always seem to be on our way to a weekend there, or on our way from a weekend there. The only thing that I can say is that this trip we made reservations at the Olema Inn restaurant for every night that we are there. You can see their menu on their website, linked below. The chef is fastidiously dedicated to local / seasonal / organic foods and is a great executor of almost every dish that comes out of the kitchen.

Link: http://www.theolemainn.com/menua.html

[Junie D]

We had a great meal at the Olema Inn two weeks ago. I had the mache salad and the special small plate of roast lamb, small salty roasted potatoes and miner's lettuce salad. Spring in 20 bites. The dining room is just so rustic-elegant. It was crowded on Saturday night - make a reservation.

[Junie D]

By the way, don't miss the Straus ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, and/or raspberry - raspberry is my favorite) at Tomales Bay Foods. It is a perfect snack after hiking/biking/whatever.

[Robert Lauriston]

Manka's is good but extremely meat-centric.

If you're out Petaluma way, Della Fattoria Downtown is worth a visit for lunch or a snack. Closes early.

Link: http://www.dellafattoria.com/cafe.html

[ed]

for a more casual/local/unique experience, there's a shack on 1 somewhere around marshall or reynolds where you can eat various freshly shucked oyster and seafood offerings on their little decks overlooking (overhanging more like) tomales bay.

[jen maiser]

oh yah - that's the Marshall Store. It's about 1/2 mile south (? closer to Pt. Reyes) from Hog Island. Great place to hang out. I like their clam chowder.

[bulavinaka]

We are oyster rookies so shucking oysters ourselves was out of the question - we both rely heavily on non-punctured hands for our livings. The Marshall Store does shucking and it's about $19-$20 per dozen. Truly enjoyed it there. Very simple - nothing but a counter by the "shucking" counter, or some planks held up by barrels for tables on the roadside that face the bay. Their shrimp as well as crab cocktails are a good bargain as well - $7 for a fair amount of protein...

[bulavinaka]

I just thought I'd add a few more thoughts on places that we tried while up in the beautiful Tomales Bay area.

We stayed at the Continental Inn in the small town of Tomales. Beforehand, we didn't realize how extremely convenient of a town Tomales was to stay in. "Downtown consists of the inn, a general store (diekmann's), a deli/cafe (Tomales Deli & Cafe), a bakery (Tomales Bakery), and a sit-down restaurant (William Tell), and a few other businesses that are frequented more by the locals. We found the inn and all four businesses we visited to be very capable in filling their niches.

This town is right along Highway 1, so a lot of bikers, cyclists, locals, campers and just about anyone else driving through here will stop here for a bite, or go to William Tell at night for dinner and to hang out in the bar. As small as this town is, "downtown" gets quite crowded at times - one might have to wait if you're planning to eat at the deli or William Tell.

Diekmann's is a general store in the true small town sense of the word - a wide range of inventory. We went in regularly for ice but also for local beer (Lagunitas, Anderson Valley), wine (Ventana, and a couple others I can't remember - a few too many glasses!), beverages, and some local cheeses as well. Considering you're in the middle of no where, the selection and prices are good and reasonable.

Tomales Deli and Cafe is a great stop for breakfast or lunch. We found the quality of breakfast dishes to be very good, the portions were large, and the menu to be wide enough to satisfy most eaters. Most things are made from scratch, and they source as much local ingredients as possible.

Tomales Bakery is very competent at what they do. We found everything to be exceptional except the "Coconut Queen Bar," where our only gripe was that it was somewhat burnt on the bottom. Other than that, the croissants (plain, rasperry&chocolate), sticky buns, cinnamon twists, and other items that I can't recall the names of were decadent, well-made and extremely fresh. They're only open thursday thru sunday.

William Tell was a surprise as well. We didn't think much of it when we walked by it, but we found ourselves later "needing" dinner and going here by default. The menu is relatively straight forward - nothing overly torutured or manipulated. We ordered rack of lamb, NY strip steak, Iceberg lettuce wedge with Point Reyes blue cheese dressing, burger and ravioli for the kids, and a bottle of some good local cabernet sauvignon. After our meal, we all were in agreement that we should have planned to eat here as opposed to falling back on this place. Our first tip-off should have been that the inn's owner left a note on the front door indicating that if anyone needed her, she would be at this William Tell having dinner. Like the bakery, I believe William Tell is open thursday thru sunday, but I think it's dependent on the time of year.

Oyster farms are three in number (as far as we know). Hog Island, Tomales Bay, and Drakes. Of the three, Drakes is the most user-friendly. You can buy either by the pound or order them shucked. Both Tomales Bay Oyster Farm and Hog Island Oyster farm do not shuck but you can buy by the pound and shuck your own. Hog Island requires a reservation - this is to use their picnic tables. When we inquired, their next opening was past mid-september, but they said you could drop in around 2pm-ish to see if any space was available as some folks will come/leave early as well as some will cancel/no-show.

Obviously, you can save a ton of money if you buy by the pound and shuck your own. Bring some lemons, a shucking knife, and whatever condiments you desire, along with a picnic basket (wine/beer for sure!) and you can make a serious meal of it, or just pick up the oysters, head over to one of many areas that you can picnic at, and a great memorable meal will be had.

Speaking of picnics, Point Reyes Station is the home of Tomales Bay Foods, aka Cowgirl Creamery. This is definitely the place to go if you want to set up a great picnic. We found the usual Cowgirl cheeses - I think six total - along with some other great cheeses - local as well as other parts of the US and many European choices as well. All sourced from small-scale producers, these cheeses are all offered to sample before you buy, so no gambling on cheeses you might end up disliking. They are also good at pairing the cheeses with other foods in the store like their daily charcuteries, great produce, preserves, oils, sweets, desserts, and of course great wine selection. All of the floor staff is very helpful and are always willing to offer some great ideas. The section where the produce and some other gourmet items is actually run separately by a woman who knows produce. Everything in her section of the store is hand-selected by her and she is also good at pairing. The store is open wednesday thru sunday - I can't remember their hours - but is a must-stop for those who enjoy cheese and wine. We stopped by three times - I guess we liked it!

Point Reyes Station is the main town along the Tomales Bay area, and has a great bakery - Bovine Bakery. They offer probably 20-25 items at a time (at least when we were there), and is almost always crowded. Like the town of Tomales, Point Reyes Station is a popular stop with bikers, cyclists, etc., so one can expect crowds on weekends - especially here - but the like goes fast and the coffee is quite good.

We ate dinner at The Station House Cafe which we found to be pretty good. What we found to be true in general is to stick to the items that are locally sourced. I know this sounds like a no-brainer, but oftentimes the menus at some of these eateries can be quite long and one can be led astray. Station House is no exception. The salads that use local produce, Point Reyes blue cheese, etc., were outstanding. Our son ordered a basic pasta dish which was mediocre. The steamed (local) clams were just a bit overcooked, but exceptionally sweet nonetheless.

The Palace Market is a relatively large market, given the size of the town, and reminds me of a smaller version of Whole Foods, but without all of the clutter or self-serve food islands. They carry a great selection of wines and beers so if find nothing at Cowgirl, try this place.

[rworange]

Very useful info. Thanks

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Cowgirl Creamery
80 4th St, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

Tomales Bakery
Shoreline Hwy, Tomales, CA 94971

William Tell House
26955 Highway 1, Tomales, CA

Tomales Deli & Cafe
27000 Shoreline Hwy, Tomales, CA

Diekmann's General Store
27005 State Route 1, Tomales, CA

Palace Market
11300 Shoreline Hwy, Point Reyes Station, CA

Bovine Bakery
11315 Shoreline Hwy, Point Reyes Station, CA

The Station House Cafe
11180 State Route One, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

[bulavinaka]

Thanks for linking those places for me - I got lazy... :)

[bulavinaka]

Totally forgot to mention our dinner at Nick's. Probably one of the nicer restaurants we visited on Tomales Bay in terms of service and plating... While we found the prices higher than most other places around here, the view is great, the menu is definitely locavore for the most part, the service was very attentive, the plating quite nice, but they did slightly overcook my Pacific Halibut. Cooking seafood just right is high on my expectation list. Everything else was quite good - even the fries on my daughter's kiddy plate were done proper - more like frites like one would expect in Belgium. The pear strawberry salad with Point Reyes Blue cheese was excellent, and as with many eateries that are north of Santa Barbara, the local wine choices on the list were good and reasonable in price, particularly by the bottle. The strength of so many of these places that we ate at in general is their sourcing of local ingredients. It's definitely a win-win for all involved.

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Nick's Cove
23240 Hwy 1, Marshall, CA 95450