Recommendations for special occasion restaurant near Pt Reyes?

[aquariumtown]

Returning to Pt Reyes and the Bay Area after living in New England for a long time, I've been foiled x2--I've moved out of the area and didn't realize Manka's wasn't serving... and then discovered the possibility of Seaweed Cafe and found it just changed hands... Hoping that I can find both a proper sense of romantic occasion and good chow somewhere in the area--a substitute option for someone who would have chosen one of the above. And worse yet, hoping to go tonight (Tuesday) when everything is closed!

Hounds, your counsel is definitely needed.

[aquariumtown]

Thanks all.

Ended up going to Nick's Cove, had small plates and some oysters. Got smoky cooked fresh sardines; an anchovy salad; crab cakes; and some asparagus. The sardines were fine though in the end I missed the more vinegary Portuguese version we've had in New England; liked the anchovy salad; crab cakes were yummy though not unique; asparagus was good though not unique. Point Reyes sparkling wine was surprising and nice. Nice local wine list. Good local oysters--got some from each of the local vendors they were offering (hog island, drakes bay, preston point) and compared and contrasted. All had their good points--no clear winner, except for the person who gets to eat them.

The location is a great argument in its favor.

Drake's Beach Cafe is only open for dinner on Fri/Sat plus a BBQ on Sunday afternoons; lunch Th-Monday. Had lunch there during this trip--some very nice Manila clams in a tomato-y broth, nice bread, informal sweet atmosphere. We endorse lunch there highly.

Thanks again.

[Geoff]

My wife and I just had Saturday night dinner there this past weekend - it was really outstanding. Yes, the building itself is nothing special - it's the plain wooden beach shack that you would expect - but at night it was cozy and charming in its own way. Yes, this time of year it's pitch dark by dinner time (one seating, 7:30 pm), so no view. Yes, no wine available, so what, bring your own (they "encourage" you to bring a bottle). And yes, $48 four course outstanding dinner - smoked trout hash on blinis to start, followed by a delicious mixed greens etc salad, then a great parsnip and other fall flavors soup, with a main course of either grilled steak or pan seared fish. Finish it off with a lovely scoop of Strauss dairy ice cream and a coffee. We always try to insist on "food with flavor," and DBC absolutely came through with flying colors. Highly recommended.

[compass]

A special occasion restaurant near Pt Reyes would be Mankas Inverness Lodge - Inverness is the next town over towards Pt. Reyes. Here's the link - you can check out the menu online also:
http://www.mankas.com/mankas/home.html

[Robert Lauriston]

Unfortunately, online's the only place you can check out the menu, since as alluded to in the opening post Manka's main lodge and restaurant burned down in late 2006.

[Carrie 218]

It has been re-built and is open as a B&B. They just don't serve to people who are not staying there (no commercial kitchen).

[susancinsf]

are you sure they have re-opened? The website makes no reference at all to the fire that I could find and still lists the menus from the restaurant and refers to on-site dining.

[susancinsf]

guess they have, per a few mentions on yelp, but no restaurant as Carrie notes. They will apparently cook 'picnic' dinners for guests to be served in their rooms. If those are similar to the one I had there about four years ago in my room on a night when the restaurant wasn't open, might not be worth it.

[Robert Lauriston]

From what I read, the lodge has not yet been rebuilt.

They have various cabins and other lodgings that weren't affected by the fire, and they've been open all along.

[SteveG]

I don't have direct experience with it, but a friend whose taste I trust told me the cafe at Drake's Beach (about 20 minutes west of Pt. Reyes Station) is pretty good. I glanced at the menu while we were at the beach, and they do things like a $48 4 course fixed price dinner with scallops, salad, choice of grilled grass-fed bavette or premium cut of fish, dessert. It's in a very plain national park service style building, but it is right at the beach so if it isn't foggy the view would be great. Not sure what days they're open--check first.

[Robert Lauriston]

I believe they're open for dinner only Fridays and Saturdays.

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Drake's Beach Cafe
1 Drakes Beach Rd, Inverness, CA 94937

[Robert Lauriston]

Have you read the reports on Nick's Cove? They're open and have tables available.

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

[Fig Newton]

Tuesday is definitely the night for all of Pt. Reyes to close down. It's like that area made a collective decision about Tuesday nights. As the other poster suggested, you may have to consider driving inland a bit for dinner tonight.

[OldTimer]

Olema Inn is your best bet...you guessed it, closed on Tuesdays. Unless you're locked in to Pt. Reyes, Mirepoix in Windsor is excellent, reasonable and open Tuesdays.