In downtown San Anselmo, a small streetside parklet edged with bamboo is the first hint that the food, from Chef Justine Kelly, is Vietnamese. Tu Tap, or “gathering” in Viet, seats upwards of 160 on its two floors and Mount Tamalpais-facing rooftop. Pick a vibe – long bar and indigo velvet-lined banquettes on the first floor, walnut and woven vinyl seating at the Chef’s Counter facing an open-fire kitchen or the etched wood and dark metals and cocktail table seating plus bar of the rooftop.
Amidst these swish surroundings, Chef Kelly, who you might know from her years cooking at Charles Phan’s Slanted Door Group or from her childhood in San Anselmo, focuses the Southeast Asian menu most closely on Viet flavors. There’s small plates of puffy mochi and banh mi-adjacent pork liver and five spice paté. Leaf-wrapped bundles of fish sauce-infused rib eye is served with nuoc cham. Grilled fish is marinated in turmeric and garlic or served as a crudo with Thai basil and citrus. And, since the restaurant is in Marin, there’s a rotisserie chicken salad seasoned with fried shallots and nuoc cham.
To drink at either bar, try one of Steven Singleton’s (Left Bank) creations such as a Bee’s Knees with local honey and gin or an Aperol spritz infused with local stone fruit. The wine list focuses on terroir-driven, sustainably farmed wines from around the world.
Twenty-six years after it began in Point Reyes Station and Mill Valley, the sourdough empire that launched a thousand imitators returns to Marin, this time at Mill Valley’s Strawberry Village shopping center.
Take a gander at the breads, Viennoiserie, and other treats in the long case before placing your order at the counter. Pastries, including Danish topped with Cowgirl Creamery’s Mt. Tam cheese and fresh berries, are made on site while breads, including the famous country loaf, are crafted at Tartine’s Manufactory in San Francisco. All-day breakfast options include a morning bun waffle, a breakfast sandwich on a sweet potato bun, and soft scrambled eggs layered with sharp Cheddar and fresh herbs. At lunch, a Kale Caesar with sourdough crumbs, double smashburger with celery remoulade and a tuna sandwich with green tahini.
Alongside a full coffee menu, guests can order a spritz, glass of wine or beer, and tepache – a Mexican-style ferment from pineapple. A few gluten-free options, such as lemon meringue cake, crumb cake with seasonal jam, and raspberry cornmeal tea cake are available. Why not take your meal to the patio and watch the world go by?
Known for oysters and casual coastal fare at his other West Marin restaurants (Marshall Store, Route One Bakery & Kitchen, K&A Take Away) long-time restaurateur Shannon Gregory elevates his latest restaurant concept to something closer to fine dining. Or maybe: fine dining with fleece vest and hiking boots.
Chef Anthony Paone (Cafe Rouge, Berkeley and Campanella, Sebastopol) designed his menu to be seafood-focused and seasonal. Most dishes are cooked using the wood-fired grill and today’s Mussel Toast with vadouvan cream and Grilled Squid with fermented cayenne and basil may give way to Whole Rock Cod with Vietnamese green seafood sauce (Muối Ớt Xanh) and lime ($66). All dishes, however, slide across a counter designed by Oakland’s Wylie Price Design, upping the Point Reyes glam factor.
The beverage program brings a wine bar focus – a Negroni Sbagliato features Prosecco, and a so-called High Ball leans into vermouth swirled with umeboshi and soda water. French, Italian and German wines by the glass or bottle balance the California selections. Similarly, beers from Japan (Asahi Extra Dry) and California-made, Japanese-style Hanabi Lager reflect a global-meets-local aesthetic.
Chef Alexander Alioto’s adherence to the Italian cooking mantra of fresh, seasonal, approachable food isn’t changing as he pivots West End’s The Kitchen Table to a more casual daytime concept. “It’s a restaurant and deli like you might see in North Beach,” the fourth-generation restaurateur says. Sandwiches on house made bread, pinsa, and seasonal salads will anchor the menu. A deli case is stuffed with freshly prepared meat ragu and hand-extruded pappardelle, tagliatelle, and fettuccini to take home for dinner. Alioto’s famous fist-size raviolo and other Italian edibles will appear as weekly specials.
Under a 20-foot mural saved from Alioto’s Fisherman’s Wharf by Alexander’s father, Nunzio, look for a large selection of uniquely available packaged goods, including an extensive wine list curated by Nunzio, aged canaroli rice, single varietal Puglian olive oil sourced from a centuries-old family farm, and Alioto’s favorite tomatoes from Valroso Farm in San Joaquin Valley. Italian white truffles will also be available for pre-order. “We are part of the Marin community and want to help people cook great meals,” Alioto says.
The grand piano and cocktail bar, couches and fireplace are intact, as is the more traditional front dining room as a new, late night “divino” slips into the former Osteria Divino space in downtown Sausalito. Curated by partners Johnny “Love” Metheny and Jaxton Funk, the new/old space is envisioned as a nightlife experience with live jazz, an extensive Italian wine list, and elevated cocktails such as a Lambrusco-topped Italian Sour, gin and chartreuse Serpente & Fiore, or a non-alcoholic Rosso & Tonic with house made hibiscus tea syrup and lemon.
The osteria’s long-running (12 years!) chef, Yovani Castillo, is bringing back the not-to-be-missed meat lasagna, full complement of house made pastas, and roasted Cornish game hen, as well as newer dishes like Tuscan-style seafood soup and curried shrimp scampi. A menu of late-night bar snacks, such as a charcuterie and cheese boards and house made focaccia, will be available after the kitchen closes.
And, to the delight of those in the know, head bartender Stephan Kaplan and head server Zenon Alvarez have returned. Weekend brunch with live music is in the works.
After running a mobile bar business and brewing at home, owner Jacob Gullett expanded into the former Indian Valley Brewing space last summer. “It was an opportunity to get the beer into more people’s hands,” Gullett says. He runs 15 taps of small batch beer and, unless they run out, you can always find a core seven on tap: Getting Groceries (West Coast IPA), lager, hazy blonde, west coast pilsner, hazy IPA, an American amber, and a rotating IPA. Two other taps are dedicated to experimental beers – a recent Mexican lager and strong Scotch ale proved successful – and a third is reserved for pulls for Founding and Mug Club members.
Inside, a long bar and a 10-seat table welcome everyone from singles to parties and there’s a lounge area with TV. For food, Manny’s Taco Truck and Taquizas el Cunado make regular appearances. Gullett is known for experimenting with local ingredients, too – keep an eye on the members tap for a beer made with homemade vanilla extract. “It keeps that homebrew feel to the beers,” he says. No word whether or not actual keg stands occur.
