Gravity Tavern, named for the historic railroad cars that ferried riders to the peaks of Mount Tamalpais from Mill Valley’s Depot, leans into its pub roots. The bar is wide with comfortable high-backed stools. Cozy couch corners and tables glow with the warmth of well-placed candle-lighted lamps. It isn’t hard to imagine Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, or Mikey Madison holding court at the bar, a Sleeping Lady cocktail in hand. The well-lighted vibes and comfortable seating is part of the Tavern’s charm.
Gravity Tavern’s Sunday & Monday night prime rib dinner has long been a Marin County favorite. Your 8, 10, or 12 ounces of beef arrives with creamed spinach and potato puree. The three-course meal is fronted by a Little Gem Caesar and finishes with a signature dessert, such as a Tcho chocolate mousse cake with Grand Mariner-infused Chantilly cream. It is a feast that speaks of pub fare –hearty dishes with an emphasis on comfort and simplicity.
But Gravity Tavern is more than steak and potatoes and yes, even more than those killer onion-caramel brussels sprouts. With the arrival of Chef Jason Hoffman this spring, the menu is making room for updated Californian tavern fare with global flavors. “We want to highlight what’s unique,” Chef Jason says. To wit, Jason’s chicken wings. Braised in garlic-ginger broth then tossed in rice flour before hitting the fryer at a precise 325 degrees Fahrenheit, the skin emerges puffy with a delicate crunch. A final toss in sweet chili sauce adds interest, but swab them through Chef’s cilantro aioli and take the flavor to an all new place. Is this tavern food? Yes. Updated, with a twist.
Chef’s insatiable curiosity and fine dining background (Kitchen, Novato; Revel & Roost, San Rafael) informs his approach to tavern cooking. He cites a range of influences, from the salt-baked chicken he enjoyed at Tong Kiang as a child growing up in San Francisco to a life-changing seafood dish from Chef Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin in New York.
Some of these influences show up on a plate of Loch Etive Steelhead. Golden-hued beurre blanc sauce finds a pleasing bitter edge with turmeric, tempered by sweet tomato concasse. Seared Tuna Bowl, the tuna pristine, is lifted with pickled wild mushrooms and baby carrots glazed in miso. And those wings? Unbelievably juicy. And even better with the flash-fried jalapeños alongside. Good thing they arrive with hot towels to wipe your fingers.
Like any restaurant that’s built a following, certain dishes remain classics. Caviar-topped deviled eggs find fresh flavor with the addition of in-house celery-cured salmon gravlax. Chilled Miyagi oysters become a signature dish with saffron mignonette. And their crispy fried chicken continues to be a fan favorite. Pro-tip: you can order a Fried Chicken Meal for 2 To-Go for just $40 any day of the week!
Chef touches extend to the reconsidered brunch menu. Sure, you can still get a traditional American Breakfast with two eggs cooked your way, smoked bacon and Panorama bread with honey butter. And the Gravity Burger with pickled onion slaw, horseradish aioli and a Parmesan crisp is at the heart of the tavern’s menu. But dishes like Fried Green Tomato Eggs Benedict with Meyer lemon hollandaise shift the paradigm just a bit. Marinated in seasoned buttermilk, breaded and deep-fried, the tomatoes stand in for bread, their savory signature the dish’s highlight. Try it with a pineapple mimosa or a blonde ale brewed at Gravity’s sister property, Beach Chalet in San Francisco. This is, after all, a tavern, where the drinks are part of the experience.
In addition to a draft beer list from Beach Chalet Brewery, Gravity’s drinks list, curated by Bartender Nate Torres, is full of Marin classics.
Howlin’ Cadillac, a margarita made with mezcal, nods to the Mill Valley Howl. Though Nate admits his team stirs up plenty of margaritas, martinis and Manhattans, a Double Bow Knot, a refreshing mix of vodka, cucumber shrub and elderflower, references the most difficult turn as the gravity cars of yore made their way up Mount Tam.
On the new zero-proof drinks menu, Nate references the Double Bow Knot with Untie Your Bow Knot, which, like the original, contains cucumber shrub and lime swapping in sparkling water for the vodka.
Looking for a fun way to end the workday? Take advantage of Gravity Hour every day of the week (3pm - 6pm, excluding holidays). Enjoy $5 draft ales, $8 wines by the glass, and $10 cocktails + Non-Alcoholic Drink Specials.
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$10 Cocktail specials: Lavender Lemon Drop, Ginger Cosmo, Spicy 'Lil Burro, Smoke & Honey, The Wanderer
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If you're hungry, Gravity offers plenty of bargain bites, including:
-- $2 oysters
-- $5 sliders (each)
-- $5 Pretzel & Queso Dip
-- $8 Truffle Parmesan Fries and $8 French Onion Soup
-- $10 Honey Habanero Chicken Wings
-- $12 Ahi Tacos (2)
