My wife and I plan to spend the better part of a week in late March splitting time between Bodega Bay/Tomales Bay - eating copious amounts of fresh oysters - and some time in Yountville both eating and drinking well.
Have a number of things already lined up. Looking for some current recommendations for food, wine, whatever to make the most of our time there.
We lean heavily towards the Rivers Marie, Anthill Farms, Peay, Kutch, Rhys, etc. wines, but are open to any suggestions. Have some sentimental favorites in mind as well.
In Marin, wine tasting options are pretty limited. Sean Thackrey has an outpost at the Marin Sun butcher shop in Pt. Reyes Station, but his wines skew riper than almost everyone else in Marin and may not be up your alley. Pt. Reyes Vineyards also has a tasting room just north of Pt. Reyes Station, and they make a blanc de blanc that will do well with oysters. Cowgirl Creamery/Tomales Bay Foods has a small, but interesting, wine selection, and the Pey-Marin riesling they usually have there is another good choice for oysters. Nick’s Cove in Marshall has been a little up and down over the last few years, but an outdoor table for lunch on a nice day is pretty great. Sir and Star in Olema is probably the culinary star of this section of the coast and has a strong emphasis on the locals. Stellina is pretty solid also. I haven’t eaten at Saltwater Oyster Depot in Inverness, but the owner has a very strong pedigree with oysters at both Hog Island and Nick’s Cove.
+1 on Cowgirl Creamery, the Estero Gold is one of our favorites. Be sure to spend some time with the beauty and wildlife of Point Reyes National Seashore.
A week is a long time out there so plan on coming over the hill once or twice. The problem with driving over the hill to eat and taste is driving back over the hill when you are through. A day trip out of Bodega Bay could loop you in through the hamlet of Bodega where you can stop by St Teresa of Avila Church famous for its part in Alfred Hitchcocks “The Birds”. Then go west to Bohemian Hwy where Freestone has a wonderful Bakery, Wild Flour, and nearly across the street is Osmosis Day Spa. The enzyme bath is otherworldly.
Continue on Bohemian Hwy to Occidental, a gorgeous little town nestled in the redwoods. Have a great meal at Bistro Des Copains (dinner only) free corkage on Thursday night if you bring a local wine. Casual lunch at Union Hotel or a local breakfast favorite Howards Station Cafe. A couple doors up from the Occidental Hotel is The Cellar Door featuring Boheme and Bodega Rancho wines along with a great mix of local labels from Sonoma and Napa.
Heading North out of Occidental the winding road will bring you to Monte Rio on the Russian River. River access and a nice beach to stroll. Check out the Rio Theater housed in a WWII quonset hut. The ceiling inside the theater is adorned with remnants of Christo’s Running Fence.
Head West from Monte Rio to Duncans Mills and stop by Sophie’s Cellars where you can shop through an eclectic mix of wines with a knowledgeable owner. Wines purchased from Spohies come with free corkage at many West County restaurants! From Duncans Mills it’s a short few miles to Hwy 1, turn North to stop by Jenner where the Russian River meets the pacific Ocean, catch a sunset meal at Rivers End. Or South to Goat Rock State Beach and the 10 minute drive back to Bodega Bay.
A fun day that does not put a lot of miles on the car but takes you through some of the best best landscapes in the County.
Very much appreciate the suggestions and will check them out.
I should have been more specific on our plans, which is to stay 2 nights at Nicks Cove in Pt. Reyes and 3 nights at North Block Hotel in Yountville. I agree with the comment that a whole week out in Pt. Reyes would be alot without doing a good bit of driving.
In the Pt. Reyes area, our intent is to consume as many oysters as possible (and enjoy some wine) as well as to enjoy the natural setting along the coast decompressing and getting some runs in on the trails (to make up for what we are going to eat and drink). We plan on eating at the Marshall Store at least once. We have not stayed in the area before.
In Yountville, we will obviously be taking in some wineries and restaurants. We have been to Napa several times and have some wineries in mind, but would welcome any current highlights.
Again, any suggestions for either of these areas would be appreciated.
My wife and I had a very good dinner at Terrapin Creek Cafe when we stayed in Bodega Bay last year, nice wine list that I think is a good match for your tastes. Better food than Nick’s Cove imho, altho it doesn’t match the ambiance/view. http://www.terrapincreekcafe.com/
We recently went to Bottega in Yountville (hadn’t been there in a while) and it was really, really good (much better than our last visit). If you are willing to travel to downtown Napa from Yountville, a new restaurant called Napkins (owned by the same group that owns the Tarla Grill) is quite good. And if you travel up valley to Calistoga, 1226 Washington has a nice menu and their wine prices are reasonable (at or just above release pricing).
I am not much of a hiker but among other hikes there are two on the Point Reyes peninsula I love. One goes from the road to Drakes Bay and you end up a few feet from where Sir Francis Drake brought his boat into safe harbor. The other one is at the north end of Point Reyes Seashore, you start at an old barn I think, look around for elk, and then walk all the way to the point seeing the ocean most of the way. Neither hike involves significant changes in elevation IIRC.
Manka’s in Inverness years ago was one of the most romantic places I’ve been but it burned down and I hear that now they only serve dinners to people staying there overnight, and I don’t even know what it looks like. It’s a shame. I went to a Grateful Palate dinner there where Dave Powell was pouring RunRig and Chris Ringland was pouring Three Rivers.
The lighthouse in Point Reyes is worth going to. The hike from your car to the lighthouse is uphill on pavement but short, then you walk down many stairs to the lighthouse; the stairs on the way back up can be tiring if one is not in shape. The climactic scene of The Fog with Adrienne Barbeau was filmed on the top of the lighthouse (plus a sound stage). If after parking your car you deviate off to the left on a short walk, you are looking down on a beach that sometimes (esp. at this time of year) has a couple of stray male Elephant Seals that have been permanently ousted from the tribe (same with “bachelor elk” at the north end of the Seashore, a group of males that travel together after failing against the alpha males).
Is Hog Island Oysters still in existence after the government surprisingly ruled they must stop growing oysters in the Bay?
If you are driving from SF to this area, stop at the Pelican Inn for some soup in the bar (and a short detour to Muir’s Beach).
People watching in Point Reyes can be interesting; locals and extremely wealthy visitors. Great coffee in the farmers market barn. Reasonably priced photos across the street in the photography studio.
Don’t miss Muir Woods on your way up north.
I would check out Arista and see if you can do their Vineyard tour/Wine+Food Pairing(though it is technically only open to their SVD List Members). Try though they are accomodating people.
Lynmar has a beautiful setup and nice wines.
Farmhouse Restaurant in Forestville.
John Ash is another nice place over on the Russian River side.
Zazu has a new place as well.
I second one of the hikes that Mr. Chadwick recommended, up at Pierce Ranch. You park and follow the trail mostly north. I have always seen a couple of hundred tule elk out there and there may be wildflowers in late March. You can go all the way to Tomales Point, which is 4.7 miles without too much change in elevation, or go as little as you like. Truly spectacular, with the Pacific Ocean on your left and Tomales Bay on your right.
Edited: I also like his Drake’s Bay suggestion. And Limantour Beach and Abbott’s Lagoon.
Thanks! I disagree with that decision as well in spirit, but under the letter of the agreement it was the “right” decision. It just seems that oyster growing doesn’t hurt the environment and helps the area otherwise. But with groups wanting basically to return Yosemite to pre-1900 conditions (a nice idea but not practical), I guess people want to enforce the idea of making Tomales Bay pristine if that was the agreement? Or are the other factors?
Great suggestions, Brian. A few of us had a great time visiting Kurt Beitler at the Bohème / Rancho Bodega tasting room in Occidental last summer: Visit to Bohème Wines
Lunch at the bar of the Union Hotel was terrific too. Here’s a link to the tasting room: Bohème Wines
If you find your self in the Sebastopol / Graton area, Underwood Bar & Bistro in Graton is a longtime favorite, and it’s a good spot to find local vintners dining.
You could easily spend the whole day exploring the Point Reyes peninsula. Bear Valley Visitors Center, the lighthouse, Drake’s Beach, lots of great trails - one of my favorite spots in Marin. Perry’s Deli in Inverness Park is a good spot to grab sandwiches for the road.
I went to Drake’s Bay Oysters and think they are still open during their appeal. I preferred it to the Hog Island oyster co.
Osmosis Spa was pretty cool. We did the enzyme bath (It’s like sleeping on a pile of sawdust) and while it was interesting, I felt like crap the rest of the day from dehydration. I swear my head was spinning for a couple of days but it could’ve been from the wine drinking right after
We did some tasting (Phelps sonoma property is really close) nearby. If you go to Osmosis, hydrate yourself before and after.
Saltwater Oyster Depot is fantastic. If it looks interesting to you, definitely make reservations.
I +1 Sir and Star, but when I was there last, Margaret and Daniel didn’t quite have the wine list to speed. They might have worked that out, but if not, it’s a good excuse to bring something you bought.
I love Sean Thackrey and Marin Sun Farms is a fine lunch place. If you order the grass fed burgers, don’t forget the Brussels sprouts.
If you make it to Pierce Point for a hike (and I recommend that you do), stop at Perry’s Deli rather than the Inverness Store. They’ve upped their game quite a bit, and they’ve started carrying really interesting wines like Birichino. And – that Pierce Point hike has excellent spots for picnics.
If you’re in Bodega, that means you’ll probably make it to Jenner. I highly recommend finding yourself at Land’s End at sunset. Their wine list is pretty good and the view of the seals where the Russian River hits the sea is 5-stars.
(About the end of the lease for Drake’s oyster farm – that discussion is incredibly complex. Regardless of whether the decision was correct – and I in no way have enough information to weigh in – the way it went down was a bad scene. I wish The New Yorker would do an article about all its nuances. As I’ve been living out here for 3 years now, I really understand why it’s upsetting. Folks out here worry, apparently with good reason, that the ranches are next.)
…All I can think of is how the law required Yosemite to get rid of the ice rink and bicycle rentals and a stone bridge, but common sense prevailed, and I assume that will happen with the ranches. Oysters are more of a self-contained operation, no land attached, not a feature of the landscape, so it seems easier to ban oysters than to ban something more conceptually complex.
In general change in either direction scares me. I like it when my favorite places don’t change. That’s why they’re my favorite places.
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