One of my favorite treats this time of year is local Dungeness crab. Dungeness crab is the most abundant type of crab in California.  It is found primarily in Northern California.  Dungeness crab has a reddish brown shell with a white underside and white-tipped pincers.   It is one of the largest edible crabs found along the Pacific Coast of America.    

Dungeness crab is meaty and sweet.  I love cracked Dungeness crab – it is so worth the work required to pull the crabmeat out of the shells.  During crab season, I order it at least once a week at Fish Restaurant in Sausalito.  Their crab is the best I have ever tasted, and I don’t like to eat it anywhere else.  In addition to chilled cracked crab, Fish makes an unbelievable crab cioppino and also gingered crab that is served over linguini.  At times, they also have crab tacos (my husband’s favorite) and a crab potpie.   

At Fish, I know that the crab that I order, as well as the fish, are all sustainably-fished.    This is important to me and I’m willing to pay a little more for it.  And I love that the Dungeness crab is sourced locally, as is Fish’s fresh produce.   

Fish Restaurant is located at 350 Harbor Drive in Sausalito, California.  Note that Fish takes cash only and has an ATM machine onsite.

Cibo has become one of our favorite cafes in Sausalito.  I am very picky about espresso drinks and coffee, and Cibo serves Blue Bottle Coffee.  They use two shots of espresso in their coffee drinks so they have a deep, robust coffee flavor.   Cibo features a seasonal menu, and they have specials that change daily.  They serve both breakfast and lunch seven days a week.  Some examples of their breakfast menu include granola with yogurt, toast with housemade conserve, steel cut oats, a seasonal vegetable frittata, and poached eggs with creme fraiche.  For lunch, they serve a variety of seasonal paninis along with soup and salad.  Some of my favorite lunch menu items are their yellow and red beet salad, their dungeness crab panini, the wild mushroom panini and their lentil salad.  Today their specials included a winter vegetable and farro soup, a stuffed artichoke and a meatball sandwich. 

Cibo is owned by the Ancona family of Sausalito, also owners of Angelino Restaurant here in town.  They are open daily from 7am to 5pm. 

Cibo
1201 Bridgeway
Sausalito, CA  94965
(415) 331-2426

My restaurant pick this time is Fish in Sausalito. Fish is located on Harbor Drive and is dedicated to serving sustainable seafood. The chef/owner, Kenny Belov, works with near-by farmers to serve fresh, sustainable produce in his restaurant, as well. The menu features local favorites such as fish tacos, grilled fish (served on either greens or pasta) and Portuguese red stew, along with seasonal specials and delicious side dishes. Last week, I ordered the special, grilled halibut with braised swiss chard and a ragu of garbanzo beans and bacon. The halibut was cooked to perfection – crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. The smoky flavor of the beans and the slight bitterness of the chard provided nice contrasts to the fish. For dessert, we had steamed caramel pudding with currants.

There are some things to note before you go to Fish. They don’t take credit cards (but they do have an ATM machine inside). Also, this is a no-frills restaurant. You will need to stand in line to order and then find your own seating. However, I figure that these are minor inconveniences and that the money that they save by doing this goes toward ensuring that I get fresh, sustainable seafood and fresh, local produce on each visit.

Fish is open seven days a week from 11:30am-4:30pm for lunch and from 5:30pm-8:30pm for dinner.

Fish
350 Harbor Drive
Sausalito, CA 94965
(415) 331-FISH
http://www.331fish.com/

My husband and I have been to Le Garage a number of times since it opened.  This casual, hip restaurant is located in an industrial area in a former garage space.   It is positioned beside the water with a great view of the beautiful sailboats and yachts in Sausalito.   I was a big fan of Bruno Denis’ food when he was at Chez Papa in San Francisco, and I was thrilled when I heard he was opening this bistro in Sausalito. 

The menu features a number of tasty items and changes with the seasons.  On a recent trip, I ordered the black mission figs stuffed with Forme d’Ambert cheese, arugula, dried cherries, pistachios and pomegranate vinaigrette.  That was followed by the duck confit with Sausalito watercress, roasted fingerling potatoes, wild chanterelles and a cider sauce.  (Their duck confit is always extremely tender and delicious.  I order it almost every time I go there.)  My husband had the salad of Belgian endives, Roquefort, butter pears, walnuts and black truffle vinaigrette.  That was followed by the Alaskan halibut encrusted with chorizo, yellow wax and romano beans, dandelion greens and a tomato confit vinaigrette.  We finished the meal with a tasty French prune tart with Grand Marnier mousseline. 

Le Garage features a nice wine list, too, with offerings from both France and California. 

Le Garage is open for lunch Monday-Friday, for brunch on Saturday and Sunday and for dinner Monday-Saturday. 

Le Garage
85 Liberty Ship Way, Suite 109
Sausalito, CA  94965
415-332-5625
www.legaragesausalito.com/

Caffe Divino is one of our favorite restaurants in Sausalito.  Under the ownership of Elizabeth Nebot, this restaurant has undergone a transformation.  One of the first things Elizabeth did was hire Chef Elena Fabbri.  Elena is from Tuscany and her creations are rustic, Italian specialties.  She focuses on simple, fresh, and primarily local ingredients.   

Dinner at Caffe Divino typically starts with a complimentary antipasto plate of roasted eggplant and zucchini, olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and focaccia bread.  The focaccia is warm and flavorful, sprinkled lightly with sea salt.  On a recent visit, we had tuna tartare with celery and fresh mint, as well as an exquisite seafood salad.  The base for the salad was farro (a grain), and it had just the right amount of oregano pesto for a super-fresh flavor.  The salad was also rich with seafood favorites such as calamari, shrimp, mussels and clams.  In the past, we have feasted on incredible porcini mushroom risotto, as well as succulent lamb chops.  Desserts are great there, too.  We just had a housemade cherry tart that was sweetened with apple juice and that featured a delicious, crisp crust.   Oh, yes, and we recommend their sparkling rosato wine for a nice starter during the summer months! 

The restaurant has gone through some re-modeling, too, under Elizabeth’s ownership, and the walls are now adorned with local art.  Although it is a full-fledged restaurant and not just a coffee shop, they still serve amazing Italian coffee drinks all day long. 

Caffe Divino features musical entertainment at night.  If you prefer a quieter experience, book a table in their back room. 

The atmosphere at Caffe Divino is casual and friendly, and the food really shines.  We always look forward to eating there. 

Caffe Divino
37 Caladonia Street
Sausalito, CA  94965
415-331-9355
www.caffedivinosausalito.com/

My husband Bob and I find ourselves going to Pizza Antica in Mill Valley at least 2-3 times a month for a casual pizza meal. The food there is fresh and really good, and the staff is very friendly and helpful.

On a recent visit, we started with fava bean bruschetta with speck and preserved lemon. This was followed by our two favorite pizzas: (1) fresh corn, bacon and arugula and (2) potato with truffle oil. We have tried several of their other pizzas, too, and really like them. The crusts are very thin and crisp and their toppings are intense and delicious. You can build your own, too, if you don’t like their selections.

One of the things that I like most about this restaurant is that they focus on fresh, seasonal foods and change their menus often. I can hardly wait until their crispy portabello mushroom appetizer comes back into season!

Now, if they would only put the pear cider that I always ask for onto the menu….

Pizza Antica
800 Redwood Highway, Suite 705
(Strawberry Village Shopping Center)
Mill Valley, CA 94941
(415) 383-0600
http://www.pizzaantica.com/

This small, relaxed-atmosphere cafe was a real find. I read about them on themeatrix.com website. They serve fresh, organic salads, soups and flatbreads (pizzas with very thin crusts), along with beer and wine. We decided to try them recently for dinner and just loved the entire experience. The casual atmosphere was definitely what we were up for on a Friday Night! We started with their arugula, baby tomato and mozzarella salad with a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. It tasted so fresh and flavorful! Next we had two flatbreads – one with figs, prosciutto, bleu cheese and rosemary and one with Anaheim and poblano peppers, all-natural, nitrate-free pepperoni, tomato sauce and cheese. They were both great – good combinations and very fresh. We were too full for dessert but plan to go back there again soon for another try!

Small Shed Flatbreads
17 Madrona Street
Mill Valley, CA
www.smallshed.com

We recently tried a fairly new pizza place in Larkspur called Picco. The restaurant is tiny – it seats around 10 people, all at the counter. There are a couple of tables outside in front, as well, for use in warmer weather. And, of course, you can order pizzas to go. In the corner of the restaurant is a beautiful wood-fired oven and the pizzas are making a steady entrance and exit. There are several gourmet pizzas from which to choose, including favorites such as: The Marin – roasted garlic, young organic potatoes, mozzarella, pamesan and rosemary oil, The Specialized – pepperoni and sausage, tomato, basil, hand-pulled mozzarella, and parmesan , The Colnago – roasted radicchio, picco pancetta, gorgonzola, hand-pulled mozzarella and garlic. There are a number of others that we didn’t try – we can’t wait to go back for more! For dessert, there is organic ice cream – with several flavors from which to choose. They also have a nice wine list.

Emporio Rulli
464 Magnolia Street
Larkspur, CA 94939
1-888-88-RULLI
www.rulli.com

One of my all-time favorite bakery/coffee shops is Emporio Rulli in Larkspur. Their pastries, gelatos, sandwiches and panforte are wonderful, as are their coffee drinks. It is off the beaten path, but worth the trip. The town of Larkspur is cute, too, and offers some unique shopping.