What’s new, fun and tasty inWest Marin
A drive to Tomales is a far distance from many points in the county, but during a pandemic, an outing is often a welcomed diversion, particularly when it’s to a town that boasts so many culinary rewards.
The excursion is once again complete with the return of a destinationworthy bakery housed in the 100-year- old Piezzi Building in the center of town. Route One Bakery & Kitchen opened earlier this year in the corner space where former tenant Tomales Bakery was a longtime fixture and midride incentive for weekend bicyclists and motorcyclists.
Tamara Hicks and David Jablons, co- owners of the Tomales farm, dairy and creamery Toluma Farms, purchased the building last year. Its new operator is Shannon Gregory, who owns the Marshall Store seven miles south on Highway 1 in Marshall.
After a significant remodel that brought the building up to code, enhanced the kitchen with a new Swedish oven and other baking equipment, and graced the exterior with a crisp blue paint job, the bakery opened earlier this year, before the pandemic lockdown in March, and then reopened in May.
While the physical establishment has been spruced up, the original recipes of beloved Tomales Bakery pastry chef Alison Cavallaro remain, as does its team of bakers.
The list of homey, scratch-baked goods includes croissants, muffins, scones, Danishes, crumb cake, layer cake, brownies, cheesecake, spanakopita and fruit pies.
In addition, Gregory worked with a bread consultant to get his loaves just right, and now offers French baguettes, oat wheat pan loaves, seeded sourdough rounds and more. He also supplies the Marshall Store, the Bodega Store and neighboring K & A Take Away sandwich shop, another muststop in town.
Further down themenu, a few sandwiches and salads change with the seasons. The list recently featured roasted chicken salad, bacon, red onion, tomato, herbs and mustard vinaigrette on fresh bread; salad with baby romaine hearts, radishes, cucumber, spiced pumpkin seeds and avocado green goddess dressing; and a submarine sandwich filled with Double 8 Dairy veal, pork and beef meatballs, fresh ricotta, provolone, herbs and garlic.
Gregory also decided to get into the pizza game with Roman-style pies in quarter half and whole sizes topped with local cheeses, meats and vegetables.
A short but curated list of wine and beer is available in the evenings.
Visit the bakery at 7:30 a.m. and until the shelves are empty Thursdays through Sundays; pickup pizza from noon and 7 p.m. Fridays through Sundays; and gather bread from 11 a.m. until it’s gone Thursdays through Sundays at 27000 Highway 1. Find further details at routeonebakery.com or call 707-879-2022.
Across the street, the recently refurbished WilliamTellHouse is open for lunch and dinner on an expansive patio. Socially distanced picnic tables are shaded by red umbrellas, Adirondack chairs circle
fire pits and the chef showcases the region’s agricultural and coastal bounty.
Founder and San Francisco food entrepreneur Ted Wilson (Oakland’s Alice Collective and Metal + Match catering company) purchased the Tell in mid2018 and is living up to his commitment to “bring a reinvigorated experience to the town, its community and those passing through the area,” a goal he shared with me just prior to the start of the pandemic.
Most recently, he’s put that into play with Thursday drive-in movie nights at the old high school baseball field. Family films are projected onto a 40
foot outdoor screen viewable from parked cars or a blanket spread on marked spaces on the field.
Fill an order form, shine a light overhead, and gourmet concessions and meals that change weekly come straight to your spot. Most recently, the menu included a Stemple Creek smash burger, veggie burger, hot dog, housemade cotton candy, caramel corn, popcorn, candy, wine, beer, seltzer and soda.
Gates open at 7 p.m. and the movie reels run at 8:15 p.m. A portion of all ticket sales ($40 per car, $5 per walk-in) goes to the Shoreline Unified School District to help start the Farm
to Fork program.
Go to williamtellhouse. com for the full lineup of films that continue weekly through October.
The Tell is celebrating Oktoberfest on the patio from 1 to 8 p.m. Oct. 8 with live music, grilled bratwurst and all-youcandrink local and German-style beer. Purchase a ticket ($25) for a large glass boot stein and admission for dancing, singing, drinking and eating.
The William Tell House is at 26955 Highway 1 in Tomales.
Four miles outside of town at the coast, Dillon Beach Coastal Kitchen is open for takeout from noon to 7 p.m. Fridays
through Sundays. ChefMatt Elias is in the kitchen preparing a locally inspired menu, including fish and chips, a Stemple Creek burger, rustic clam chowder and seasonal salads. On Thursdays, fried chicken dinner with biscuits, mashed potatoes, gravy and other sides is available for pre- order.
The outdoor patio is open for takeout dining from the restaurant.
South of Tomales at Nick’s Cove, socially distanced tables have been added to the property along the 300-foot pier leading to the Boat Shack and across the street in the onsite garden that supplies produce for the restaurant. Order takeout from the counter and eat onsite from 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. daily at 23240 Highway 1 in Marshall.
Pizza time
San Francisco’s Pizzeria Delfina has beenmaking a weekly stop in Mill Valley. Pre- order from its limited menu of frozen par-baked pizzas, salads and bake-at-home meal kits such as pork, beef and veal meatballs and ricotta, chard lasagna with nettle pasta, escarole, béchamel and parmigiano. Quantities are limited, so plan ahead.
Place orders online by Wednesdays to pick up from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays from the white Pizzeria Delfina van parked at 707 Redwood Highway between the Travelodge and the Shelter Bay office complex.
Hoping the truck will pass through your town? Go to pizzeriadelfina.getbento.com/marin to make the request, place orders and find additional Bay Area delivery stops.