San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Quaint Pescadero — an old fishing village that pulls beyond the coast
About an hour’s drive south of San Francisco along some of the Bay Area’s least-populated coastline, the agricultural burg of Pescadero is an obligatory stop for travelers and day-trippers on coastal Highway 1. The town of about 1,000, whose name translates to “fishmonger,” was a favored fishing spot for the Ohlone people long before Portuguese immigrants set up a fishing camp here in the 1860s. East Coast settlers arriving after the Gold Rush brought white-steepled churches, picket fences and 19th century buildings that still line the two-block downtown, lending a whiff of New England quaintness that pairs well with the serene coastal setting.
Change comes slowly to Pescadero. A few landmark stores have closed in recent years, the population has crept up, and farmers who filled Pescadero Valley with artichokes have started turning over their fields to crops that take less time to mature and earn more money. At Duarte’s Tavern, a 124-year-old mainstay of food and drink, the famous cream of artichoke soup is now only available for dinein guests.
But it’s what hasn’t changed that keeps travelers coming back: often-empty beaches, wildlife, hearty food, farm stands, intriguing shops and a quiet so pervasive that you can hear the ocean from 2 miles away. Here’s how to get the best of this beguiling hamlet.
Morning
Fuel up on pastries and Sightglass Coffee at Downtown Local on Stage Road, Pescadero’s petite main street. Inside the cafe — which is part hip coffee shop, part museum, part antique store — a turntable plays vinyl; walls are lined with vintage albums, Italian sports journals and motorcycle gear; and a dizzying collection of books, magazines and board games are for sale. Peek into the pocket theater in the back, where anything from Buster Keaton to “Star Wars” may be playing on loop.
Once fortified, take Pescadero Creek Road back toward the beach to the 500acre Pescadero Marsh Natural Preserve, one of the Pacific Flyway’s most important stops. Great blue herons, double-crested cormorants and great egrets are the showiest of the more
than 200 bird species visible throughout the tidal estuary, freshwater and brackish marshes, and riparian woods. Winter is prime time for migratory birds, but resident species remain year round, joined by a few renegade migrants who choose not to leave.
After strolling the wetland trails, retrace your route into town and head to R&R Herbs, a wholesale rosemary operation turned you-pick berry farm and market stand. Beginning in June, you can harvest organic raspberries, blackberries and olallieberries for $4 per pound, while ducks and goats are on hand to elicit “awwws.”
Midday
When it’s time for lunch, head down the street to Mercado and Taquería de Amigos, better known as “the gas station tacos.” This corner gas station has a Mexican market with a taqueria serving a full array of spicy burritos, fajitas, quesadillas and house specials.
Exploring Pescadero’s two-block downtown would be a quick undertaking except for all the reasons to linger: handcrafted furniture at Made in Pescadero; new and vintage clothes at Stage Road Shop; beachy clothes, jewelry and bath products at pop-up boutique Slowcoast; and wine tasting at Sante Arcangeli Family Wines, a tiny storefront tasting room that makes a big impression with its Corralitos Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Most important, don’t miss the par-baked artichoke bread from Arcangeli Grocery that you finish cooking at home.
If you’re visiting on a weekend, head a mile east to Harley Farms Goat Dairy. Tours (best reserved in advance) let you try milking goats and making cheese, but the true highlight is frolicking in the field with more goats than you can count. Even without a tour, it’s worth stopping by to ogle the goats and guardian llamas and pick up the freshest-ever goat cheese at the farm shop.
Afternoon
Hop back on Highway 1 and head 15 miles south to Año Nuevo State Park, home to one of the world’s largest breeding colonies of elephant seals. Up to 10,000 congregate every year from winter to spring, breeding and giving birth on the park’s sands. Spring is the best time to see battling males, females nursing pups and weaners, either on a guided tour (mid-December to March) or with a free permit from the park office. The marine education center, numerous trails (one wheelchair-accessible) and secluded beaches are available all year.
On the return trip, consider a stop at Pie Ranch. Named for the wedge of land it occupies, this educational demonstration farm does in fact sell pies. Browse the seasonal bounty at the farm stand, where you might be lured into coming back for a volunteer workday, which includes a farm tour, potluck and barn dance.
Another great detour is Pigeon Point Lighthouse. The windswept beacon, which has guided ships since 1872, is closed for repairs, but the hostel and grounds in the surrounding state park remain open. It’s worth a visit just for the possibility of spotting whales from the bluff.
Evening
For dinner, your options are low-key or classic. Eight miles south of Pescadero you’ll find Highway 1 Brewing, a cozy pub focused on low-ABV beer and tangy barbecue made with freerange meat and produce grown within 15 miles of the restaurant. Grab a spot in the dining room or a patio picnic table and dig into plates of pork ribs, brisket or pulled pork.
The most obvious option, though, is Duarte’s, where the wood-paneled walls and Portuguese-influenced cooking have enticed diners to this family-run restaurant for more than a century. Dig into classic chops, the cream of artichoke soup or its killer spinoff made with half artichoke soup, half green chile. Served with steaming fresh bread, it’s a deeply satisfying dinner, especially when topped off with a slice of homemade olallieberry pie.
No matter where you eat, you’ll likely finish the night at Duarte’s bar. The whiskey no longer costs 10 cents a glass, but whether you fancy a Bloody Mary, a mojito or a beer, they’ll take care of you.