Vamos a la Playa
Crowds turn out for inspired Mexican cuisine in Mill Valley
It’s 9 on a weeknight in Mill Valley and every seat is filled as a knot of people crowds into the bar at Playa, the new Mexican restaurant on Throckmorton.
Anyone who is familiar with this charming town in Marin will tell you that the lights usually turn off early. By 9 o’clock most restaurants are winding down, but tonight, Playa is still fueled up — surely in part due to the large selection of Tequilas, mezcals and expertly crafted margaritas.
Great cocktails can soften a lot of missteps, but even without the effects of Tequila, it is clear that the food at Playa is excellent, bolstered by the refined service and atmosphere.
While it’s been open only since August, Playa is a restaurant with a deep bench. It’s owned by Bill and Vanessa Higgins and Peter Schumacher. Bill Higgins has more than 30 years experience opening Bay Area restaurants, including Bar Bocce, Zero Zero and Fog City, among many others. In Mill Valley, he also runs Buckeye Roadhouse and Bungalow 44 with Schumacher.
While Bill Higgins has opened many restaurants, Playa was a more personal project pushed by his wife, Vanessa, who in the last few years spent much of her time with their three young children. But like so many who have a passion for the business, she wanted back in the game, and she’s often on the floor along with Schumacher.
To head up the kitchen, the owners brought on Omar Huerta, who was the opening chef of Copita in Sausalito, and more recently cooked at Presidio Social Club and Credo. Something must have inspired him at Playa; he was good at Copita, but the food never came together as it does here.
You don’t have to look any further than the watermelon salad ($14) to understand the quality of products in every dish. The sweet melon is tossed with cubes of beets, two kinds of grapes, slivers of snap peas, feta cheese and an ancho-arbol vinaigrette. The background heat comes on shy, but builds confidence with each juicy, crunchy bite.
Guacamole ($9), still chunky with onions and a topping of diced tomatoes and chopped cilantro, is precisely seasoned. And what comes after is as meticulously realized.
It’s exhilarating when a dish comes as a total surprise. For the Tijuana Caesar ($11), often served as a whole leaf or chopped salad, Huerta wraps leaves in cucumbers and slices them into rounds, dusting them with Parmesan and masa chips. It’s truly a brilliant reinvention.
The shrimp taco ($13) crunched noisily as I bit through it, getting a taste of plump seafood coated in pico de gallo, crisp garlic chips and chipotle aioli. Only then did I realize the “tortilla” was a thin slice of jicama, which added a fruity freshness to the blend.
Each taco also has a distinguishing element: pineapple-morita salsa in the pork al pastor ($12); nopals in the carne asada ($13); skirt steak infused with Negro Modelo ($14); and beer-battered cod ($14) topped with avocado crema, spicy slaw and arbol salsa.
Enchiladas with beef cheeks and charred avocado ($17) bathed in a powerful red mole sauce retains a certain delicacy, like a classic French sauce. The quesadilla with squash blossoms ($13) features a thick layer of melting Oaxaca cheese. Braised pork tamale ($12) is doused in a smooth, brick-red ranchero sauce and topped with shreds of meat, peas and crumbles of cotija. The tender masa adds another earthy flavor and the combination unfolds, spiked with the microgreens.
Large plates, generally enough for two or more, include a whole spit-roasted chicken ($32) that obtains a brick color from a guajillo-adobo rub. Brined pieces of meat and juices mingle and soften the earthy coating. The chicken is arranged over soft-cooked baby carrots and roasted potatoes. If there is any criticism it is that the potatoes would’ve been even better if served on the side so the crisp neutral accents would reset the palate and make each bite taste like the first.
Only a few dishes fell flat. Flautas ($14) didn’t taste any better than what you might get in the frozen food case of Trader Joe’s — and they were over-fried.
Carnitas Michoacan ($28) were so overpowered with a sweet orange flavor that the pork might as well have been tofu. And for dessert, the flan ($8) had the texture of a cold stick of butter. A much better dessert option is the key lime tart ($9) with a graham cracker crust.
Yet missteps are few and far between. The restaurant is so well run that it feels as if it has already smoothed out any opening bumps. Waiters routinely wipe off the table and pace dishes so the table rarely becomes overcrowded.
Every element has been thought out, from the graphics on the menu to the white plates that could be served in an upscale French restaurant. The interior, which features an open kitchen, is a sophisticated mix of tile floors, gold glass bubble pendants hanging from the ceiling, thick wood tables and comfortable chairs. The patio, set with picnic tables, is covered with huge umbrellas.
Playa has become known for Bill Higgins’ margarita, called the Kill Bill ($13). It’s one of the best versions I’ve had, but it’s not for those who prefer heavy doses of sweet and sour. Made with Tres Agaves Blanco, Cointreau and lime, the boozy blend has only an edge of sweetness. The Playa ($10) margarita is a little sweeter with agave syrup, while the Oaxacan style ($12) gets smokiness from mezcal and a spicy kick from a chile-salted rim.
Now that my review is done, I can go back to revisit all three of those cocktails — and get a proper buzz, along with the hundred or so people who crowd into the restaurant each night.