I’ve heard enough about the un-pub grub menu magic spun up at the unassuming old-time Casino Bar & Grill in Bodega to know that I’m not the only one who gets a thrill from finding inspired cuisine in unexpected places.
The West Marin opening three weeks ago of takeout spot Out the Door in Tomales by local resident Shannon Gregory gives renowned chef Mark Malicki, who was at the Casino for 13 years, his next opportunity to shine in cozy kitchen quarters.
Gregory was feeling despondent about the loss of two prominent eateries in the small village at the crossroads gateway to Dillon Beach: William Tell House’s restaurant closed a few years ago followed by K&A Take Away late last year that he decided to revive with Out the Door.
“I like Tomales a lot and want it to be successful as a tourist destination,” says Gregory about the tight-knit coastal community where he has operated Route One Bakery & Kitchen since 2020 and that’s 8 miles up the road from his waterfront seafood and sandwich restaurant, the Marshall Store.
Initially, Gregory was going to do a Marshall Store spinoff to service beachgoers but decided on the versatile taco. He’s found a good match with Malicki, who lives in Petaluma and has a way of turning low-key locations into popular food destinations.
“He’s retired, but he just keeps on cooking,” says Gregory about Malicki, whose deep, multi-decade culinary background spans from fine-dining kitchens in New York City to the private wooded acreage of the Bohemian Grove men’s club. “He’s an old-school quality chef who is thoughtful and does his research.”
In a similar fashion to its predecessor K&A Take Away and Malicki’s menus at the Casino and Tea Room Cafe in Petaluma, where he did a six-month pop-up until June, the daily changing dishes are crafted from ingredients gathered nearby.
“He drives to these places and comes back with a truck full of stuff,” says Gregory about Malicki’s planning and preparation for his menus.
It includes a stop at the Thursday Marin Farmers Market that the chef has frequented for more years than he can remember. Last week, it was for summer squash and blistered sungold tomatoes he wrapped up with ricotta cheese.
Gospel Flat Farm, an honor system produce stand, and Star Route Farms, both in Bolinas, are also on his route, along with True Grass Farms for beef.
“Today I got 30 beef shanks for brisket tacos,” Malicki says.
He cooked it in beef pho broth and when cool, cut it with a two-to-one beef-to-onion ratio. He adds queso chihuahua, salsa macha, napa cabbage and pickled onions.
Malicki details what’s he’s cooking on his Instagram account (@malle.mal), where he recently shared that he confits pork belly, keeps it chilled in fat for a few days, chops it up with lots of carrots, spring onions and cilantro, and fries it on the flat top alongside lots of lime and jalapeños. The taco is finished with Oaxaca cheese, pickled cabbage and a creamy serrano salsa.
Naturally, the Marshall Store is a built-in source for fish. Malicki packed a fresh catch of local rock cod in rock salt overnight and topped the taco with pico de gallo, lime crema, cabbage and radish.
“A couple of surfers stopped in and said it was the best fish taco they’d ever had in their life, and they lived in Baja,” Malicki says. “But I really can’t take that much credit. It was the fish.”
A few menu items come up from the Marshall Store like the clam chowder, lime-cured rock cod ceviche, campechana/Mexican seafood cocktail and handmade tortillas.
“Some get torn, and I don’t want to waste them, so I fry them for the tostadas,” Malicki writes on his Instagram page. “We have fried chicken ‘broken tostadas.’”
“I ain’t claiming to be some sort of expert taco maker, on the contrary, this is a wonderful learning experience,” Malicki adds on Instagram. “I obviously know how to cook and treat my ingredients with respect and a certain amount of ignorance, but to call these tacos in the classic sense is a stretch. I think I’m making tasty open-face sandwiches. … I am having a great time.”
Walk up and place an order at the takeout counter from noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays at 27005 Highway in Tomales. View the daily menu on Instagram at @outthedoor2024 or call 415-827-6252.
Where’s the beloved former chef of K&A Take Away? Tomales native Amy Carpenter is now making grab-and-go savories and sandwiches at Gregory’s Route One Bakery & Kitchen, where she held her first job back in the day when it was Tomales Bakery. Find the bakery’s bread, pastry, pizza and sandwich menu at routeonekitchen.com as well as updates on plans to expand hours into the evening.
One of the most unique and magical experiences of the summer is the Julia Adam Dance (JAD) experience, a true farm-to-table feast served on a hilltop and followed by a ballet performance under the stars. The event is held at Tara Firma Farms in Petaluma from 5:30 to 10 p.m. July 12 to 14 and 19 to 21. This is JAD’s sixth year of residency at the farm.
Start the evening with local wine, charcuterie and cheese outside the lower barn and then take a hayride, shuttle or stroll up to the idyllic venue where expansive communal tables are set for a multi-course, family-style meal featuring farm vegetables; a mix of grilled, braised and roasted proteins; and a selection of sweets.
Ingredients are transparently sourced from and dictated by what’s available at surrounding farms and ranches in Sonoma and Marin counties, including Tara Firma Farms, Umbel Roots, FEED Cooperative, True Grass Farms and Holistic Ag, among others. Beverages include wines from Enkidu Wines and Shokrian Vineyard, beers from HenHouse Brewing Co. and Moonlight Brewing Co. and house-made nonalcoholic options.
After dinner, take a steaming cup of sipping chocolate or bone broth to the open-air stage for the 11th installment of the JAD series titled “VISCERĀLIS.” It is designed to “spark the wisdom of what ties us together through community, art, food and the natural world.”
Julia Adam Dance is a cultural collaboration designed by San Anselmo husband-and-wife team Julia Adam, a former principal dancer of the San Francisco Ballet and accomplished choreographer, and Aaron Lucich, a media producer, farmer/rancher and agricultural activist, who put on the event with their team of talented chefs and dancers.
Tara Firma Farms is at 3796 I St. in Petaluma. Find additional information and purchase all-inclusive tickets ($200 July 12, $250 July 19, $300 Saturdays and Sundays) at JADExperience.com.
Leanne Battelle is a freelance food writer and restaurant columnist. Email her at ij.lbattelle@gmail.com with news and recommendations and follow on Instagram @therealdealmarin for more on local food and updates on the launch of The Real Deal Marin restaurant search guide.
