Cool hostess. As I walked up, I was told, "Are you looking for a friend?" A la Wolfman Jack in American Graffiti, I answered, "Aren't we all?" She laughed. :) With my recent Florida Keys, Jimmy Buffet, Parrothead obsession, I thought of the old Margaritaville in Sausalito yesterday and ended up here. While the rest of SF and the bay area was foggy, the weather in Marin was sunny and gorgeous. The land of milk and honey...I love Marin sometimes! Anyway, this place brings back a ton of old good memories. Been coming here to drink and dine since my college days and remember back when it was Zack's and Margaritaville. Those were some fun times...sitting on the deck in perfect weather, drinking margaritas...hanging out with good friends and hot dates. As the years went on, the place lost it's polish, yet I still went there, just for the view and memories. The next incarnation, Paradise Bay, never really did it for me. Fast forward to the present day, Salito's is the latest transformation of Paradise Bay. I say transformation as it appears the owner did not change, but rather changed everything including the name. After doing some research online, I was surprised to hear that it is owned by the same restaurant group that owns the Franciscan, the Crab House, Bobo's, Calzones, The Stinking Rose, The Dead Fish, and The Old Clam House. When did that happen? I like the new look. Fresh and clean...thoroughly appropriate. I perused the menu and although originally in the mood for a glass of white wine, wasn't too impressed by their white wine by the glass offerings. Barghetto at $8.95, just didn't do anything for me, although Honig's Napa sauvignon blanc was a contender. Their red wine offerings were better although not what I wanted at the time. I liked their $12.95/glass offerings far better with names like Stag's Leap and Chateau Montelena and was going to go that route until I discovered a Blood Orange Margarita with Dos Manos Blanco tequila ($8.95). Nice!!! A server gave me the nicest compliment on my parrot wallpaper (Sonny) on my phone and I felt bad later that I had been so out of it and didn't talk to him more. Great guy! The bartender/server at the bar was really great too. I later asked someone what his name had been and was told Ed. Ed was very professional, but fun to talk to and he made an exceptional drink! No pretense and he fit the place well. I really enjoyed the blood orange margarita that he made...a lot. Very nicely done. That and the beautiful view put me into a Cheeseburger in Paradise sort of mood (Jimmy Buffett reference) and I decided to forego the Fish & Chips ($16.95) and went with the French Dipwich ($14.95) instead. The sandwich itself was great, the prime rib inside was so tender that it literally came apart and at first I thought it was chopped. Still not sure, but it was good. The bread itself was good too, although I wish they had sliced it into two pieces as that would have facilitated eating it. The crust wasn't the easiest thing to tackle with the cutlery provided. One quick swipe with a chef's knife prior to serving would have made a good thing even better. One surprise was that for $14.95, all you get is the sandwich with no accompaniments. That was a little disappointing. Now I can understand this for a steak or fish entree, but for a sandwich costing almost fifteen dollars? Come on...how hard can it be to throw on a token side of fries or potatoes? The cost is negligible in a restaurant sense. I later checked the menu and saw the footnote that I had missed...sides with wiches $3.95. Wow, another $3.95 would have made this thing $18.90! I'm not cheap, but that certainly would have steered me to their higher ticket menu offerings which come with an accompaniment. Acoustically, the place leaves something to be desired. At 1:00PM on a Saturday, the place was far from crowded yet the noise levels were very high. Some acoustic suppression ceiling mods would go a long way Regardless, it was a most enjoyable lunch and as I mentioned earlier, I really liked that Blood Orange Margarita. Anyway, long story short...so glad this place is here. They did a soft opening (not always the greatest idea) so it is off the radar even foodies like me were not aware. It's a dynamite location...if they can keep the food, drinks, and service at a good level, this will be a popular destination and fair weather hotspot for years to come. Bonus points for being next to Bar Bocce which was positively packed both outside and inside when I popped in there before and after. Looking forward to sunny days here on the deck! Not big on restaurant groups, but hoping that if the trend continues, they will buy and save my former favorite Guaymas in Tiburon next...would love to see that!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Roy N.
Cool hostess. As I walked up, I was told, "Are you looking for a friend?" A la Wolfman Jack in American Graffiti, I answered, "Aren't we all?" She laughed. :) With my recent Florida Keys, Jimmy Buffet, Parrothead obsession, I thought of the old Margaritaville in Sausalito yesterday and ended up here. While the rest of SF and the bay area was foggy, the weather in Marin was sunny and gorgeous. The land of milk and honey...I love Marin sometimes! Anyway, this place brings back a ton of old good memories. Been coming here to drink and dine since my college days and remember back when it was Zack's and Margaritaville. Those were some fun times...sitting on the deck in perfect weather, drinking margaritas...hanging out with good friends and hot dates. As the years went on, the place lost it's polish, yet I still went there, just for the view and memories. The next incarnation, Paradise Bay, never really did it for me. Fast forward to the present day, Salito's is the latest transformation of Paradise Bay. I say transformation as it appears the owner did not change, but rather changed everything including the name. After doing some research online, I was surprised to hear that it is owned by the same restaurant group that owns the Franciscan, the Crab House, Bobo's, Calzones, The Stinking Rose, The Dead Fish, and The Old Clam House. When did that happen? I like the new look. Fresh and clean...thoroughly appropriate. I perused the menu and although originally in the mood for a glass of white wine, wasn't too impressed by their white wine by the glass offerings. Barghetto at $8.95, just didn't do anything for me, although Honig's Napa sauvignon blanc was a contender. Their red wine offerings were better although not what I wanted at the time. I liked their $12.95/glass offerings far better with names like Stag's Leap and Chateau Montelena and was going to go that route until I discovered a Blood Orange Margarita with Dos Manos Blanco tequila ($8.95). Nice!!! A server gave me the nicest compliment on my parrot wallpaper (Sonny) on my phone and I felt bad later that I had been so out of it and didn't talk to him more. Great guy! The bartender/server at the bar was really great too. I later asked someone what his name had been and was told Ed. Ed was very professional, but fun to talk to and he made an exceptional drink! No pretense and he fit the place well. I really enjoyed the blood orange margarita that he made...a lot. Very nicely done. That and the beautiful view put me into a Cheeseburger in Paradise sort of mood (Jimmy Buffett reference) and I decided to forego the Fish & Chips ($16.95) and went with the French Dipwich ($14.95) instead. The sandwich itself was great, the prime rib inside was so tender that it literally came apart and at first I thought it was chopped. Still not sure, but it was good. The bread itself was good too, although I wish they had sliced it into two pieces as that would have facilitated eating it. The crust wasn't the easiest thing to tackle with the cutlery provided. One quick swipe with a chef's knife prior to serving would have made a good thing even better. One surprise was that for $14.95, all you get is the sandwich with no accompaniments. That was a little disappointing. Now I can understand this for a steak or fish entree, but for a sandwich costing almost fifteen dollars? Come on...how hard can it be to throw on a token side of fries or potatoes? The cost is negligible in a restaurant sense. I later checked the menu and saw the footnote that I had missed...sides with wiches $3.95. Wow, another $3.95 would have made this thing $18.90! I'm not cheap, but that certainly would have steered me to their higher ticket menu offerings which come with an accompaniment. Acoustically, the place leaves something to be desired. At 1:00PM on a Saturday, the place was far from crowded yet the noise levels were very high. Some acoustic suppression ceiling mods would go a long way Regardless, it was a most enjoyable lunch and as I mentioned earlier, I really liked that Blood Orange Margarita. Anyway, long story short...so glad this place is here. They did a soft opening (not always the greatest idea) so it is off the radar even foodies like me were not aware. It's a dynamite location...if they can keep the food, drinks, and service at a good level, this will be a popular destination and fair weather hotspot for years to come. Bonus points for being next to Bar Bocce which was positively packed both outside and inside when I popped in there before and after. Looking forward to sunny days here on the deck! Not big on restaurant groups, but hoping that if the trend continues, they will buy and save my former favorite Guaymas in Tiburon next...would love to see that!
(4)