Star Restaurant
Yeehaw! Star Restaurant in Novato is back, cowboy style. The new owners are continuing to serve the beloved American breakfast, lunch and dinner in addition to new Latin American offerings. Whether you want pancakes or pupusas, you’ll find something to enjoy from Star’s massive menu. Slide into a booth and say howdy to your servers — decked out in cowboy garb!
1700 Novato Blvd, Novato; 415.897.1970
La Maison De La Reine
After 20 years at Town Center in Corte Madera, this Vietnamese eatery has moved to Grant Avenue in Novato. Not just serving up Vietnamese classics on their lunch and dinner menus — though they do serve great pho, banh mi, vermicelli noodle bowls and so much more — La Maison de la Reine also offers 15 kinds of boba and milk tea, including some dairy-free options. And vegetarians have plenty of options to choose from, making this restaurant a great stop in Downtown Novato.
807 Grant Ave, Novato; 415.927.0288
LaVier Cusine at Toast
In the evenings from Sunday through Wednesday, LaVier Cuisine from Chef Guillermo Lara operates as a popup within Novato’s Toast restaurant. Delicious Latin fusion fills the large space in the Hamilton Marketplace. Tacos, ceviche, camarones and plantains complement homey curries and Thai influence. Pasta and plate entrees round out the sophisticated menu, with plenty of options for a range of diets.
5800 Nave Dr, Novato; 415.382.1144
Ranch Water
Ranch Water opened its remodeled San Rafael location, bringing new entertainment, music and tequila-forward cocktails to Fourth Street. Ranch Water was created by mixologist Johnny Metheny, AKA Johnny Love. Beyond tequila, Ranch Water boasts a full bar and more than a few TVs to catch your favorite sports. Look forward to weekly events like Margarita Mondays, karaoke on Wednesdays and live music Thursday and Saturday nights.
“Ranch Water is more than a bar; it’s an experience,” said Johnny Love. “We’re bringing the spirit of San Francisco’s nightlife to San Rafael, blending tequila craftsmanship with sports, music, and good times.”
711 4th St, San Rafael; 415.785.4957
oddcha
Founded by a group of friends with a passion for boba tea, oddcha sells all things bubble tea at their non-traditional tea station. An extensive menu includes lattes, matcha, fresh fruit smoothies and milk teas. Situated in a Victorian house on Irwin St., their handy pickup window is just past an ornate arch to the “French Quarter” courtyard. And with delivery, pickup and online ordering options, oddcha offers convenience while providing high-quality boba with fresh ingredients.
905f Irwin St, San Rafael; 415.720.1195
upside
In the heart of Mill Valley’s Tam Junction, you can find the crossroads of community and coffee at upside. Partnered with San Francisco coffee roasters Lady Falcon Coffee Club, upside brings delicious coffee while cultivating a gathering place for people and experiences. Sip a cappuccino while enjoying some of upside’s regular events like Doggy Days, one regular event where patrons are invited to bring their pups to the cafe.
215 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley
Emma’s Restaurant
Bringing together traditional Chinese with California influences, chef-owner Wing Pak designed a menu of Mongolian beef, orange chicken and crispy rainbow steak. The menu is an evolution for Pak, who cooked at Morimoto and San Francisco’s Michael Mina before opening in August in San Rafael. A dim sum menu is in the works as are plans for a monthly brunch “pop up” with Peking duck and other delicacies.
817 Francisco Blvd W, San Rafael; 415.492.1638
La Gastronomia di Porchetta
After 15 years at Sausalito’s Osteria Divino, chef Elena Fabbri, who grew up in the restaurant business in Tuscany, decided that focaccia sandwiches with porchetta would be her niche, launching a catering company that highlighted the dish in 2017. (Her husband, Gustavo Mutul, runs Pibil, serving Mexican and Italian pork tacos and sandwiches at the San Rafael Sunday farmers’ market.) Cooked on the in-house rotisserie, pork belly is cut right at the ribs to remove the loin. It’s a one-two punch that makes Fabbri’s porchetta juicy, crispy, irresisitible. Fabbri’s full-service restaurant, which opened last spring, leans into Tuscan flavors with a complete menu of antipasti, primi and secondi. The porchetta — on a sandwich at lunch, with eggs at brunch, with Brussels sprouts and roasted squash at dinner – is destination dining-worthy.
123 Bolinas Rd., Fairfax; 415.419.5465
HenHouse Brewing Co.’s Record Room
After opening a brewpub in Fairfax last spring, the Santa Rosa-based beer brand planted a taproom in Novato in October. The 10 taps feature the brand’s offerings — Incredible Pale Ale, Cascade Smash, Stoked, etc. — and a steady rotation of food trucks provide eats in the breezeway-turned-beer garden. According to CEO Collin McDonnell, local music on vinyl is important to the team, so expect to hear pretty much anything made in NorCal and beyond, with records sourced from neighbor Watts Music. The music is a part of the community vibe that McDonnell wants to build, with custom-built 8×8 record art in the breezeway. “We have an emphasis on community togetherness,” he says.
1301 Grant Ave., Novato; 707.757.7699
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Source: marinmagazine.com
