AVA
636 San Anselmo Ave., San Anselmo
(415) 453-3407
www.avamarin.com
California Cuisine
Dinner Tues.-Sat.
Entrées: $13.50-$24
Good wine list
AVA owners Dan and Holly Baker (who also own Marche aux Fleurs in Ross) designed their San Anselmo digs to showcase California’s bounty. Focusing on local food and wine sources, the restaurant makes all its own bread, bacon, cured meats, pasta and ice cream. Dan serves as executive chef and Holly is pastry chef and also runs the front of the house with an easygoing grace. The place has an open, indoor/outdoor feeling, with a large patio, French doors and a comfortable, earth-toned interior.
We began with dates stuffed with melted St. Jorge cheese and wrapped with thin-sliced bacon. They were served hot and were rich with a mix of sweet, salty and earthy flavors.
The California-only wine list features boutique wines, with an emphasis on unusual varietals and hard-to-find treasures. We went for the dry Dacalier Grenache Rosé and a crisp, bright 2007 Husch Chardonnay, both very enjoyable with some fresh-baked country bread and California Olive Ranch arbequina olive oil.
Next was the artichoke soup, which was a rich, dense puree spiced with black pepper and topped with a dollop of Meyer lemon crème fraîche. It was like dipping actual leaves in lemon butter, with all the pure flavors you’d expect. Alongside it we had the crostini: two large slices (softer than most crostini) with bite-sized chunks of fresh avocado, thin-sliced salt-cured tuna, segments of sweet navel oranges, chives and olive oil. It had a great balance of flavor and texture.
Between courses, we ordered one of the “wine cocktails,” an Avarita made with sake, lime and orange juice—which tasted just like a traditional margarita. I also moved on to a very approachable Beckmen “Le Bec Fin” Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. This went especially well with my entrée of braised beef shortribs, which was a large portion topped with a savory red wine jus and a hint of sweet/tart candied Meyer lemon gremolata (nice contrast to the meat). There were roasted large golden and red beets on the side, sprinkled with a tiny hint of sea salt.
We also had the Southern California halibut with lemon, parsley, shallots and butter. The moist, fresh filet was placed atop wilted spinach and served with a golden-crusted twice-baked russet potato with a cloud-like interior of Carmody cheese and broccoli. An additional side of cauliflower gratin with red onions, parsley and crisp breadcrumbs was served hot in a terrine and was a comfort food lover’s dream.
Our meal ended with two desserts: Two shots of “Mr. Espresso” poured over sweet cream ice cream—the effect being a lot like coffee ice cream—and bittersweet chocolate pudding cake, which came with a choice of ice cream. We went for the peanut butter, which was almost like eating pure frozen peanut butter. What a treat.
The Bakers definitely know how to bring out the natural flavors of foods without overdoing it on sauces and spice, while at the same time ensuring satisfying, flavor-packed dishes.
