The drive to Marshall takes about two hours from my East Bay home, but I was more than happy to escape the suburbs on a recent Tuesday and go off the grid for a few hours. I decided to take the long drive up to Nick’s Cove first, the most northern point, before making my way down to Tony’s Seafood.

After exiting Highway 101, I  turned onto Pepper Road and found myself in the middle of farmlands, where herds of cattle slowly grazed the hillsides. Any remnant of stress escaped my soul. The surrounding area gave way to eucalyptus trees that cast a wide shadow over the windy roads. Keys Creek, with its languid, blue water, eventually came into view. Before long, I arrived at my first stop.

Nick’s famous barbecued oysters

In 2013, former San Francisco Chronicle restaurant critic Michael Bauer gave Nick’s Cove a one-and-a-half-star rating, declaring  it “no longer worth a special trip.” A decade later, I’m here to tell you that is no longer the case.

Nick’s Cove is located off a particularly peaceful stretch of Highway 1. The property dates back to the 1930s and is home to 12 cottages that, along with the restaurant, received a facelift in 2022. I might add that Travel + Leisure recently listed Nick’s Cove among the 10 Best New Resorts in the U.S. But I wasn’t there to check out the lodging. I was on a mission to savor the signature barbecued oysters.   

They’ve been a star dish at Nick’s Cove since 1972, when local Marin resident Anastacio Gonzales crafted the barbecue sauce at the restaurant, according to the Marin Independent Journal. Gonzales, who worked at the restaurant, is credited with popularizing the style before eventually taking his magic sauce to Tony’s Seafood and the Marshall Tavern.

The nautical-themed restaurant was empty inside because most of the customers were enjoying their meals out on the deck overlooking Tomales Bay. I ordered a half-dozen barbecued oysters ($24), fish and chips ($24), and a glass of riesling and headed there myself. It was overcast but not particularly chilly, and a light breeze carried the fresh scent of saltwater mixed with the aroma of grilled seafood. In no time, a tray of oysters arrived. They came served with a vibrant green garlic parsley butter — a stark contrast to the crimson barbecue sauce.

I couldn’t wait and scooped a grilled oyster and carefully slurped its nectar. The savory garlic parsley butter was a surprising addition and balanced the sweetness of the barbecue sauce. I should’ve ordered an entire dozen instead of half.

Next up was the battered fish, with three hefty pieces of cod served with colorful coleslaw and hand-cut fries. The fish was lightly crispy and a generous splash of malt vinegar took it to the next level.

Nick’s Cove is best known for its barbecued oysters but also offers classic menu staples like fish and chips. The restaurant is located at 23240 Highway 1 in Marshall. (Kristen Loken & Susana Guerrero/SFGATE)
Nick’s Cove is best known for its barbecued oysters but also offers classic menu staples like fish and chips. The restaurant is located at 23240 Highway 1 in Marshall. (Kristen Loken & Susana Guerrero/SFGATE)

After lunch, I strolled along the pier on the property and spotted small boats floating on Bodega Bay before journeying over to my next seafood stop.

Tony’s way — and 4,500-plus shucks a week

Like Nick’s Cove, Tony’s Seafood has been a fixture in Marshall since it first opened in 1948 under Anton Konatich. It was family-owned and -operated for nearly 70 years, until Konatic’s grandchildren sought retirement and sold it to Hog Island Oyster Company in 2017.

Tony’s Seafood is about eight minutes south of Nick’s Cove by car. Along the way, the sky began to clear up, and it finally felt like spring. In my anticipation for the next stop, I wooshed past the discrete Marshall Store and nearly missed it. The popular destination landed the New York Times’ best 50 restaurants in America in 2021.

When I arrived, Tony’s Seafood was relatively busy and much livelier than Nick’s Cove. The restaurant is also known for its signature barbecued oysters, but I decided to order the fresh ones instead. The restaurant shucks about 4,500 extra small oysters on the half-shell weekly, which doesn’t include the larger oysters Tony’s Seafood uses for its barbecued version.

I ordered a half-dozen mixed raw oysters ($23) that featured a Hog Island Sweetwater oyster from Tomales Bay in addition to oysters sourced from North Carolina, Washington and Alaska. A couple next to me ordered the battered fish and chips ($24), which looked and sounded crunchier than the ones I had at Nick’s Cove less than an hour earlier. A woman eyeing the much sought-after picnic tables on the deck asked the host if a table would clear up soon — a clear indicator that people really, really enjoy lingering at Tony’s Seafood.

It wasn’t my first time visiting the popular Marshall restaurant. I first visited the seafood mecca with my family on a whim in 2018. We showed up on a Saturday, which tends to be even busier than weekdays, but scored a table inside the tiny shack. Since then, I’ve brought out-of-town friends to the local gem for raw oysters and the popular grilled barbecue ones, too. It never disappoints.

When a waitress dropped off my order, I added a dash of the mignonette sauce to each oyster and shot them back while “Still D.R.E.” blasted through the restaurant speakers. It’s hard to pick a top favorite among the selection of six, but I especially loved the Hammersley from Washington state for their meatier texture. 

If you’re planning to visit Tony’s Seafood during the week like me, you should note that they’re open from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. You’ll have better luck staying past 4 p.m. if you visit Friday through Sunday, when they close at 7:30 p.m., but expect a bigger crowd.

French cheese in Petaluma

After consuming a dozen oysters, you’d think I was ready to call it a day, but instead, I decided it was time to change course to dairy. I headed southeast to Sonoma County where I ended up at the Marin French Cheese Company. The historic Petaluma creamery has operated on the same dairy ranch since 1865 and became a household name for its Petite Breakfast — a triple cream-style brie cheese.

As the story goes, founder Jefferson Thompson launched the Petite Breakfast following an egg shortage that was triggered by a population boom at the end of the Gold Rush. To counteract the lack of eggs, Thompson jumped at the opportunity to craft cheese as an alternative source of protein for locals. It eventually picked up, and the tiny creamery would end up having fans in San Francisco and Oakland.

“The goal was to mimic an egg,” Bonnie Kaufman, a brand manager for the company, told me. “For a long time, we sold it in the 3-ounce [size], and then in the early 2000s the line of 4-ounce Petite [cheese] was developed.”

Marin French Cheese Co. is located at 7510 Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Rd. in Petaluma. The creamery has made cheese on the same property since 1865. (Courtesy Of Marin French Cheese Co.)
Marin French Cheese Co. is located at 7510 Pt. Reyes-Petaluma Rd. in Petaluma. The creamery has made cheese on the same property since 1865. (Courtesy Of Marin French Cheese Co.)

More cheese is always a good thing. The Petite cheese is still the company’s top seller, but Kaufman was mum on how much cheese Marin French Cheese Company cranks out a week. But they produce the Petite cheese six days a week.

One of the best reasons to visit the storefront is to discover the additional cheeses the creamery makes on site, which aren’t easy to find at local grocery stores. Among them is the limited Golden Gate triple cream brie that joined the creamery roster in 2020. It has a striking golden exterior (hence the name) thanks to the aging process and multiple washes in brine. A friendly staffer at the counter handed me a sample, and it was simply incredible. The cheese is smooth and not nearly as pungent as some brie cheeses I’ve had in the past.  

While I was there, I tried the wide selection of Petite Breakfast flavors, including ash, truffle and jalapeño. The shop was not only a perfect pit stop but a good source for picnic provisions. Beyond cheese, they carry local wines, crackers and jams to enjoy on the picnic tables outside. 

I picked up a few items to make a charcuterie board at home before I opened the door and stepped outside. A cowbell dinged as the door shut behind me. Before embarking on my two-hour drive home, I found a perch near the property’s crystal-clear pond and listened to the sound of birds chirping and cars whooshing by. The solo food trip was just what I needed to recharge my social battery and value the local gems around me.