Tim porter
Grab and Go
GOING TO POINT REYES Stop by the newly expanded Perry’s Inverness Park Grocery. If you are looking for pastrami, their rendition has house-smoked Stemple Creek pastrami with Wild West Ferments sauerkraut and Point Reyes Toma cheese on Brickmaiden caraway batard with house-made Reuben dressing. If you don’t want a sandwich, opt for potpie. 12301 Sir Francis Drake Blvd (Inverness). 415.663.1491
GOING TO STINSON BEACH The Lunch Box is great for everything from sandwiches to bags of gummy worms, and since this deli and sometime taqueria opened last year it has quickly become a local and visitor favorite. Try the Stinson beef with roasted beef, whiskey onion horseradish, pimento aioli, melted Swiss and frisée on a French roll. 15 Calle del Mar (Stinson). 415.868.8884, lunchboxmarin.com
GOING TO PHOENIX LAKE The ultimate goodfor- the-planet grocery and deli, Good Earth Natural Foods, has been open since 1969. For picnic foraging, the takeout department is hard to beat. From burritos, bowls and sandwiches to a tempeh club with a fakin’ bacon to a turkey BLT with the real thing, the menu covers the bases for vegans, carnivores and gluten-frees. 720 Center Blvd (Fairfax). 415.454.0123, genatural.com
Dining Alfresco
SAUSALITO Order a pizza or two and a salad with local greens as the sun sets on Mount Tiburon at Bar Bocce. You’ll see the colors of Richardson Bay brighten and fade, boats pass and pretty people play bocce (in case the place fills up, bring a beach chair; they’ll still serve you). 1250 Bridgeway, 415.331.0555, barbocce.com
Take a quick trip to France with a bowl of mussels and a glass of dry Alsace riesling at Le Garage Bistro. Savor award-winning cuisine with bay views — the cacophony of seagull cries and clanging masts is included at no extra charge. 85 Liberty Ship Way, 415.332.5625, legarage.com
STINSON Getting a spot at a Parkside Cafe table on a sunny day is like winning the lottery, but patience will pay off. 43 Arenal Ave, 415.868.1272, parksidecafe.com
Heard of cornhole? Breakers Cafe on Highway 1 offers this beanbag game, as well as an indoor outdoor bar with pool tables and an expanded patio and grass area. Who needs the beach? 3465 Shoreline Hwy, 415.868.2002, stinsonbeachcafe.com
Looking for that pinch-me-life-is-good moment, which includes an alfresco burger or fresh crab after a day at the beach, with a side of live music and fries? Sand Dollar Restaurant and Bar has been providing that type of magic since 1921. 3458 Shoreline Hwy, 415.868.0434, stinsonbeachrestaurant.com
TIBURON We’ve said it before and it hasn’t quite stuck, but Sam’s Anchor Cafe (pictured) is the gateway experience for many Marin homeowners. It starts with getting a table right on the water, ordering a bloody mary, buying a hat and, then, finally, a house. You’ve been warned. 27 Main St, 415.435.4527, samscafe.com
Happy hour might not get better than on the deck of Guaymas Restaurant overlooking the bay and San Francisco. You’ll find $4 margaritas, $3 tacos and straight-on views of the San Francisco city-front — need we say more? 5 Main St, 415.435.6300, guaymasrestaurant.com
Mimi Towle has been the editor of Marin Magazine for over a decade. She lived with her family in Sycamore Park and Strawberry and thoroughly enjoyed raising two daughters in the mayhem of Marin’s youth sports; soccer, swim, volleyball, ballet, hip hop, gymnastics and many many hours spent at Miwok Stables. Her community involvements include volunteering at her daughter’s schools, coaching soccer and volleyball (glorified snack mom), being on the board of both Richardson Bay Audubon Center. Currently residing on a floating home in Sausalito, she enjoys all water activity, including learning how to steer a 6-person canoe for the Tamalpais Outrigger Canoe Club. Born and raised in Hawaii, her fondness for the islands has on occasion made its way into the pages of the magazine.
