Sausalito’s picturesque Cavallo Point debuts three new restaurants

An anticipated trio of restaurants debuted last week at Sausalito’s picturesque Cavallo Point, introducing visitors to dramatic new interiors and revitalized menus.

The casually oriented Farley Bar is now simply Farley, while Sula and the adjoining Sula Lounge have replaced fine-dining destination Murray Circle.

Mark Wilson and Yoko Ishihara of Bay Area hospitality studio Wilson Ishihara Design carried out the renovations with Architectural Resources Group in San Francisco that specializes in historic preservation.

Majestic national parkland with the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco skyline views provides an impressive backdrop for the former Army post that was home for stationed members of the Coast Artillery Corps in the early 1900s.

The design team honors the locale and its rich military legacy with subtle detailing.

“Almost all furniture and decorative lighting were custom designed for the project, including lounge furniture with leather belting, brass button details and hand-tufted wool carpet,” says Wilson and Ishihara about the light reference to officer uniforms.

Handmade tiles from Heath Ceramics in Sausalito are on display below the Farley bar, where navy booths line the windows and plaid upholstered chairs circle small round tables.

Executive chef and San Francisco native Michael Garcia, who has been in the kitchen since 2016, honed the new menus that showcase local ingredient vendors in alignment with the resort’s focus on sustainability.

At Sula, look for red curry lobster velouté, Liberty Duck confit and porcini risotto with sugar pumpkin; pan-seared scallops with carrot ginger purée; and wagyu filet of beef with porcini crust — just a few of the highlights.

Sula Lounge offers sophisticated comfort in seating zones where guests can congregate over upscale seafood-forward snacks — Tsar Nicoulai Caviar, grilled uni butter oysters and cured salmon deviled eggs that go along with an extensive selection of wines, bubbles, aperitifs, digestifs and cocktails made with house tinctures and tonics.

At Farley, the classic California-American breakfast, weekend brunch and lunch-dinner menus appeal to a wide variety of preferences.

“A cleaner and healthier approach … is becoming a personal passion of mine,” says chef Garcia. “We had various dietary needs top of mind when designing these new menus, so everyone can enjoy the food just the way it comes.”

Greet the morning with a chia seed parfait, smoked salmon tartine or short rib hash, or revisit ongoing favorites such as the gluten-free pumpkin pecan pancakes or crab Benedict.

The Niman Ranch burger has made a return, and the grilled fish sandwich is now made with branzino. Main dishes such as fall mushroom risotto and grilled Duroc pork chop are also on the menu.

The Farley beverage list features crafted cocktails inspired by native botanicals, local microbrews and small production wines.

Sula is open from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and the Sula Lounge is open from 4 to 11 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Farley is open weekdays for breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m.; lunch on weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; dinner daily from 5 to 9 p.m.; brunch on weekends from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and afternoons on weekends from 2 to 5 p.m.

Find the full menus and reservation links for all three restaurants at cavallopoint.com.

Meet Marché

Darren and Alicia Banks are ready to welcome diners back to the charming Ross Common restaurant space that housed Marché aux Fleurs for 21 years. The new owners have shortened the name to Marché and started dinner service at their seasonal California restaurant on Oct. 8.

Prior to previous owners Dan and Holly Baker stepping away from the restaurant in mid-June after making the decision earlier this year to end their longtime reign, they introduced the Banks on their website. The couple is local to the Bay Area (he’s from Marin and she’s from San Mateo) and met in 1995 during college while working at Java Café in Larkspur, which is now Picco.

Nearly three decades later, after marrying, having a son and owning and operating beachside restaurant SandBar on the small Caribbean island of Anguilla since 2014, they’re thrilled to be back and at Marché.

“It feels like coming home,” Alicia Banks says. “We love the space and want to continue the tradition here of good food and vibes while making it our own.”

This includes highlighting local farmers and purveyors and supporting small regional wine producers. Both maintain a close connection to the kitchen, taking care of the prep in the morning but passing the cooking on to the staff that has remained from Marché aux Fleurs, which allows them to be in the dining room in the evenings.

A few longtime favorites still have a spot on the menu but with the Banks’ twist.

“The duck confit is similar, but we’re layering it with spicy green lentils, baby kale and an onion plum sauce,” she says. “And we’re keeping the popular 38 North Chicken, fried chicken Tuesdays and burger Thursdays.”

Starters include shishito peppers sautéed with togarashi spice blend and roasted heirloom tomato soup with crème fraiche.

Many ingredients come from the Marin Farmers Market in San Rafael.

Banks says she’s pleased to have found a farmer with the same strand of arugula she used in a SandBar salad. “I’d never seen it in California before, but we’ll continue to run that same salad (arugula, frisée, Asian pear, goat cheese, candied nuts and local honey).”

The gnocchi with baby shitake mushrooms and corn in a truffle oil cream sauce and the orecchiette with sausage, white beans, radicchio, pecorino and chili flakes are house-made.

The fall menu features five main dishes, including Alaskan halibut with farro and sautéed spinach in a caper cherry tomato butter sauce, and grilled grass-fed steak with crispy potatoes, broccolini, cremini mushrooms and chimichurri sauce.

The chocolate baby cake and mango crisp are a nod to the Anguilla restaurant, and the vanilla, chocolate cayenne and Equator coffee ice creams are house-churned.

Wine comes in single servings in the can or by the glass and in half and full bottles. More than 100 are presently on menu, some of which were inherited, but they plan to maintain a list of around 75 with a something-for-everyone price point.

The interior is largely unchanged with most of the renovation efforts occurring behind the scenes, including a floor to ceiling kitchen remodel.

Marché opens at 5:15 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays at 23 Ross Common. Closing time is at 9 p.m. or later but fluctuates depending on the day and time of year. Find the full menu and links for making reservations and placing takeout orders at marchemarin.com or call 415-925-9200. Delivery is available through Uber Eats and DoorDash.

Leanne Battelle is a freelance food writer and restaurant columnist. Email her at ij.lbattelle@gmail.com with news and recommendations and follow on Instagram @therealdealmarin for more on local food and updates on the launch of The Real Deal Marin restaurant guide.