Restaurant review: Sausalito’s elegant Sula offers Mediterranean-inspired fine dining

Tucked under the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge is Cavallo Point, a luxury resort situated in the vast Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Once the barracks for the Army, it’s been beautifully refigured as lodging with three restaurants and manicured grounds that lead down to the bay with spectacular views of the bridge […]

Tucked under the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge is Cavallo Point, a luxury resort situated in the vast Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Once the barracks for the Army, it’s been beautifully refigured as lodging with three restaurants and manicured grounds that lead down to the bay with spectacular views of the bridge and San Francisco’s skyline. The resort is both true to its original design and refined. Dining is divided among casual, officer club bar-like Farley, warmly intimate Sula Lounge and comfortably elegant Sula.

Dark brown-painted, pressed tin ceilings run throughout the three dining areas. In Sula Lounge, low gray couches with pentagon cocktail tables line both sides of the brass shelving, which sport a typewriter and stacks of books dating from the building’s earlier days as an officer’s club. Two banquet tables seat eight each, divided by a fireplace.

The lounge menu is limited to appetizers ranging from Arancini ($18) to Tsar Nicouli Classic Caviar ($88) and the same beverage list as Sula’s, with crafted cocktails ($16 to $22), including zero-alcohol drinks with house-made tinctures ($10 to $15), draft beers and a well-selected list of wines by the glass ($16 to $25). A list of aperitivo and digestivo, dessert wines and port, and fortified wines ($12 to $34) completes the full range of offerings. One addition to the digestivo list is the Remy Martin Louis XIII offered at pours of ½ ounce and 1 and 2 ounces ($95 to $350).

Sula’s décor is reminiscent of an elegant officers’ club dining room of an earlier era. One can imagine cigar smoke wafting over the tables. The room features olive green upholstered booths, round wooden tables nestled into the booths and leather-padded armchairs. Over each table hangs a brass-shaded lamp. Along the sides of room, there is more seating with lamp sconces.

Executive chef Michael Garcia highlights Mediterranean tastes with Northern California seasonality, changing the menu from time to time to highlight ingredients that are seasonally available. While several of the starters on the menu were appealing, such as Wagyu Beef Carpaccio on bone marrow toast ($21) and Charred Monterey Octopus with fennel confit, chili and olive crumble ($21), the Maine Lobster Bucatini ($55) spoke to us.

The dairy-free dish was dramatically presented in a black Heath bowl. The chiffon-like uni-coconut velouté coated the bowl and was topped with the squid ink pasta. Mounting the pasta lay a whole Maine lobster tail generously garnished with red trout roe and greens.

A glass of Yolo County’s Two Shepherds, ‘Windmill Vineyard’ Picpoul Blanc ($16) in Yolo County worked well with our pasta and highlighted the controlled richness. I think we may be seeing more of this acidic grape variety, grown extensively across the Languedoc and Cote Catalanes wine regions of southern France, in California since it does well in hot climates.

The night we were at Sula’s, Garcia, who was at Cavallo when Murray Circle was the restaurant’s name, was roaming the front of the house of the restaurant. He cares about the restaurant and it shows. He shared that he wants the menu to accommodate people with different dietary needs. Born in San Francisco, Garcia and has worked at several excellent restaurants in the city, including the lauded Farallon, co-founded by one-time Marin resident Pat Kuleto and shuttered since 2020.

The gluten-free Muscovy Duck Breast ($36), two scored batons of roasted duck breast in a semicircle of celeriac puree, was beautifully presented against the dark brown plate. A port-fig sauce glazed the duck and pooled on the plate mingling with the three gorgonzola-polenta fritters and a scattering of shredded Brussels sprouts. A bit of pomegranate molasses and apple cider vinegar in the glaze provided an intriguing sweet and sour dimension. Our glass of 2015 Rioja Alta, Viña Ardanza Reserva ($24) was a perfect pairing.

Golden corn puree spread out on one side of the Wagyu Beef Filet ($56), also gluten-free, along with chanterelles, flower petals and crispy greens. An ample, porcini-crusted filet of beef stood ready for the sauce our professional server poured at the table. Dark, reduced natural, meat juices that were rich and sticky but not over the top cloying.

As for dessert, all looked inviting, how can one pass on a citrus-based dessert this time of year? House-made Limoncello Baba stood out from the other five desserts  — $16 each — but my dining companion was eying the Pink Lady Apple Terrine. The Baba won. A crown of Chantilly cream and candied lemon zest draped the limoncello-soaked, yeasty Baba, which sat in a fluff of zabaglione. All that white and gold was stunning against the black bowl.

The food at Sula was layered, rich and exciting. The chef’s talent is in using vegetables to create richness, not butter and cream. The Mediterranean diet is his guide. And Sausalito’s Heath ceramic plates and bowls added a lot of drama to the presentations and are in line with Sula’s effort to emphasize local ingredients and purveyors

As we left the restaurant, one of the Golden Gate Bridge’s towers was aglow above the trees. You don’t have to stay at the Lodge at Cavallo Point to immerse yourself in its luxury. Marin residents can do that just by dining there. Lucky us.

Ann Walker is a North Bay freelance food writer. Email her with suggestions, comments and questions at ijfoodwalker@gmail.com.

Sula

Address: 602 Murray Circle, Sausalito

Phone: 415-339-4751

Website: dineatsula

Cuisine: California seasonal with Mediterranean influences

Noise level: Comfortable

Liquor selection: Full bar

Gluten-free selections: Yes

Vegan selections: Yes

Dog friendly: No

Parking: Valet

Hours: 5 to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; closed Sundays through Wednesdays, the lounge is open 4 to 10 daily, subject to change

Prices: $16 to $56

Summary: Fine dining in a warm, inviting yet excitingly designed setting.