It’s hard to imagine a more pristine setting that the patio at Nick’s Cove a restaurant that overlooks Tomales Bay and anchors a renovated colony of cabins-turned-suites. Nick and Frances Kojich, along with Andrew and Dorothy Matkovich, originally developed a waterfront slice of Blake Ranch beginning in 1931. The Gibson family owned the land from 1973 to 1999, when prominent Bay Area restaurateur Pat Kuleto took over and eventually installed an ambitious, seafood-focused restaurant in 2007. In an area rife with oyster beds and seafood shacks, Nick’s Cove definitely stood out.
We entered a door with a Trident handle befitting Neptune, passed by a fireplace and a number of wall mounted heads (moose and deer) and sat at a table on the restaurant’s covered patio, with unobstructed views of the water, pier and passing boats. As we learned from an available signal on Matt’s WiFi finder, and later confirmed at The Boat, we were also dining within shouting distance of the Hog Island Oyster Co. beds. Sitting by the bay was so calming that even the endless ’80s soft rock couldn’t phase me. “I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight” and “Arthur’s Theme,” do your worst.
During our visit, the rafters housed a bird’s nest filled with chirping baby birds. Their mother frantically darted in and out of the shack until we left the building.
Most everything was produced locally at Nick’s Cove, except for the bread.
Chef Adam Mali wasn’t the opening chef, but he seems to have adjusted nicely to his seafood-centric post. Tomales Bay Clam Chowder ($10) was a welcome change from the normal oceanic spackling paste that afflicts lesser restaurants.
As we already knew from Nick’s Cove, even if the oysters could move, they wouldn’t stand a chance in that neighborhood.
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