All of the restos in Sausalito are casual. Poggio may be a tad more dressy than most, but you won't raise any eyebrows. F3 is super casual and so is the food, but its quite good. Its fairly new though and there will likely be a wait. Poggio is a good bet.

My daughter and I were really unimpressed by Copita. While a couple of things were good, i.e. the salsas, one of their signature dishes the rotisserie chicken was so bland and dry, we sent it back, they took it off the bill and our server said they'd received so many complaints that they were changing the recipe. All in all, an underwhelming experience.

If you're looking for a spectacular view, have a pre-dinner drink at the Spinnaker (free valet parking but only mediocre food) and then move on to one of the better area restos like Sushi Ran, Poggio or Fast Food Francais. BTW, if you order carefully (avoid complicated dishes, stick with simply prepared fish/seafood,) you can eat credibly well at Spinnaker)

Fish has great food,water but no city views. Le Garage does as well.

If price is no object, on a nice day with its huge waterfront outdoor patio/picnic seating, Fish is really great. Very fresh and well prepared food. Some caveats: it is expensive (about $20 for the fish and chips) they don't take credit cards and its a very, very long walk from the ferry (taxis are available.)

Le Garage is not quite as expensive and it also has a lovely outdoor patio. Takes credit cards and the food is simple French and very good. Also not quite as kid friendly as Fish, but they do welcome families.

If you like pasta you are in luck. Stock evoo, dried pepper flakes, fresh garlic, anchovies if you like ( I do), canned tomatoes, a wedge of good parm, All kinds of things can be added to this basic sauce-- fresh or dried herbs (basil and oregano are acceptable dry but parsley is always better fresh), mushrooms, sausage etc.

make a nice big pot of chili (find a recipe you like) eat some, freeze the rest in portion sizes, same with braised lamb shanks and rice pilaf, freeze portions separately and all you need do is defrost reheat and make a salad.

Omelets are great filled with just about anything. All this is really basic stuff. Do a little on your own research and hands on practice and you'll be good to go.

BTW, you can't go wrong with a jar of good natural peanut butter, jam and a good loaf of whole wheat bread (I like Safeway's Open Nature Nuts and Seeds especially when its on sale) for a great sandwich (with banana and/or bacon which I don't do but I hear its great) and a large cold glass of low fat milk.

"The counter is a big part of the attraction for me."

Me to. Also the "Seafood Bombay:" fresh diver scallops and prawns in a light but succulent creamy curry sauce with a side of garlic sauteed string beans, rice pilaf, mango chutney and a glass of good north bay sauvignon blanc. The efficient and amenable servers make lunch at the Tadich counter a lovely experience.

Made my second visit to Super Duper Burger in Mill Valley today and it was better than the first, which was very good. This time I ordered extra grilled onions on the not so "mini" burger and the garlic fries extra crispy and they were delish, sprinkled with garlic, fresh parsley and a bit of grated cheddar. I also ordered the "special" sauce (which is bland but works as a dip for the garlic fries) on the side and added a bit to the tasty and satisfying (4 0z) medium rare cheddar burger myself. The self serve cucumber pickles are still steller, crisp with a faintly middle eastern flavor. And the Racer IPA was the perfect quaff. This is the best $12 I've spent in an American type diner in a very long time.

At 4:30 pm on a Friday afternoon it wasn't crowded at all and the staff is super friendly and helpful. Forty five minutes later it started to fill in. The MV location is bright and airy with outdoor seating. Inside there's drift wood looking table tops, metal chairs and booths along the wall. Parking was pretty easy, tho' I imagine their lot fills up fast when its busy.

I've been an IN n Out fan for a long time, still am, but if you want to upgrade w/o spending $20+ on a very good burger, fries and a beer,(they also have a white and a red wine avail.) try Super Duper Burger.

I visited the Super Duper in Mill Valley a couple of weeks ago and really liked it. The cheese burger was ordered and delivered med/rare, the meat was very tasty (tho' next time I will order the sauce on the side) the garlic fries good (tho' next time I will order extra crispy) and those home made pickles, which you dip yourself from the pickle jar) are superb. The tab was $12 which included a large draft beer and I left totally satisfied. Will return.

If you are a fan of detective novels, foreign and domestic, you will have noticed that so many of the best and most popular sleuths/cops are chow hounds. Wonder why.

Second the rec. of Tomales Bay for oysters. The Marshall Store, right on the bay has the best bar.b.q'd oysters on the planet, with incredible views from its rustic deck. On the way up the coast, on HWY 1, drive along the Bolinas lagoon for the seals and birds and then amble through Point Reyes Station, a quirky little town with interesting shopping and is the home base of Cowgirl Creamery, the now iconic Bay Area cheese maker. Have fun.

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Marshall Store
19225 Hwy 1, Marshall, CA 94940

Cowgirl Creamery
80 4th St, Point Reyes Station, CA 94956

The Marshall Store in, where else, Marshall has the best bar.b.q'd oysters on the planet. Just a touch of very good sauce goes on these freshly opened beauties and a few minutes on grill. Just divine. Sit out on the deck for lovely views of Tomales Bay. Do not expect fine dining surroundings, but do expect really good food and its cash only.

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Marshall Store
19225 Hwy 1, Marshall, CA 94940

If you're going to be here a whole week, take a ferry ride to Sausalito and enjoy world class views of the bay and the SF skyline. And if you are careful, you can eat very well, though at a somewhat higher price point than at many of the bargain ethnic resto's in the city.

Some rec': Le Garage (casual french) Sushi Ran, Bar Bocci (casual italian w/view and bocci court) Fish (sustainable seafood, nice water view, very casual, very tasty and more than a bit pricey, cash only, tax included and tip is optional.) Fish is off the tourist track, probably a 30 minute walk (some of it along the water) from the ferry or a brief cab ride. For more north bay tips look on these boards. Have a great time.

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Sushi Ran
107 Caledonia St., Sausalito, CA 94965

Le Garage
85 Liberty Ship Way Ste 109, Sausalito, CA

My daughter and I had a late (9:15pm) dinner at El Paseo last night and our overall experience was really good. The spaces, and their are about a half dozen different areas to the resto, are lovely and well designed but not at all stuffy.

We'd been to a cook-out earlier, so we weren't ravenous and a big piece of meat did not appeal, so we had two apps each. My daughter had the corn soup, poured at table, with a bit of lobster meat and stock I think, with a few fresh cherry tomatoes which added a nice bit of acid to the mix. It was very good. She followed up with the pork belly appetizer. The piece of belly, she complained, was almost all fat with an off-putting mushy texture. Tho' the flavor of the overall dish was good, it did not reach her pork belly standards and she left most of it on the plate.

My very ample bibb lettuce salad was generally excellent, nicely dressed with perfectly ripe avocado wedges, a few radish slices and a couple of other garnishes which I don't remember but added a very touch. The green goddess dressing was terrific except it was a little salty. I followed up with a crab cake appetizer: two smallish cakes with a nice crispy exterior and a moist all crab interior with a fresh corn garnish. I almost never order crab cakes on the west coast anymore and while these did not measure up to the succulent lump blue crab cakes back east, they are easily among the best I've had in California.

In between our courses the chef sent out two complimentary app sized portions of their beet ravioli, the pasta was gossamer thin and stuffed with nicely seasoned beet tops, surrounded by roasted red and yellow beet wedges, napped in a light and lucious beure blanc. Delicious.

We shared a bottle of very good sauvignon blanc, can't remember the name but it was only $28 and well worth the price, it was very good.

Service was friendly and professional. The only thing that marred the experience were the two probably more than a little drunken oafs at the two top next to ours. At one point, one of them crashed his bread plate to the floor and "jokingly" and loudly asked it we did it?! He then, again, loudly, offered to pay for the plate we supposedly broke. Sigh.

I loved meeting Preston Clark, the chef not least because I knew his late father, the ground breaking chef, Patrick Clark when he headed the kitchen at the Hay Adams hotel, across the park from the White House in Wash. DC. Clark pere was a grand guy and a great chef and it looks like Clark fils is following in his footsteps.

sliced mushrooms sauteed w/some shallots or onions, a little garlic, add a little white wine, chicken stock, reduce a bit, lower the heat, stir in 2-3 T of sour cream and some chopped parsley. Pour over your split baked potatoe. Yum!

Hal's Bar and Grill in Venice on Abbot Kinney is a long time neighborhood favorite for good reason. Great caesar salad (among others,) terrific ambiance, and while the food is in no way ground breaking, its really good. They have a private room but I've seen (and celebrated) many a birthday in their main room. it's not cheap, though the burger with wonderful fries is $13, but good value for the money with many salads and appetizers at $7-$10 and several mains at or around $20. Great cocktails and a good wine list.

Right here on the chowhound recipe boards is a wonderful dish made with dijon mustard and honey that is quick, easy and absolutely delish. I always add more minced garlic, a little tamari sauce and increase, just a bit, the mustard. You should taste the sauce as you make it to get the proportion you like best. I have served it with many different sides including roasted broccolli or asparagus (again with a little minced garlic added in the last 10 or so minutes of roasting time, but this optional.) Sauteed mushrooms with shallots (add and reduce some cream and little white wine if you like) adds a nice earthy note as well.

I especially like this dish with chicken thighs because the end result is juicier and more flavorful, but breasts work too if you are careful of your cooking times.

The few times I use corn out of season, i use canned corn because I think it tastes better than the frozen. And frozen peas and pearl onions are the only veggies in my freezer. Everything else is fresh, since the time I learned to cook, rather late in life. Perhaps because my mom was a great cook and eater, I was a foodie before I was a cook and I've always liked flash cooked veggies. Though I still have a soft spot in my heart for the long cooked green beans and greens of the American south. That said, I once had a room mate from Scotland and what she did to veggies was a crime against nature.

The new Plate Shop on Caledonia St. is getting really good notices and the chef has a fine pedigree. Also on Caledonia is Sushi Ran with some of the best fish in the bay area and their cooked food is awfully good as well. Poggio on Bridgeway for Italian just got a 3 star review from the SFChron's Bauer, I haven't been in a while but it was delish the last time I was there. For mediocre food but good drinks and absolutely world class views of SF and the Bay try Spinnaker. Very informal, right on the water, cash only and pricey is Fish and the food is abfab.

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Poggio
777 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965

Sushi Ran
107 Caledonia St., Sausalito, CA 94965

A little off topic but to all you Sicily lovers here may I recommend the Inspector Montalbano mysteries. Food plays a big part in the series and the inspector is a serious chowhound. The author's foot notes at the end of the books include delicious descriptions of the Sicilian dishes mentioned in the text. These books are written in Italian but the English translations available here are really good. Ciao!

I went to jardiniere about 8 or 9 months ago (for the first time in years) in a group of 4. I had the special pre-theater dinner of I think three courses and with the wine tasting I believe it was about $40. It was really good. While the portions were not huge I was more than satisfied. I don't remember what I ate (meant to post about it but didn't) but I do remember the dinner was delicious and a very good value. I can understand, however, that paying 3x the amount would have left me deeply unhappy.

I have no idea if it is available outside of Jamaica but Taries Original Jerk Seasonings makes Walkerswood taste like ketchup. Seriously. Taries is produced in the original home of Jerk, Boston, Portland Parish, Jamaica. Listed ingredients: peppers (surely scotch bonnet), escallion, salt, thyme, pimento, cinnamon, nutmeg, onion, meat seasoning, all perpose (sic) seasoning, vineger (sic.) It is refrigerator shelf stable seemingly forever, completely authentic with not a bow to gentler sensibilities, hotter than blazes, deeply flavored and absolutely delicious. This stuff makes the best jerked anything, (oven or outdoor grill) I even use to make jerk beanie weinies. Just remember because of the very assertive flavor and heat, a little goes a long way.

My supply comes by way of my husband who goes to Jamaica 2x a year (we have a cottage in Portland not far from Boston Beach.) Perhaps one of the markets mentioned on this post could special order it or get someone to bring some back next trip. Believe me, if you like jerk, its worth almost anything to get Taries, the real deal.

I love, love, love Jamaican food but why in the world would anyone ever patronize this "restaurant?" I've eaten in Jamaican cafes and restos all over the island, in Wash. DC, NYC and here in the Bay area and have yet to experience anything approaching this idiocy. My guess is that New Karibbean City is a front for something else.

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New Karibbean City
1408 Webster St, Oakland, CA 94612

If you keep it simple, The Spinnaker in Sausalito has decent if unexceptional food, casual atmosphere, full bar, is open for lunch and has world class views (indoor seating) of SF, the bay, Angel Island and passing sail boats. Prices are not too high, by Sausalito standards.

Horizons' lunch time fish tacos are good, has a full bar and again the views are world class.

The Taste of Country Cooking by the late, great Edna Lewis is one of my top three memoirs cum cookbooks. Anything by Elizabeth David, MFK Fisher, James Beard and Ruth Reichl. Her Tender at the Bone is at turns, howlingly funny and really sad. I also really like Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, but he is for many an acquired taste. Marian Burros, former chief NYTimes food writer is terrific and I recommend all of her books without reservation.

Anyone try this new resto in downtown Mill Valley? The Marin IJ gave it an almost rave, the prices are amazing for this pricey locale and I love Asian "street food." Thoughts? Recs? Thanks much.

My husband and I went to HOPR for the first time about a year ago. Loved it. Was it the best meal I ever had? Nope. But it was his b'day and he wanted a big piece of really good meat (which he very rarely eats) at a reasonable price in what he thinks is an appealing atmosphere with good service (he really dislikes gruff waitstaff.) Check, check and check. If you go, ask for only half the usual amount of dressing on what turned out to be a tasty salad and get the Yorkshire pudding and creamed spinach.

To add to the others on this thread, here's an oldie but goodie, Christmas in Connecticut. Barbara Stanwyck as a Martha Stewart type columnist for a big magazine except she can't cook. Hijinks ensue. Its really a lot of fun. Supporting cast includes Sidney Greenstreet and "Cuddles" Szakal. What's not too like?

Looking for cheap eats w/beer, wine for after matinee at Metreon on Saturday. Love all kinds of Asian food esp. Thai, Vietnamese, mid-eastern, Mexican, you name it, I'll probably eat it. $ range: mains up to $15 but would prefer a little cheaper as my even cheaper sister is buying. All suggestions welcome, I will be driving, but would like to do as little of that as possible. thanks!

All of Scott M.'s recs are good to very good. In Sausalito, I would add Sushi Ran, pricey (less so at lunch) but worth every penny and the Spinnaker, not for the food which is only ok, but for the breath taking views from every seat, drinks and easy parking. Thai Terrace also in Sausalito has ok to good food, Arawan Thai has a great lunch deal and the food, while certainly not the best is satisfying.

There is a Chinese resto just up from the Tam Valley/Route 1 crossroads, I think its called Yan Can Wok that is quite good...for Marin Chinese food. Light, fresh and reasonable prices.

Dipsea Cafe, also in Mill Valley is good for breakfast/brunch, (try the gravlax platter or any of the eggs benedict preps; I don't like the pancakes but lots of other folks do) with good portion size, creek side dining (lots of egret sightings) and, again for Mill Valley, good but not great prices. Lots of families and kids.

I do like the blueberry pancakes and chicken sausage at Toast in downtown MV but their overall menu can be hit or miss as can be the service. There is an In n Out in the Strawberry Mall, nuff said. Harmony Chinese resto is overpriced and under delivers. Tho' certainly pricey, the Buckeye Roadhouse generally delivers high quality, somewhat creative comfort food (the oysters bingo are a really tasty version of oysters rockefeller) in a great setting with occasional Barbara Boxer sightings and great service.

Generally speaking, Mill Valley/Marin restos do not hit the culinary high notes of some in the East Bay and SF and our local eateries are about as diverse as our local population. But good, even great meals can be had and even at good price points. Welcome to the nabe.

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Buckeye Roadhouse
15 Shoreline Highway, Mill Valley, CA 94941

Dipsea Cafe
200 Shoreline Hwy, Mill Valley, CA 94941

Sushi Ran
107 Caledonia St., Sausalito, CA 94965

Arawan Thai Restaurant
47 Caledonia St, Sausalito, CA 94965

Thai Terrace
1001 Bridgeway Ste B1, Sausalito, CA 94965

Yan Can
3927 Rivermark Plz, Santa Clara, CA 95054

My closest friend of 30 years was recovering at home from recent surgery. Little pain, but very fatigued and cooking was out of the question for the first couple of weeks. Here's what I made for him: chicken soup from homemade stock, fresh corn, lots of dill and parsley etc.; spaghetti sauce w/chicken sausage (included a box of pasta and a loaf of homemade garlic bread w/olive oil not butter,) turkey, black and kidney bean chili, lightly pickled cukes w/red onion, rice wine vinegar and dill, corn muffins; white beans w/smoked turkey; a jar of homemade salad dressing w/a few bags of greens and lots of fresh fruit salad with end of summer bounty and a dressing of oj, a bit of honey and pinch of nutmeg.

I made enough so I could pack half of the freezable stuff into smaller containers for his freezer and the rest could keep in the fridge for at least three days. I staggered the food visits to about once a week. He loved it all.

Can't disagree more about Malika and I am a married mother of two children who could no more not breathe than not work outside the home from the time both were infants. And I'm talking full career, 12+ hour days mode. The whole point of the "woman's movement" or whatever you want to call it is choices for woman. Malika, who is clearly an excellent pastry chef, did not like the competitive aspects of being on the show and she missed her family. Her choice, to me, sounded honest and heartfelt. Bravo (pun intended.)

Seth seems to have serious mental health issues otherwise he'd be getting the full smackdown from me, your admonition notwithstanding. Equality for all doncha know.

I thought I'd be bored by Just Desserts, not least because I'm not a big dessert maker or eater, but the more I watch, the more I like.