Okay. I have a horrible sense of direction. Ask anyone who knows me, and they’ll tell you that I can rarely give you directions. And if I do, more often than not I’ll give you landmarks (ie. turn left at the Shell station then take the first right after the overpass) rather than street names.
Sparkling Rose. Ginny’s Garden G&T.
All that to say, when I was invited to check out Tiburon Tavern, I had absoultely no idea where it was. I’ve lived south of the San Francisco Bay my entire life, and I had to google map Tiburon in order to discover it sits right at the north end of the Bay. Huh. Thank you internet.
Matilda’s Deviled Eggs, pickled jalapeno, smoked bacon, chives. Pop’s hushpuppies, mt. beasor farms sugar cane butter. Chef Tim Humphrey.
Turns out Tiburon is a cute little town with a gorgeous view of the Bay. Right when we hit the town limit, Aldwin said we needed to come back for a weekend. It’s a perfect spot to relax and get away without going too far (for us).
Pickled watermelon rind, buttermilk ranch. Salmon Ceviche, orange leche de tigre, fresh veggies, cilantro, salbutes. Chicken Fried Quail.
The Lodge at Tiburon feels exactly like what you think a modern lodge would feel like – all wood and a relaxing yet clean edged atmosphere. The look extends through the bar and into the restaurant…and then you get to the food. You can pretty much see the life of Tim Humphrey – executive chef of Tiburon Tavern – reflected back in his food. Fresh, local ingredients (he literally has a garden on the property that he starts and tends himself!), Southern comfort food with modern Californian twists. He had me at hello.
Grass Fed Beef Tartare, toasted brioche, smoked hollandaise.
Our favorites from the night:
- Chicken Fried Quail with Buttermilk Ranch and Pickled Watermelon Rind – That pickled rind? I was pretty obsessed with it. I seriously couldn’t get enough. It was a great tangy contrast to the fried quail.
- Grass Fed Beef Tartare with Toasted Brioche and Smoked Hollandaise – I could have eaten just this and left completely happy. The soft yolk you see dripping down the middle was perfectly cooked, just barely set, and the smoked hollandaise was a pretty perfect balance to the tartare. So good.
- Pork Meatball and Octopus Bucatini – I can never argue with perfectly cooked octopus, and this one definitely was. I don’t think I’ve ever had octopus with pork, but they were awesome together.
- Strawberries and Cream Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream and Micro Basil – So simple, yet so perfect. Seriously, have I said perfect enough times already? 😛 I loved that the micro basil was so subtle.
- Raspberry Sorbet, Roasted Apples, Brandied Cherries, Tangerine Snow – I was so suprised by this one. It was just the right combination of tart, sweet, melty and crunchy. Love.
Fresh mozzarella, grape tomato, garden nasturtium, english cucmber, radish, micro basil, tangerine oil. Roasted Mary’s Chicken, toasted farro risotto, honey-lemon glazed baby carrots.
To say we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly is a bit of an understatement. We can’t wait to go back!
Pork Meatball and Octopus Bucatini, grape tomato, rainbow chard, shallot, garlic, white wine, buerre fondue, grana padano, fresh herbs. Beef Short Ribs “Pot au Feu”, marbled potatoes, cipolini onion, braised carrot, truffled celery, butter poached turnip, fresh horseradish, mixed herbs, red wine jus.
Other Tips:
- There’s plenty of parking behind the hotel.
- The fresh, modern takes on traditional dishes don’t stop at the food menu. The bar menu features fun twists on classic cocktails, too.
- If it’s a cool evening, walk out onto the patio after dinner and enjoy one of several fire pits on the property.
- Take a peek at the cute little garden Chef Humphrey maintains right behind the pool.
- The waterfront is just a short stroll away from the restaurant/hotel and is gorgeous day or night.
Tiburon Tavern
The Lodge at Tiburon
1651 Tiburon Blvd.
Tiburon, CA 94920
{Side note: Does that remind anyone else of 15 Yemen Road, Yemen? 😉 If you get that reference, we need to be friends.}
I was invited by The Lodge at Tiburon to come check out their restaurant, Tiburon Tavern, and be introduced to their new head chef Tim Humphrey. I was not compensated for this post in any way, and all opinions (and photos!) are my own.
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