I’ve previously written about the challenges facing diners in Marin County. It’s not that there aren’t good restaurants, but they are fewer and farther between than in San Francisco or Oakland, and promising newcomers like Mijo, which closed after just six months, can’t seem to stay open.
This makes the arrival of Vin in San Rafael particularly noteworthy. It’s a total revamp of Vin Antico, and the talent in the kitchen has spent time at Liholiho Yacht Club, Frances and Saltwater Oyster Depot. You’ll find pastas and housemade focaccia on the menu, but the wontons ($12) are what stood out during a recent visit. Although Chinese in form with a glug of sweet soy to finish, the lamb filling, lemony yogurt sauce and dusting of dried lime powder all evoked a more Middle Eastern flavor profile. In fact, the most successful dishes took a page from the same global mishmash playbook, with a creamy miso sauce complementing black cod with pole beans, while a verdant chermoula brightened up roasted squash.
Vin. 881 4th St., San Rafael. vinon4th.com
“You have some tough decisions to make,” my server at Troubadour Bread & Bistro in Healdsburg told me, displaying a tray with four different types of bread — pretzel epi, a fluted brioche bun, slices of seeded sourdough and a country loaf. Did I, though? My dining companion politely selected the pretzel, each nugget branching off the former like a stalk of wheat, but I asked for one of each. It’s my job to try everything, but even were I not a critic, I would probably sample them all. Troubadour makes spectacular bread — it’s right there in the name — and if you’re joining for dinner ($195, prix fixe) rather than a lunchtime sandwich, you don’t want to miss it…