Summer is here and there’s no more beautiful place to explore in California than the North Coast. It’s time to plan a destination vacation where you can visit and explore all the area offers, including a robust “foodie scene” with farm to table restaurants, oyster shacks and foraging excursions.
Forage
Among the many foraging tours available on the North Coast is the Mendocino Purple Sea Urchin and Seaweed Extravaganza. There’s been an explosion of purple sea urchin along the California Coast and now is the time to enjoy some fresh uni you can harvest yourself. You can also learn different ways to prepare seaweed. Contact Flora & Fungi Wild Food Adventures in Sausalito by email at [email protected].
If you are a fan of wild mushrooms, the seasonal peak is October through February for these delicious morsels. Mendo Insider Tours operates 3-hour guided forest foraging tours to find wild, edible mushrooms. Visit mendoinsidertours.com.
Fork In The Path is run by local foragers, it offers mushroom, wild plant, seaweed and mussel foraging. The group offers their last Sunrise Urchin (Uni) Foraging on the Sonoma Coast on Thursday, Aug. 13 from 5:30-7 a.m. Learn how to forage for sea urchin. Requires a CA fishing license. Visit www.forkinthepath.org.
Oysters
If you love oysters you’ll want to visit one of the most iconic oyster destinations in California, Tomales Bay, a narrow, 15-mile-long inlet on the coast of Northern California in Marin County.
Hog Island Oyster Company offers farm tours by reservation only of its Hog Island Oyster Farm at 20215 Shoreline Highway, Marshall 94940.
Classic Farm Tours are held Fridays and Sundays at 9:30 a.m. and Saturdays 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Whole Hog Tours are held Tuesdays at 11 a.m.
The Boat Oyster Bar at Hog Island Oyster Farm with outdoor dining on Tomales Bay offers shuck-your-own oyster Thursdays for walk-ins only on Thursdays 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Its full service cafe is open Friday-Monday 11 a.m.-4 p.m., by reservation only.
For information visit https://hogislandoysters.com.
The Tomales Bay Oyster Company, 15479 Highway 1, Marshall 94940, established in 1909, is the oldest continuously running shellfish farm in the state. Purchase your oysters from the five varieties offered, (variable by season) and a shucking knife, then head to the beach to enjoy an oceanside picnic.
Alan P Sieroty Beach, 14990 Highway 1, Marshall 94940, is just a few minutes away and a great place to eat and slurp. Shell Beach at Tomales Bay State Park Inverness 94937, offers a wide sandy beach, perfect for an oyster picnic.
Bodega Bay Oyster Co. located at 12830 Valley Ford Road in Petaluma 94952 is open daily and offers a tasting room and oyster bar. Oysters are paired with wine in a unique tasting experience. The location also offers picnic tables where you can enjoy a picnic in the fresh air with shucking kits and knife rentals available. Visit bodegabayoyster.com.
Farm-to-Table Dining
Northern California is considered the birthplace of the modern farm-to-table dining movement. The movement was officially ignited in 1971 when chef and activist Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse in Berkeley.
Since that time farm-to-table dining has been embraced worldwide, with the North Coast of California home to many celebrated restaurants.
California’s rugged North Coast pairs dramatic Pacific views with an outstanding farm-to-table dining scene.
The most famous destination is the Harbor House Inn in Elk. This acclaimed cliffside restaurant boasts two Michelin stars and a Michelin Green Star. It defines the term “coast-to-table.” Executive Chef Matthew Kammerer’s multi-course tasting menu highlights the ocean, nearby forests and the inn’s own organic farm. Harbor House Inn, 5600 CA-1, Elk 95432. For reservations email [email protected].
Terra Farm Kitchen in Little River overlooks the dramatic Pacific coastline and offers hyper-local coastal dining. The menu is highly sustainable, expect artisanal wood-fired pizzas, ancho-braised beets and locally foraged mushroom creations. Visit Terra Farm Kitchen at 8211 CA-1, Little River 95456. For reservations visit scphotel.com/mendocino/food-drink/terra-farm-kitchen/.
Trillium Cafe is a restored 19th-century coastal cottage situated in the heart of Mendocino. It features a dog-friendly, sun-drenched patio overlooking Big River Bay. It offers a rustic California-style menu that sources ingredients from the restaurant’s own culinary garden and surrounding Mendocino countryside. Trillum Cafe is located at 10390 Kasten St., Mendocino 95460. Reservations: www.trilliummendocino.com.
Farm Stand Trail
Info northofordinaryca.com/blog/follow-a-farm-stand-trail-in-northern-california/
As summer produce begins to ripen, the Northern California Farm Stand Trail offers a variety of adventures.
Visit dairy farms, berry farms and farms that allow you to gather your own farm-to-table produce.
Enjoy the convenience of farmer’s markets and roadside stops to gather and taste.
Outstanding in the Field
Info outstandinginthefield.com
Outstanding in the Field brings the kitchen right to the source, setting up a long table in fields, orchards and along the seashores where the meal’s ingredients are harvested. The aim is to reconnect diners to the land while celebrating the farmers who feed the nation.
Fall dates are available in California, including the experience at Malibu Mountain Top at Xanabu Farms on Oct. 27 and the Tuna Harbor Dock in San Diego on Oct. 28.
Unique Eats
Spud Point Crab Company in Bodega Bay is a classic waterfront shack famous for its incredibly thick clam chowder and fresh Dungeness crab sandwiches. Visit at 910 Westshore Road, Bodega Bay 94923, www.spudpointcrabco.com.
The Marshall Store is located on Tomales Bay, 19225 Highway 1, Marshall 94940. For information, visit themarshallstore.com. This is an essential stop for raw and barbecue oysters, clam chowder and smoked salmon. Open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for Shuck Your Own Raw Days, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
