2 007 BEST F MARIN Mon-Fri 11:45am-11pm; Dinner: Sat. & Sun. 5 to 11pm Private Room for Special Occasions Visit Milano Wine Shop Largest Collection of Italian Wines in Marin 1 Blackfield Dr. Tiburon, Cove Shopping Ctr. 388.8100/389.8051 JASON BENNETT Open for Lunch & Dinner support the local community, giving back in so many ways, including employing lots of local kids. SUN: Name three key components necessary to ensure efďŹ cient takeout service. COMFORTS: Training, training and Justin Kruland more training. of Robert Price Mill Valley Q: Technically, thatâ€™s just one comof Bamboo Peter Schumacher Buckeye of Roadhhouse ponent... Buckeye Roadhhouse A: With 60-plus employees, thereâ€™s no end to the amount of time spent going over all the details and rules. For many young people, it takes twice the Defying convention, the Buckeye Boys insist a stirred martini is superior in that it avoids bruising the ice time for them to retain information and, thus, watering down the drink. These guys are obviously agents from SPECTREâ€Ś 640 Fourth St., San Rafael, 454.5348 like that as they havenâ€™t had many 2ND Belli Deli, San Rafael experiences in life and work. There but we like to adorn this symbol of Califor3RD Strawberry Gourmet, Mill Valley are age differences, cultural and language nia bounty with nothing more distracting differences that also add to the challenge. than oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Q: Which foods arenâ€™t conducive to take-out? The Bayside Cafe A: Fried or crispy-coated entrees. Texture One Kappas Marina, Sausalito, 331.2313 BEST PLACE FOR KIDS TO is limited and refrigeration requirements PARTY AND EAT BIRTHDAY CAKE destroy crusted entrees. Quality is always at risk for everything reheated, but the Hosting a childâ€™s birthday party can be convenience for people in a hurried world among the most stressful tasks a parent canâ€™t be overlooked. THE PARIS CARVER AWARD faces. Two dozen rugrats hopped up on Q: Iâ€™ve had some take-out spaghetti FOR BEST FRENCH RESTAURANT frostingâ€”some of them possibly blindBolognese in the back of my car for folded and armed with baseball batsâ€” about a week. Can I still bring it to my Americans pining to get back to Paris need isnâ€™t exactly a recipe for relaxation. neighborhood progressive dinner this look no further than the Left Bank. With Thatâ€™s where the good people at the weekend? not one, but two master chefs de cuisine Bay Area Discovery Museum come in. A: Pasta dishes, unless theyâ€™re baked, are a at the helm of this lively, warm brasserie, In addition to free museum admission, challengeâ€”so preparing them al dente is a diners get as authentic a French meal as their party planning staff provides cake must. This speaks also for stir-fried dishes. can be found across the pond. It is easy for and refreshments, themed decorations, Q: People love sporks. Do you include Marinites to pretend they are along the plus projects, games and other special acSeine rather than Magnolia Avenue as they sporks with each order? tivities to keep your crew of diminutive A: No, we donâ€™t carry them. We are evolvsup coq a vin or butternut gnocchi with party animals happy and occupied. The ing all our take-out utensils to biodewild mushroom or traditional charcuterie. best part? When itâ€™s all over, you donâ€™t gradable corn-based utensils and, to my Even better, chefs have a commitment to have to clean up. knowledge, there arenâ€™t any biodegradable - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - preparing meals from the seasonal, local sporks available yet. and primarily organic produce grown by loBay Area Discovery Museum -----------------------------cal farmers with whom they keep in close 557 McReynolds Rd., Sausalito, 339.3900 Comforts communication (without denying their 2ND Doodlebug, San Anselmo 335 San Anselmo Avenue, San Anselmo, 454.9840 unabashedly French roots). â€œWe used to 3RD San Rafael Gymnastics, San Rafael 2ND Sol Food, San Rafael import everything,â€? says executive chef and co-proprietor Roland Passot. â€œNow I 3RD Insalataâ€™s Restaurant, San Anselmo have farmers grow speciďŹ c tomatoes.â€? The emphasis, always, is on ďŹ‚avor not ďŹ‚ash. â€œWe believe in simplicity. Weâ€™re not going BEST EXCUSE TO CONSUME VAST to build a tower,â€? he says. BEST ICE-CREAM SANDWICH QUANTITIES OF BLUE CHEESE, - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - (KINDA) BACON AND EGGS Left Bank Although Double Rainbow is best 507 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur, 927.3331 Like every great salad since the birth of known for its luscious array of gourmet 2ND Fork, San Anselmo the crouton, the Cobb was invented in ice creams, this affable cafĂŠ and rendez3RD Chalet Basque, San Rafael Southern California during the Golden vous serves up a menu of soups, salads, Age of Hollywood, when health-conscious baked goods and sandwiches that are movie stars inspired an array of tasty, leafy uniformly impressive. Especially the creations. Bob Cobb, proprietor of the BEST GOURMET TAKE-OUT FOOD sandwiches. Any midnight snacker will Brown Derby, invented the thing himself tell you that the act of creating a sandon a hungry midnight prowl through his wich is a complex discipline requiring an The hungry masses stream into Comforts kitchenâ€™s abundantly stocked icebox, innate sense of balance and a willingness knowing theyâ€™ll be well fed. And with the tossing whatever he could ďŹ nd into a big to push the envelope. The fried oyster wide variety of offerings, thereâ€™s somewooden bowl and dressing it with a simple thing for everyone, say owners Laura and poâ€™ boy and the ahi and wasabi BLT are vinaigrette. The Bayside Cafe honors the two noteworthy successes in this area. Glenn Miwa. A fusion of Asian, Italian Cobbâ€™s bountiful heritage by combining Another is Double Rainbowâ€™s Southand Latin American cuisines, encompassthe traditional chicken, hard-boiled egg, western Chicken Melt, which (like every ing breakfast through dinner, ensures that bacon and blue cheese with avocado, water even the pickiest (as well as the adventurgreat sandwich) offers a lot of satisfaction chestnuts, plum tomatoes, marinated from a relatively small package. Roasted ous) eaters will ďŹ nd something among green beans, purple onion, black olives, red peppers, sautĂŠed onion rings, thick the profusion of everyday and seasonal carrots, bell peppers, garbanzos and kidney dishes to enjoy. The signature Chinese ďŹ llets of tender chicken, sharp cheddar, beans upon a bed of ďŹ eld greens and roChicken Salad remains wildly popular, and mellow Monterey jack, marinated green maine. The warm, freshly grilled chicken chilies and a touch of garlicky aioli are is offered in a â€œliteâ€? as well as vegetarian ďŹ llets interact wonderfully well with the stuffed between two slabs of olive-perversion (see Best Vegetarian Restaurant). silky avocado slices, the pungent crumbled Everything here is made from scratchâ€”no fumed foccacia, then the whole megillah cheese, the smoky bacon and the gardenâ€™s is pressed together in a rustic old grill, basesâ€”using fresh, primarily organic worth of greenery, and the presentation allowing the ingredients to melt together foodstuffs from local purveyorsâ€”Marin itself is a Technicolor-worthy sight to beinto a luscious and unholy mess that is Sun Farms, Marin Organic, etc. Not only hold. A selection of dressings is available, do the Miwas support local farms, they also habit-forming. Itâ€™s a thick, juicy hand< 18 Eat Another Day Jewish dishes. Sheâ€™s translated that same sensibility to Hilaryâ€™s Kitchen & House of Bagels. From tasty soups to loaded knishes to bagels with all manner of spreads, youâ€™ll ďŹ nd no shortage of quality deli cuisine. The space sheâ€™s working with may have changed (and grown) but Ms. Kinslerâ€™s dedication to delicious dishes has not. ----------------------------Hilaryâ€™s Kitchen ++ + Readersâ€™ Poll Readersâ€™ Poll Kid friendly, funky, casual, informal and same day service guaranteed bogiescafemarin.com fromsouptonutscatering.com 48 North San Pedro Rd., San Rafael 492-1530 777 %842%-%0)::! #/- Staff Pick 98B<; FI K8B< E 98B< Â› ?L>< JL9J =I< N8P# EFM8KF &2%% (/53% 3!,!$ with purchase of any 14â€?- 18â€? pizza Not valid with any other offer. Exp. 6/30/07 20 PACIFIC SUN MARCH 23 - MARCH 29, 2007 Staff Pick Readersâ€™ Poll +

Best of Marin 2007