Downtown Mill Valley’s first annual Restaurant Rally is here and ready to rouse the appetites of everyone in and around Marin County.
From Sept. 10 to 17, seven select restaurants in downtown Mill Valley are offering specially crafted multi-course menus with a prix fixe of $55 to $60 per person.
This event celebrates the end of downtown Mill Valley’s rather continuous and cacophonous construction, which has not only made traffic a bit tricky but also affected local establishments in the community and the customers who frequent them.
“We called it the Mill Valley Restaurant Rally because the community is once again coming together, as they did during COVID, to give locals a chance to rally behind their favorite restaurants,” said publisher and editor of the Marin Dish, Kevin Blum. “The other fun component is the golden ticket, a nightly prize … that one restaurant will do each night.”
“I think Mill Valley Restaurant Rally week is a perfect place for a date night—start with a margarita at Playa, a little shopping, then go to a participating restaurant and have an incredible three- or four-course meal, specially designed by the chef,” said Peter Schumacher of Playa, Buckeye Roadhouse and Bungalow 44.
So, to help spread the news of the end of construction and to bolster local restaurants, the first-ever Downtown Mill Valley Restaurant Rally officially invites one and all to take to the (newly revamped) streets for a little bit of lighthearted revelry. Between the rally, the art galleries, the Sweetwater Music Hall and the return of Mill Valley’s free Concerts in the Plaza event on Sept. 9 and 10, guests can expect a hoppin’ happening to kick off the harvest season.
Bungalow 44
This comfortable but chic culinary establishment serves up fresh, powerfully flavored plates bound to leave a lasting impression on even the hardest to impress palate. For the rally, they plan to offer a three-course meal starting with a halibut crudo with aguachile, Fresno chilis, citrus-spiced pistachios and herbs, followed by a second course of either macadamia-crusted mahi-mahi or braised short rib with a foraged mushroom risotto.
Dessert is berries and cream with mascarpone ice cream and berry coulis garnished with toasted meringue crumble and mint. They will also be serving an $8 cocktail special called Made in the Shade.
Coho
For a seasonal fare that celebrates the wealth of ingredients available along the California coast, Coho is a great place to go. Their Mill Valley Restaurant Rally menu offers three courses of an heirloom tomato salad starter with house-made ricotta crostini, arugula and basil oil to garnish. The main dish is petrale sole served alongside green bean almondine, steamed rice and a shiitake brown butter. Dessert concludes the menu with a classic mini apple pie paired with a Chantilly cream.
Gravity Tavern
This eatery is all about elegance. The tables of this sleek tavern are simultaneously timeless but trendy. Their Restaurant Rally menu will cost customers $55 for three courses.
The first course consists of Sonoma County lettuces, Brentwood corn, heirloom cherry tomatoes and a sherry Dijon vinaigrette. This will be followed by a second course that offers a choice between a surf and turf dish of petit Creekstone Farms filet and Maine lobster tail, served with grilled asparagus and béarnaise or an Anson Mills farro dish with gypsy pepper relleno and salsa ranchero. The third and final course, dessert (of course) offers either a classic flourless chocolate cake made with Valrhona chocolate and gold leaf or a lavender cheesecake with candied almonds.
“[The] Restaurant Rally is an awesome and important initiative that we as restaurant owners in Mill Valley are very excited about,” said owner and operator of Gravity Tavern, Lara Truppelli. “…[it’s] a wonderful opportunity for locals and visitors to explore and enjoy the hospitality and love we bring to each guest’s day.”
Paseo Bistro
Paseo Bistro is a restaurant in Mill Valley that serves up elevated versions of California classics. For the rally, the Paseo Bistro menu promises a starter of hamachi tartare followed by a main of either Maine lobster pot au feu or an Akaushi filet mignon with rosemary pomme fondant. Dessert lovers can pick between a no-bake cheesecake or a chocolate hazelnut bar with chocolate mousse to match. The additional $12 cocktail special is called the Maui Wowie Mule and contains Maui rum or vodka, liliko’i foam, ginger beer and lime.
Piazza D’Angelo
This restaurant is where one wants to go for the best taste of Southern Italian cooking this side of the Atlantic. Their Restaurant Rally menu consists of three courses for $55. The first course is a mixed green salad with sungold tomatoes, pickled red onions and a creamy basil dressing, which will be followed by a housemade rigatoni with zucchini three ways. The third course is a dessert of ricotta ice cream topped with candied orange peel, toasted pistachio, shaved dark chocolate and a cracked cannoli shell.
Playa
Playa is the place to go for high-end, contemporary Mexican cuisine paired with classic cocktails and margaritas. For $55, Playa patrons can expect a four-course culinary experience consisting of guacamole with chips and salsa to start, followed by bay scallop aguachile with heirloom cucumber, radish, cilantro and serrano chile. The third course consists of slow-cooked beef birria (or vegetarian) tacos with a three-cheese blend and a consommé for dipping. Dessert is a flan de queso with blueberry compote.
The Rock & Rye
The Sweetwater Music Hall is also joining the Restaurant Rally ranks with The Rock & Rye, the hall’s upscale yet rustic restaurant with dishes to match. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the drinks menu at The Rock & Rye is extensive.
For the rally, The Rock & Rye is serving a starter course option of fried Brussels sprouts or a mixed green salad with a house vinaigrette and queso fresco. The main course offers rock cod a la plancha; pork chop with lima bean, sofrito, spinach, butter, chorizo and chimichurri sauce; or a lima bean stew with sweet potato, pickled red onion, fava bean and more.
Dessert options include a tres leches cake and a chocolate croissant bread pudding with gelato. Optional wine pairings for each course are available for an additional $16. The Sweetwater’s Rock & Rye specialty cocktail will be available for $8.
