“Did you hear about the seal that walked into the church?”
No, this is not the lead-up to a cringey dad joke. When you’re talking about a dreamy winter day along Tomales Bay — all soft gray and electric green and mustard-flower yellow — this is just the hot goss.
“Yeah, there was a sea lion that somehow swam up the creek and flap-waddled into town and went into the church. It was king tide, I guess,” says Mark Malicki, the chef at Out the Door, a new taco-slinging windowfront in the hamlet of Tomales (population 178 and falling). “The firemen had to come get it out. That’s news in a tiny town!”
The decidedly not tiny-town news is that the sleepy hamlets of Marshall, Point Reyes Station, and Inverness that surround Marin County’s mile-wide inlet have in the past couple of years become stops for big-city-level food far beyond oysters. There are more delicious things to eat than ever, not to mention a new lodge with both a storied past and stylish digs to retire to once you’re done with your hike in Point Reyes National Seashore.
Just be warned: The off-season might allow for glorious peace and quiet, but it also means businesses may be open Friday through Monday only. Make sure to check each website, and plan accordingly.
Where to stay
Lodge at Marconi
There are many reasons to book a room at the Lodge at Marconi, which opened just over a year ago in Marshall. For one, it sits on the stunning 62-acre Marconi State Historic Park, lined with Monterey pines dramatically draped with fluttering lace lichen. With a starting rate of $225 — a deal compared to comparable accommodations — some rooms have decks with views, and some do not. There’s even a beautiful A-frame cabin if you’re willing to drop $1,100. But every guest can witness the sunset reflected on the bay; all you have to do is scramble to the top of the hill above the lodge, and the breathtaking vista is yours to be had.
There’s also the property’s rich — albeit scandalous — history: Built in 1914 as a radio receiving station by Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of the radio, it became the home for the infamous Synanon cult, founded in 1958. Coincidentally, a juicy HBO documentary series about the “alternative lifestyle community” came out at the same time the lodge opened. (For a perfect night in, retire to your room with some of the Cult Crackers the lodge sells, curl up in bed, and stream the doc.)
The 45-room lodge once served as dorms for Synanon members — wood-sided, asymmetrical buildings built in the Third Bay Tradition, an architectural style you’ll recognize if you’ve ever been to Sea Ranch. Chuck Dederich, the founder who lived in what is now Building 3, certainly never had it this good, though: Each tasteful room at the lodge has been decorated with organic, midcentury touches by New York design house Home Studios.
Mable’s, the hotel’s casual restaurant, opened at the end of 2024 and has veered left from the fish-shack menus that abound in the area. Instead, you’ll enjoy craft cocktails and the likes of trendy tinned seafood, sourdough focaccia with cultured butter, a tahini goddess salad, and kofta meatballs. They also have a daily fish stew for two.
Even if you’re not staying at the lodge, the park is open to the public, meaning you are more than welcome to grab oysters from Tomales Bay Oyster Company just down the way and a cold bottle of Albariño from Palace Market in Point Reyes Station, then enjoy your spread at one of the picnic tables. 18500 State Hwy 1, Marshall
Where to eat
Out the Door
Out the Door, which opened over the summer, is part of the expanding empire of Shannon Gregory, who also owns The Marshall Store and Route One Bakery & Kitchen, and whose sister Heidi Gregory is co-owner of the Tomales Bay Oyster Company. But Malicki is the guy cooking. The former chef of the beloved Casino Bar & Grill in Bodega dishes up quirky fusion taco fare in the 200-square-foot space, such as a “tostada” made with 6 ounces of Dungeness crab atop a scallion pancake, and tacos of duck breast, Tokyo turnip, pistachios, and tangerines served on tortillas made with heirloom-corn masa from Masienda. 27005 Hwy 1, Tomales
Route One Bakery & Kitchen
Just across the street from Out the Door, Route One (formerly the Tomales Bakery, until Gregory purchased it in 2020), sells top-notch baguettes, jalapeño-cheddar rounds, and nicely made laminated pastries — all baked by Natalie Rubin, formerly of Petaluma’s Della Fattoria. “She’s amazing,” says Gregory. “People drive from San Francisco just to get her bread.” Time your arrival to 11 a.m., the moment the Roman-style pizza starts coming out of the oven — hot and crispy. A pie topped with oyster mushrooms, garlic confit, and a few dollops of fresh ricotta is exceptional. The only seating is a high-top counter on the covered patio, but the pizza (and space heaters) will keep you plenty warm. 27000 Hwy 1, Tomales
West Marin Culture Shop
When the legendary Cowgirl Creamery closed in 2022 after 25 years, there were big shoes to fill. A year later, Inverness local Maggie Levinger and her husband, Luke Regalbuto, moved their small-batch sauerkraut company, Wild West Ferments, into the space — and made it about much more than kimchi. They now host cooking classes, there’s a cheese shop, and they also sell Shared Cultures miso, excellent chocolate, organic wine, and more things that align with their West Marin low-waste, regenerative ethos. Don’t leave without trying the probiotic soda — it’s citrus season, so look for blood-orange. Add buffalo-milk ice cream and make it a float. 80 Fourth St., Point Reyes Station
Heidrun Meadery
When you see the turn-off for this little spot, don’t keep going just because the word mead conjures-style “Lord of the Rings”-style grog. Heidrun produces modern-day meads — in this case, sparkling wines made from honey rather than grapes — and the best way to try them is with a flight that showcases the distinct differences between each honey varietal, including examples from Nigeria and Chile. The wines are more than palatable — they’re delightful. Equally cool is the fact that they sell honey harvested from around the world. If it’s a nice day, pack a lunch to eat at the meadery’s bucolic grounds. 11925 State Route 1, Point Reyes Station
Saltwater Oyster Depot
For a romantic evening out, grab a seat at the bar of this candlelit restaurant. An order of Parkside levain from Stinson Beach, plus broiled oysters with a butter made from preserved lemon, harissa, and Picholine olives might be enough, alongside a Star Route chicory and anchovy salad. But there are heartier dishes, too, like Akaushi culotte steak au poivre with charred cabbage and leeks. 12781 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Inverness
Inverness Park Market
If you’re on your way to Drake’s Beach to get in on the elephant seal action, stop at Inverness Park Market for a Reuben, made with pastrami that’s brined and smoked in-house, Point Reyes Toma cheese, and sauerkraut on Brickmaiden sourdough rye batard. It’s tasty, toasty sandwich best enjoyed while sitting outside and perusing the amusing “Sheriff’s Calls” section of the Point Reyes Light. (Recent item of note: At 4:25 p.m. in Point Reyes Station, “someone had found a shoulder bag in a garden.”) It’s all a reminder that, yes, despite your fancy sandwich, you are blissfully miles away from San Francisco. 12301 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., Inverness