5 Restaurants Around Mill Valley Film Festival That Take ‘Dinner & a Movie’ to the Next Level
The Mill Valley Film Festival is one of our northerly neighbor’s most exciting cinematic events, drawing bigger and bigger names each year. This time around, the festival is happening on October 5-15th and promising indie queen Greta Gerwig, a Sean Penn tribute and much more. And the list of festivities is making us hungry. Luckily, the Marin County restaurant scene is growing rich too, with talented chefs flocking to the area and hip eateries opening faster than A Noah
Luckily, the Marin County restaurant scene is growing right alongside this film fest, with talented chefs flocking to the area and hip eateries opening faster than A Noah Baumbach-written dialogue. Fancy a meal before or after the movie? Here are your 5 best bets for new and intriguing dining experiences in Mill Valley and around.
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El Paseo
While El Paseo itself isn’t new at all (in fact, it’s one of Mill Valley’s oldest restaurants), its recent acquisition is; chef Todd Shoberg, who previously turned eaters giddy at Molina, another Mill Valley establishment. With Shoberg’s arrival, the historic space received an injection of coolness and flavor, with dishes like cast iron broccolini with pork belly and bone-in pork chop with figs shining on the menu.
17 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley
Madcap
Chef Ron Seigel had cooked in many San Francisco establishments, but he lives in Marin, and this is where his new restaurant attracts gourmet lovers these days. Mixing Californian and Japanese influences, Seigel brings to life beautiful and thoughtful dishes, while creating an atmosphere that’s classy but not stuffy. Perfect for post-screening discussions in good company.
198 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo https://www.instagram.com/p/BXbczyqDAgV/?hl=en&taken-at=1832444100406373 Tamal Not too far from Mill Valley, Fairfax charms visitors with an old school hippy vibe, while offering plenty of hip dining options for vegans and their friends. The town’s newest establishment Tamal, successfully combines mezcal and tequila flights with less obvious Mexican dishes like molletes, with corn masa, housemade chorizo, potato and salsa, and mushroom-enriched chile relleno.23 Broadway Blvd, Fairfax
Playa
This new and ambitious project in downtown Mill Valley aims to bring together all ages and tastes by providing an easygoing, fun concept within a trendy interior. On the menu, you’ll find all the usual suspects: empanadas, fried calamari and cocktails strong enough to bring out the movie critic in anyone.
41 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley
The Whisk + Skillet
Across the highway from downtown Mill Valley, Strawberry Village Shopping Center is a favorite local shopping destination. As of last September, it has a great new dining spot, too, in the form of Whisk + Skillet, a breakfast and lunch eatery ideal for a pre-screening fuel up. You can’t go wrong with a brioche French toast, a fluffy omelette and an extra large latte to keep you awake during that new Norwegian flick.
