Last weekend, while accompanying a friend of mine to an investor dinner, I got the first press-person peek at restaurateur/winemaker Pat Kuleto’s new inn and restaurant, Nick’s Cove & Cottages, which is located on Tomales Bay–a magical, rural, and relatively remote part of the coast of Northern California’s Marin County.

Slated to open in the beginning of July, the low-key luxury retreat is actually far from “new.” Instead it’s a thoughtful restoration of cozy little 1930s bungalows perched on pilings or land above the lapping waters of Tomales Bay. No surprise the job was done right. Kuleto is known for going the design distance with his restaurants Boulevard, Farallon, and Jardinière in San Francisco and Martini House in Napa Valley.

Before the thank-you dinner for the folks who forked over millions to make the transformation happen, we toured the small cabins, some of which were finished with contextually appropriate furnishings (think country beach chic, lots of pillows on the beds, and distressed deck railings) and others that were still just sheetrock and promise.

With the bay outside the windows and warm intimate environs within, it’s quite the romantic getaway, provided $280-$975-per-night rates don’t put you out of the mood.

With glasses of Michael Mondavi’s I’M chardonnay in hand, we strolled (or rather raced to beat the wind chill) to the end of the pier, which Isabel Mondavi, Michael Mondavi’s wife of 41 years, declared was a good place to kiss. (Apparently she and her hubby tested it out–go, girl!) I’m betting it’ll become a wedding favorite.

Dinner in the revamped dining room, long famed for casual feasts on fresh and fried oysters and the like, was a relaxed affair where the water, wooden walls, and animal heads on plaques were the backdrop and the fare didn’t stray from the new menu overseen by Mark Franz of San Francisco’s Farallon restaurant. (Expect farm-fresh soups, salads, and sandwiches, lots of oysters, comfort classics like steak and roasted chicken, fresh fish, fish and chips, a full bar, and impressive wine list.)
When Pat toasted his investors he told them that he very much hoped that they approved of the results and would come often to do what seems most appropriate at a remote, sexy, secluded spot that offers room and concierge service: disappear for two days straight with someone you fancy. Amen to that.

–Erika Lenkert

Technorati Tags: travel, northern california coast, nick’s cove

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