I’ve heard enough about the un-pub grub menu magic spun up at the unassuming old-time Casino Bar & Grill in Bodega to know that I’m not the only one who gets a thrill from finding inspired cuisine in unexpected places. The West Marin opening three weeks ago of takeout spot Out the Door in Tomales by local resident Shannon Gregory gives renowned chef Mark Malicki, who was at the Casino for 13 years, his next opportunity to shine in cozy kitchen quarters. Gregory was feeling despondent about the loss of two prominent eateries in the small village at the crossroads gateway to Dillon Beach: William Tell House’s restaurant closed a few years ago followed by K&A Take Away late last year that he decided to revive with Out the Door.
“I like Tomales a lot and want it to be successful as a tourist destination,” says Gregory about the tight-knit coastal community where he has operated Route One Bakery & Kitchen since 2020 and that’s 8 miles up the road from his waterfront seafood and sandwich restaurant, the Marshall Store. Initially, Gregory was going to do a Marshall Store spinoff to service beachgoers but decided on the versatile taco. He’s found a good match with Malicki, who lives in Petaluma and has a way of turning low-key locations into popular food destinations.
“He’s retired, but he just keeps on cooking,” says Gregory about Malicki, whose deep, multi-decade culinary background spans from fine-dining kitchens in New York City to the private wooded acreage o.
