A bit of old-school restaurant grandeur ­— yes, the seats are comfortable no matter your table, and yes, the tables are draped in heavy white linen — paired with executive chef Benjamin Balesteri’s modern Italian cuisine is a fine combination. Dungeness crab amplified with the herbaceous crunch of purslane and house-made burrata. Fresh tortellini stuffed with short rib ragu. Big eye tuna with white truffles (shaved tableside) and a petite quail egg.  And don’t miss the house negroni at the bustling bar.

This former hunting lodge with a cozy bar and a stirred, never-shaken Manhattan has gemütlichkeit in spades. Diffused light from horn-shaped chandeliers and a kindled fire in the hearth reflects off burnished wood panels. Chef Robert Price stamps the time-honored American menu with an updated, seasonal style. Start with Oysters Bingo and smoked chicken wings, then choose a meaty protein (braised lamb shank or barbecued baby back ribs perhaps), before finishing off an epic meal with a slice of s’more pie, a.k.a. Marin’s favorite dessert.

Traditional Japanese and Pacific cuisine has been at the heart of the Marin dining scene since Okinawa transplant Yoshi Tome opened his restaurant in 1987. The Michelin Bib Gourmand designee hardly needs publicity – the restaurant regularly wins awards and is considered a premier Japanese restaurant in the United States. The commitment to serving fish caught in season – for example, inada or yellowtail that’s less than one year old soon gives way to winter’s kan buri or yellowtail from Kona – plus delicate, cooked dinner specials have solidified its inimitable stature.

A day at Stinson Beach is just not the same without soft serve from the takeout window at this restaurant across a small bridge over the creek near the beach. Garden picnic tables for full-service eating are shaded from sun and wind, the chilled seafood platter comes with caviar and gougeres, and the burger arrives on a brioche bun topped with Point Reyes blue cheese. Life is good.

In Marin, “la comida criolla,” the food of Puerto Rico, is synonymous with Sol Hernandez, who holds down the fort at the San Rafael and equally popular Mill Valley restaurants. Don’t be surprised by the lines at both locations (they move fast) and queue up for mofongo and shrimp or pork chops and pickled pink onions. All combination plates are served with rice, beans, and fried green plantains with addictive garlic sauce. But be sure to add a splash of the house-made pique sauce, for an extra hit of spice. 

Bao steamed bun “tacos’” and BBQ pork garlic noodles are just a few of the big flavors of Burmese-Asian fusion that, despite a recent move to a larger location with plentiful outdoor seating, keep this joint jumping. The meatless tea leaf salad is a must-try and the vegetarian curry samosas are so popular they often sell out before the dinner rush is over. There’s Singha Thai lager on tap, too.

This restaurant’s Cal-Italian menu is beloved by locals who favor the precision and freshness of kampachi crudo with finger lime and micro cilantro or hand-line caught ahi tuna with fresh wasabi and sticky rice cakes. Order the risotto when you sit down — it is a must — and sort out the veggie-protein balance after a gander at the day’s offerings. Feathery gnocchi with Perigord truffle butter is house-made, just like everything else, and makes a fair partner with little gem salad gussied up with tahini and za’atar-draped roasted cauliflower.

It’s hard to choose just one oyster house from the many that cling to the shore of Tomales Bay but we’re going with Hog. Dining at the Boat Oyster Bar is just about as Marin as it gets, the sun warming your back as you slurp down bivalves and an oyster stout beer at a picnic table. Make sure your hat has a stampede string fastened tight under your chin or be prepared to brave the waters to retrieve it when the fog breeze kicks up.

Chef Heidi Krahling’s long-running restaurant Insalata’s earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation these past 10 years, adding starry heft to the local chatter. The menu skews Mediterranean with Moroccan lamb kefta equally at home as squid ink pappardelle and carrot-almond muhammara. Bright yellow walls are hung with still-life paintings of pomegranates, lemons, and other edibles crafted by local artist Laura Parker. One taste of the Tidefall cocktail, featuring Marin-made vodka and Italian-made Campari, and you will understand the hype.

Marin is beloved for its oysters but another dish, Chinese chicken salad, similarly helps define the cuisine scene. On the menu since Comforts opened in 1986, with the recipe credited to owner Glenn Miwa’s mom, Comforts’s salad is Marin’s ultimate comfort food. Equal parts sit down café and takeout counter, the restaurant balances Asian and Western flavors (think panko-crusted tacos, and salmon with farro, cranberries, and squash) that prove irresistible to the community.

A relative newcomer to the Marin dining scene, this tiny storefront from Betzy Decker serves tacos de buche and tacos de cabeza alongside the more familiar al pastor and carne asada.  Savor the texture of fresh ground blue corn on picaditas topped with fried beans and queso fresco. Or one of the eight variations of pupusa, including three vegetarian options. There’s even a veggie version of quesabirria (with potatoes) and a family-size version, for those days when more is more.

Baker Celine Underwood’s passion for sourdough helped kick Marin’s bread renaissance into high gear. Wood-fired, naturally fermented, and often whole grain, the breads are an expression of West Marin’s flavors. Baguettes and espresso drinks with made-in-house syrups are hot sellers best enjoyed in the cute patio garden. Breads sell out quickly and some, such as the Khorasan miche, are only available on Saturdays or specific days of the week.

Though many come for the daily chirashi lunch, chef Taka’s 12-course omakase menu at dinner on Tuesday makes it a hot reservation. A5 Wagyu from Oita Prefecture, zuke chu toro from Tsukiji, or local petrale sole in a soy braise may grace the menu. A full menu of sushi classics like zuke sake and hon maguro as well as a few appetizers and miso ramen round things out. A new patio offers outdoor seating, too.