Tretakoff Musings
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Dining Review: Noonan's Bar & Grill
This week, courtesy of Open Table, I had the chance to try Noonan's Bar & Grill in Larkspur. On the surface, sounds like a typical suburban eatery, but in Marin, things can be a bit different. First, the owner owns several popular brewpubs in the county, including Moylan's and the Marin Brewing Company; neither made a great impression on me, but they are popular among the younger crowd. Second, there's not really much of a singles scene in Marin, but Noonan's seems to have become one of the spots. Despite this, we headed over with trepidation on a Monday night.
The menu is surprisingly upscale for a bar & grill; average entree is $24. And the menu is quite unique. For instance, we started with a Trio of Mini Duck Burgers. Yes, you read that right: imagine three "sliders," but with the best duck meat fashioned into a patty, topped with delicious chutney and an impeccable golden egg bread bun. Yum! And the drink list? WOW. three pages of Vodka choices, four for tequilas, and the list goes on and on. No skimping on the wine or beer, either: this is a SERIOUS drinking establishment. I had a full and great Zin that, while not cheap, was all it was cracked up to be.
Ok, here's the secret for seafood lovers and Noonan's: Monday nights are the time to be there. Why? One simple reason: $24.95 all you can eat oysters. I'm not talking cheap, small oysters here; we're saying Tomales Bay 4-5" oysters per shell. They start you off with a dozen raw on the half shell with two scrumptious sauces. After you've managed to plow through those, here comes the real treat: 24 oysters, 6 of every kind. The best BBQ Oysters I have ever had; Oysters Rockefeller that are to die for; Oysters Casino that were easily one of my new favorites; and the underwhelming Oysters Noonan's, which purported to be a BBQ variant, but were actually tomato sauce. These oysters were on a par with Hog Island Oysters, and the plates kept coming. Remember: Monday night's, it's all you can eat. This is the best Oyster deal, ever.
Amy's Day Boat Scallops were sensational, and the service was friendly without obtrusiveness. Yes, the bill was $80 for the two of us, with drinks, but unlike other Marin dining, this was completely worth it. The best part? As we left the table, one of the waiters smiled kindly at me, and said, "See you next Monday?" Now THAT'S a local restaurant.
Food: 5 Stars
Service: 4.5 Stars
Ambience: 3.5 Stars (it's a bar and grill; dress it up, but it still is)
Overall: 4 stars.
The menu is surprisingly upscale for a bar & grill; average entree is $24. And the menu is quite unique. For instance, we started with a Trio of Mini Duck Burgers. Yes, you read that right: imagine three "sliders," but with the best duck meat fashioned into a patty, topped with delicious chutney and an impeccable golden egg bread bun. Yum! And the drink list? WOW. three pages of Vodka choices, four for tequilas, and the list goes on and on. No skimping on the wine or beer, either: this is a SERIOUS drinking establishment. I had a full and great Zin that, while not cheap, was all it was cracked up to be.
Ok, here's the secret for seafood lovers and Noonan's: Monday nights are the time to be there. Why? One simple reason: $24.95 all you can eat oysters. I'm not talking cheap, small oysters here; we're saying Tomales Bay 4-5" oysters per shell. They start you off with a dozen raw on the half shell with two scrumptious sauces. After you've managed to plow through those, here comes the real treat: 24 oysters, 6 of every kind. The best BBQ Oysters I have ever had; Oysters Rockefeller that are to die for; Oysters Casino that were easily one of my new favorites; and the underwhelming Oysters Noonan's, which purported to be a BBQ variant, but were actually tomato sauce. These oysters were on a par with Hog Island Oysters, and the plates kept coming. Remember: Monday night's, it's all you can eat. This is the best Oyster deal, ever.Amy's Day Boat Scallops were sensational, and the service was friendly without obtrusiveness. Yes, the bill was $80 for the two of us, with drinks, but unlike other Marin dining, this was completely worth it. The best part? As we left the table, one of the waiters smiled kindly at me, and said, "See you next Monday?" Now THAT'S a local restaurant.
Food: 5 Stars
Service: 4.5 Stars
Ambience: 3.5 Stars (it's a bar and grill; dress it up, but it still is)
Overall: 4 stars.
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