Larkspur used to be a tranquil little town, notable primarily for its redwood canyon, bike path lined with blackberry brambles and a couple of saloons. But each year seems to bring another new and notable restaurant to Magnolia Avenue and its few commercial cross streets. There are now so many tempting places to eat breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner that I looked in my yellow pages to see if any bed and breakfast inns are listed. There aren't, but I'll bet there soon will be. The peaceful bedroom community is beginning to feel like a vacation destination for gourmands. Ward Street Café opened 11 months ago for breakfast and lunch, but since July, chef/owner Fernando Plazola has been serving dinner. Plazola, who worked with Wolfgang Puck at Postrio as sous chef for a couple of years, wanted to open a small place with a selection of seasonal dishes influenced by international cuisines. His brief menu of three salads, seven small plates and four entrées (plus a few nightly specials) covers a lot of territory, especially since each arriving dish is crafted with individual care.
The wine list is even more abbreviated. Two whites and four reds are served either by the bottle or glass; one additional red is only available by the bottle. Prices top out at $39 for Bridlewood Syrah 2001 from the Central Coast. Notably missing are a sparkling wine and a pinot noir, but I suspect the wine list is still evolving.
This simplicity is refreshing and relaxing, especially on a quiet, late summer night, when his intimate dining room hums with calm activity.
The space, which in the past housed a tea room, has always had a homey appeal. Plazola has deconstructed the more feminine touches, painted the walls in subdued shades of brown and wheat, and created a corner lounge with black leather couches and subtle lighting from wall sconces. There are what look to be acoustical tiles on the ceiling, which I always appreciate, especially since most designers won't consider them.
With its hardwood floors lined by a bright Asian runner at the entryway, its wall of geometric, white-painted shelves, and its candlelit wooden tables and chairs, the room feels like a pared down, modern living and dining room. From the front tables, the view of Ward Street is serene. There's a table on the street, too, and an L-shaped nook with a few more private ones to the rear. Out back there's a secret hideout: an utterly charming garden patio, perfect for quiet conversations on warm evenings.
From the starters, arugula salad with shaved fennel, goat cheese, Cara Cara oranges and honey champagne vinaigrette ($8.50) sounded, and was, perfect. An ample portion of chilled, spicy greens entangled with translucently thin slices of fennel and judiciously tossed in a slightly sweet dressing, came mounded on a white porcelain plate, surrounded by orange slices and topped with creamy chvre. It was at once light and substantial. My companion opted for a seasonal special: an appetizer salad of three grilled figs ($8), each stuffed with a nubbin of goat cheese and wrapped with crisped prosciutto, served around a froth of frisée bound in the same vinaigrette, with dabs of balsamic reduction scattered around the plate. The interplay of sweet and salty flavors with soft and chewy textures was delightful fun.
I asked for a glass of 2003 Yorkville Rennie Vineyard Merlot ($9), primarily because it was made with organic grapes. Merlot has gotten a lot of bad press since the film Sideways maligned it so, but I enjoyed my generous pour of dark, silky wine. I had nearly finished it when my entrée arrived. Apparently scandalized by the idea of my eating lamb without wine, Chef Plazola darted out of the kitchen and poured me another nearly full glass gratis. This level of personal attention really sets Ward Street Café apart. The aforementioned entrée was an entire rack of free-range lamb ($25), crusted with pepper, marinated in fresh herbs and grilled just a touch too rare for my taste. It was late and I was too tired to send it back. But the serving was so large that even after I donated two chops to my companion, I had three to take home. Just heating them up the next day in my toaster oven cooked them to perfection.
The original serving included grilled asparagus tips and a luscious square of perhaps the most exquisite potato leek gratin I've ever tasted, bathed in reduced cream and topped with Parmesan cheese. The chef kindly told me how he makes them. If you go, he might tell you, too.
Our second entrée was a special of black cod ($23), stuffed with crabmeat and wrapped in softened rice paper before being pan seared to a golden crispness. Baby vegetables and three crisp house-made potato chips filled with celeriac remoulade completed the pretty platter. I wished for a more piquant, perhaps lemony sauce to accent the fish, but it was still a very creative rendering. A serviceable glass of 2003 Mirassou Central Coast Chardonnay ($7) completed the picture.
The dessert selection is minimalist as well. Of three options, we chose a cinnamon flan with lemon twist, and a Chambord panna cotta ($6 each). Both were small, but packed some punch. The flan was dense, and at first bite I thought it too sweet, and its lemony syrup even sweeter. But by the last, I was finding the explosion of spice, sugar and lemon in each mouthful quite pleasant. This may have been in contrast to the much more subtle and less-sweet panna cotta, which was a tad too rubbery, but cool and gently scented with raspberry essence. The third dessert, which we didn't try, was a flourless chocolate cake.
I'd like to see the word about Ward Street Café get around. On a recent evening I cruised by it, and then drove south on Magnolia Avenue. Ward Street was quiet, while the popular, noisy place around the corner was mobbed. I like the place around the corner, but I don't go there because it's just too noisy. I'd rather give those acoustical tiles a test drive, when the room is full.
