When Bobby's Fo'c's'le Cafe went up in a burst of flames a year-and-a-half ago, many thought the East San Rafael favorite was destined to smolder forever in our gustatory memories. Located for 16 years off Marin's beaten path out at the Loch Lomond Marina, Bobby's was the quintessential neighborhood restaurantÑloved by locals, somewhat unknown to the rest of the county. But land ho, Bobby's Cafe rose from the ashes about a year ago at the western end of Fourth Street in San Rafael. And while that five-mile shift may as well be to Timbuktu as far as a lot of the Loch Lomond seadogs are concerned, the new Bobby's seems to be establishing itself as a neighborhood favorite all over again.
The cafe has emerged with its seafaring theme intactÑless nautical and more island-y, with sand-orange walls, bamboo-lined chairs and colossal plants looming from on high. The dining area is a modest space and, wisely, the pan-Pacific touches are rendered with a matching modesty. When the Pacific Sun editorial staff visited one Friday lunchtime, business was steady but we didn't have to wait and nabbed the sweet seats by the street-side window. Bobby's specializes in classic American suburban fareÑbig breakfasts, lotsa sandwiches and burgers and salads. There's even meatloaf and chicken-fried steak on the rotating dinner menu to put any comfort-food doubters at ease.
Bobby's is known for a fish 'n' chips that nearly matches its English pub counterparts (an extreme rarity in these parts, $11.95). On our recent visit we were knocked out by the beer-battered onion rings (perfectly cooked on the inside, $3.50/$6.50), impressed by the black-and-bleu burger (a deliciously charred half-pound house special that didn't skimp on the bleu, $9.95), lukewarm on a bland-but-serviceable turkey melt ($9.95) and thought May's Fiesta Chicken Salad ($9.95) more a polite social gathering than a full-blown party. The sides were first-rateÑmore fries than one man could handle and a coleslaw that made our more nostalgic lunch partner compare it to the slaws "the neighborhood moms made when I was growing up."
Bobby's has dropped the "fo'c's'le"Ña nautical term for the upper deck of a shipÑfrom its name. It's a move symbolic of its new digs (and a gift to spell-check-dependent restaurant critics), after satiating the old salts for over a decade before the flames forced owners Helen and Bobby Boyett to abandon the Loch Lomond ship.
And that's a fair-weather move for the landlocked stomachs of downtown San Rafael.
