Point Reyes Station

When most folks think of Point Reyes, they think of the amazing beaches, hiking and the natural splendour of the Northern California coast. These are without a doubt great destinations and when I was here this weekend with my mom I indulged her love of lighthouses by taking her to see the one along the coast. I totally get the fascination with them--love to imagine what the life of a lighthouse keeper must have been like.

But for me, the real attraction to Point Reyes Station was Stellina, an Italian restaurant that has been listed in the Top 100 Bay Area restaurants by the SF Chronicle. Point Reyes Station is actually a quaint little town that takes advantage of its location along Highway 1. It is one of those places that you just have to stop by and check out--the kind of place where it is a joy to spend a morning just walking around a bit.

Osteria Stellina serves what its creator calls Point Reyes Italian, which I guess means that its Italian dishes are created from locally sourced foods. In that sense it is very much in the Alice Waters tradition of using local flavors and seasonal foods to design their culinary masterpieces. I had the steelhead salmon and the moms had the lemon chicken. We both loved it.

There were several other restaurants that we might have gone to as well, though I doubt any of them are much of a match for the Osteria Stellina. Here is a little sampling: Cafe Reyes (a Mexican place), Station House Cafe, and Pine Cone Diner. There was also a saloon, a bookstore, a flower shop and a saddle shop for the equestrian types who want to go horseback riding in the hills.

I don’t know if I would want to live in a little town like this but I can see the appeal of coming here for dinner.