Of all the Bay Area restaurants that The New York Times could have added to its recent “Top 50 Restaurants in America” list, The Marshall Store seems about the least likely.
The small, yellow seafood shack perched over the Tomales Bay is a locals-only kind of place for barbecued oysters that’s long been a tourist drive-by on the way to the more popular Hog Island Oyster Co. just north of the town of Marshall.
But what The Marshall Store lacks in polish, it makes up in just-harvested oysters that are served either raw on the half shell or barbecued with garlic butter, Worcestershire sauce, bacon and parsley. Whichever way they’re prepared, the oysters apparently are memorable enough to land this seafood pit stop on the Times’ list of the “most vibrant and delicious restaurants in 2021.”
These restaurants, according to the Times, “reflect the rich mosaic of American dining.” And, for many locals, what truly makes Northern California dining special is just the kind of unassuming dining spots like The Marshall Store. Owned by locals and serving the freshest harvest with integrity and flavor — and without pretense — it’s a worthy winner of the title.
Find out more about the top 50 restaurants at nytimes.com/interactive/2021/dining/favorite-restaurant-list-america.html.
