Mali departs Nick’s Cove

Nick's Cove loses chef


Chef Adam Mali has left Nick’s Cove in Point Reyes seafood house for a new gig at MarketBar in San Francisco’s Ferry Building. After weathering several years at the remote location, a rather mean-spirited review by the Chron’s Michael Bauer (which was pulled from the paper), and the mounting debt of owner Pat Kuleto, Mali is seeking greener pastures.

The restaurant struggled since it’s inception, with investors spending millions on renovations and a winding road of permits and regulations before it even opened. The restaurant paid homage to some of the headaches by listing a Red Legged Frog with mounds of sticky red tape for $2 million dollars on the menu — a reference one of the endangered species found on the property that required environmental mitigation. Kuleto sold the property in February 2011.

Mali was a recent regional winner of Lamb Jam 2011, Bay Area cooking competition and will compete in New York City in September.