The "IP" in Inverness
Yes, you can get amazing food in remote locales
I’ve been a little busy of late. So my apologies for the long lag between reviews.
In my home of Marin County, on the western coast of the Point Reyes Peninsula, about 38 miles northwest of San Francisco there's a tiny little “blink-and-miss-it” hamlet called Inverness.
It’s secluded, picturesque, and blissfully serene with stunning vistas of the ocean, rugged cliffs, and green rolling hills. Founded by Scots in the late 1800s and named after their hometown, it once was home to one of the California’s finest dairies, a post office, candy store, auto garage, warehouse, and a telephone. Yeah, “a telephone.”
Well, doesn’t that look like fun?
Today, about 1,000 mobile-phone-enabled folks call it home – including my friends Mary and Christian. And they told me about a grocery deli in town that I must try simply called “The IP” - short for The Inverness Park Market. I must admit that one of my first thoughts was that living in a remote location might tend to “harmonize down” one’s taste buds. But I was intrigued and I do love a jaunt to the Marin countryside, so off I went with my son Nick.
IP owner Dan Thompson originally bought the deli when it was a regular old Perry’s (a franchised chain) about 35 years ago. But several years back he had a revelation: why serve largely packaged, Sysco-like foods when you’re in one of the finest agricultural locales in the country?
Today, The IP sources its food from local farms, fishmongers, dairies, and food artisans. Being located in Marin, not far from Sonoma, Napa, and Sacramento-proximate ag-communities, owner Dan Thompson has much to choose from and the difference in quality is something you can definitely taste. Some of the vendors:
Cheese and Dairy:
Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co.
Cowgirl Creamery
Straus Dairy
Bivalve Dairy
Marin French Cheese Co
Beer & Wine:
Wild West Ferments
Barrel Brothers Brewing
Russian River Brewing
Henhouse Brewery
Lagunitas Brewery
Pey~Marin Vineyards
Sean Thackrey
Other Foodstuffs:
Tomales Pastures
Nicasio Valley Farm
Star Route Farms
Alchemy Farms
Brickmaiden Breads
Tomales Bay Oyster Company
The Tides Wharf
Part of the IP’s story is also about water use. Inverness doesn’t have a sewer system, so there’s a concerted effort to avoid using anything that must be washed. They use compostable utensils, locals bring their own glasses and mugs, and the bathroom is a porta-potty. They also run on solar.
But let’s get to the food.
Dan has hired experienced, culinary-school-trained chefs. And it’s become a fan-favorite for both locals and the frequent hikers who escape city life to enjoy the beauty of Tomales Bay or Point Reyes. The sandwich recipes are unique, inspired and incredibly well-balanced – what you might expect from chefs. The prices are nice, too. $10-15.
Nick got the IP’s flagship West Marin Reuben and graciously offered me a bite - which elicited an involuntary, somewhat guttural “Goddamn.” The balance between the flavors was mind-blowing and sublime. It’s made from house-brined and smoked Neiman Ranch beef pastrami, sauerkraut and Point Reyes Toma cheese on locally-made sourdough rye batard with house-made Reuben dressing. This, my friends, is the best sandwich in Marin. Period.
I got the Chicken Ranch, which was not quite as good as the Reuben, but equally well-balanced. It featured grilled, marinated chicken with a sun-dried tomato tapenade, herb aioli and lemon vinaigrette on grilled ciabatta. The sun-dried tomato tapenade punched through the din and added a sweet tang that played nicely with the fat of the aioli and chicken. The arugula added a nice, tart finish. It was good, but the reuben was simply better. Thankfully Nick gave me a second bite.
The people who work at the IP are warm. Dan has taken care to hire people who make visitors feel welcome, and it’s a good vibe he’s got going there.
So plan a little day trip and head on up. It gets a little busy at lunch time, so order online and pick up. But do it early because your cell service might not work in certain parts of the drive up here. Big ups to Mary and Christian for the recco. I’m grateful.
On the side:
Buy your Peter Piper’s Pepper Sauce now
We are now (unofficially) taking orders for Peter Piper’s Pepper Sauce. Hand-delivered bottles are $13.95 or $38 for three bottles. I can also mail them to you – shipping is $10. So add that to your order ($23.95 for one, $48 for three). Pay via contribution here and I’ll reach out to you to get your mailing address or schedule a hand-delivery. With a smile.
A sandwich from the mean streets of Mumbai
Apparently, Americans weren’t the only ones baking bread at home during the pandemic. That was happening worldwide. And in India, that new focus on homemade bread led to the creation of a new sandwich that’s taking the world by storm: The Bombay Sandwich. Nurtured on the streets of Mumbai, it’s two slices of white bread slathered with thick mint-coriander chutney and unsalted butter, then filled with sliced boiled potatoes, beets, cucumber, tomatoes, red onions, mozzarella, and several sprinkles of masala every layer of the way. Then grill the whole think on a panini surface with (of course) more butter. They also make a mean buffalo pastrami sando, apparently.
Muffuletta oh yeah
I recently stopped by Sandy’s on Haight Street in San Francisco – a sandwich shop/deli that focuses primarily on Louisiana-style Muffulettas. I will be writing this one up next. Stay tuned.