Poggio’s chef turns to fishing skills to offer take-out ocean meals – Marin Independent Journal

When his 12-hour day in the kitchen diminished enough to keep the morning hours free, avid fisherman and Poggio’s executive chef, Benjamin Balesteri, knew how to fill them. The 17-year-old Sausalito restaurant has halted lunch service for now, giving the chef plenty of time to hit the bay a few days a week to complete the restaurant’s classic Italian dinner menu with the most. fresh halibut, rock cod and ling cod. .

“I’ve fished and searched for ingredients all my life,” says the native of the Salinas Valley. “My mother came from a farming family and my father was a descendant of Sicilian fishermen, so my culture has always been land and water at the table.”

Balesteri got his commercial fishing license before the restaurant’s transition to take-out due to a pandemic, and now you’ll see his new catch appear on the menu the next day. More recently he grabbed ling cod and served it with braised butter beans, snow and English peas, asparagus, infused olive oil, candied lemon and capers. .

The fisherman has become a strong supporter of the Ikijimie method, a specific set of steps to kill fish that are more human and preserve flesh better to improve texture and flavor. He found that this sustainable process “makes a 100% difference in quality. “

As for holding the Michelin Bib Gourmand 2019 restaurant these days, Balesteri says it’s an unfortunate new reality.

“I don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel for us yet, but we’re doing our best to stay open to the community,” he says.

Poggio, at 777 Bridgeway, is open from 6.30am to 11.30am daily for coffee and pastries and from 4pm to 8pm on weekdays and 2pm to 8pm on weekends for dinner. Find the menu and the wine list at -50% on poggiotrattoria.com and order takeout by calling 415-332-7771 or having it delivered via Grubhub.

Dine11 is gaining momentum

Six Marin volunteers led by Jennifer Lefferts, of San Anselmo, quickly took action to adopt a Marin offshoot of the successful Los Angeles-born fundraising model, Dine11.

Dine11 Marin’s mission is to “feed healthcare workers at medical facilities in Marin, support local restaurants that have had to restrict their operations to take-out services, and unite the Marin community to help during the COVID crisis. -19 ”. Several Marin-based retirement homes have been added to the expanding network of care communities benefitting from the generosity of Marin donors. Dine11 Canal provides meals at Canal restaurant in El Palmar, Los Palillos, El Lucerito, Lotus Cuisine of India and Luna de Xelaju to immigrants in need.

By the end of this month, the new nonprofit will have delivered 1,745 meals to local hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, with $ 25,000 in tax-deductible donations. Every dollar funds meals purchased from a network of partner restaurants based in Marin that provide meals – Cucina, Buckeye Roadhouse, Burmatown, Gott’s, Hummingbird, Iron Springs, Juice Girl, La Toscana, Magnolia Park Kitchen, Parranga Taqueria, Perry’s Delicatessen, Playa, the Hub, the Lodge, Uchiwa Ramen, Village Pizzeria and World Wrapps.

“Overnight we had to turn to take out with curbside pickup and delivery options,” says Donna Seymour of Cucina Restaurant in San Anselmo. “For the good of our community and our staff, our priority is to keep going so that we can all survive this crisis. We love organizations like Dine11 Marin and the ability to cook delicious meals for people working on the front lines. “

Dr Kristen Matsik, obstetrician and gynecologist at MarinHealth Medical Center, says, “The anxiety and stress in our healthcare workers cannot be overstated. Having a delicious meal delivered during your shift is a very welcome relief and morale booster.

To find out more, donate, volunteer or add your hospital or restaurant to the list on Dine11Marin.org, charity.gofundme.com / dine11marin Where dine11marin.org/dine11-canal.

Do you have coffee?

In less than two years, Addictive Coffee Roasters, based in San Rafael, has grown from a garage in Terra Linda to an aircraft hangar in San Rafael to become the star cafe in the offices of companies like Facebook, LinkedIn, Fitbit. , Electronic Arts Inc., Oracle and more, and locally at Andy’s Local Markets, Libations Tasting Room, Marinwood Market, Mill Valley Market, and Pond Farm Brewing Co.

With the recent office and restaurant closures, General Manager Mike Ralls is once again focusing on direct to consumer and retail sales, giving us the ability to order the 100% Arabica specialty coffees directly from the website. Learn more about why it’s so addicting and place orders at addictivecoffee.com. Residents of Le Marin can benefit from reductions, including three bags for the price of two (MARIN241); 20% discount on orders over $ 20 (MARIN20); and free delivery until the end of May.

Roadside arrangements

The Servino restaurant in downtown Tiburon has transformed its Italian menu into take-out, but has also become a neighborhood Italian market with a curbside pickup of fresh homemade pasta, sauces, and storage items. food, essential cleaning supplies, wine, liquors in small batches and even a 27-pound box of vegetables. You can also order children’s pizza kits and a Sunday family dinner. The restaurant is at 9 Main Street. Call 415-435-2676 or go to servino.com.

The Caffe Acri de Tiburon has reopened and in addition to offering its regular dishes (coffee, espresso, produce, baked goods, soup, sandwiches and beer), it is a corner market source for the pantry. and baking supplies, including the hard-to-find items like baking powder, flour, and toilet paper. All items can be ordered online and picked up within 30 minutes between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily. It’s at 1 Main Street. Call 415-435-8515 or go to caffeacri.com.

Both restaurants feed local frontline workers in partnership with Frontline Foods. Find out more or make a donation on frontlinefoods.org.

Virtual learning

Finding that it’s finally time to learn how to ferment almost anything? Karin Diggs, of Kraut Source, offers a free live fermentation class at 6 p.m. Thursday on Facebook at @DriversMarket. The expert will teach how to turn vegetables, nuts, and mushrooms into superfoods using traditional techniques and modern tools, and demonstrate basic kraut-making techniques. It will also cover the health benefits of fermented foods and how to incorporate them into your diet.

Participants are encouraged to have a Kraut Source device (a smart stainless steel gadget that fits over a mason jar) to make ferments at home. Learn more and register on driversmarket.com.

More take out

Find a complete and regularly updated list of Marin restaurants offering take-out and delivery meals on the trendy bar on the Marin IJ website. If you’d like to be added, tweet with the hashtag #MarinFood or email me.

Leanne Battelle is a freelance food writer. Please email him at ij.lbattelle@gmail.com or follow Le Marin’s culinary scene at instagram.com/therealdealmarin.