Continuing with my series on the history of the cottages at Nick’s Cove, this week I will tell you about Bandit’s Bungalow.

Bandit’s Bungalow is one of the original cottages on the waterfront and was remodeled in the early 2000’s before Nick’s Cove reopened in 2007. It gets its name from the movie “Bandits”, a Hollywood bank robber film. Directed by Barry Levinson and starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett, Bandits was filmed at Nick’s Cove and in the nearby town of Tomales. The film is definitely a Nick’s Cove Crew favorite!

Bandit’s Bungalow and Joker’s Shed (the second bedroom) is one of two, 2-bedroom waterfront cottages, which makes it a great option for a large family, two couples, or a get-away with girlfriends. There are two bathrooms and each boasts its own deep-soaking tub. The front bedroom has my favorite feature: a large window right next to the bed that overlooks the bay, so that you get a beautiful view right when you wake up! And, of course, just like all of our waterfront cottages, Bandit’s Bungalow has a large deck overlooking the pristine waters of Tomales Bay.

On your next stay in Bandit’s Bungalow, be sure to borrow the movie Bandits from our DVD library to watch on your in-room plasma TV.

Until next time…

Alyssum

Nick’s Cove is closer than you think; however, getting here involves a series of twists and turns on historic Highway 1, complete with breathtaking views of the coast and Tomales Bay. I say “however” because with that view and those turns come distraction. There have been several auto collisions along this stretch of Highway 1 and beyond and so I say this to all of you who will be making this stunning drive out to spend time with us: Drive safely. Be aware of your surroundings. Always have a designated driver. Watch for deer. Watch out for cyclists and cyclists, watch out for cars. Watch your speed (those turns are tight and there might be a cyclist in the middle of that turn!). Above all else, take your time, enjoy the ride and be safe so that you can return to this little slice of heaven and continue to build lasting memories at Nick’s Cove.

Cheers!

The glory days for the cocktail were between the late 1800’s and prohibition. This is when the martini became popular and when many of the classic gin cocktails were invented. Back then, gin was the number one clear spirit in America; only whiskey was higher in consumption. When Prohibition began in 1919, bootleggers made “bathtub gin”. After prohibition ended, gin had a decline and once vodka was introduced to the states, it readily became the new “cool” spirit. Everyone was drinking it in Hollywood, from The Rat Pack to James Bond. Vodka passed gin in popularity just as cocktail culture started to decline.

Now that cocktail culture is back, so is gin! It has been rediscovered by bartenders who, like me, appreciate how well it mixes and how well it brings out the flavors in your cocktails. But I often still come across holdouts who are not convinced of gin’s freshness and versatility. I always encourage them to try different gin cocktails to find what they like; whether it is a negroni, Tom Collins, or gin and tonic. There are hundreds of botanicals that can be used to make gin, and every gin has its own recipe which brings out different flavors and aromas in your cocktail.

What I think people don’t understand is that gin is the quintessential spirit for making cocktails. It’s not made to drink on its own, like cognac or tequila, and that’s why it’s the base for more classic cocktails than any other spirit. By mixing or shaking a drink made with gin you make all the botanicals come to life in a way that they wouldn’t if you simply had it alone. Gin works well with everything. Whether it’s citrus, berries, herbs, spices, flavored syrups, shrubs, bitters, the list goes on and on.

Here are a couple of my favorite gins that you should get your hands on: St. George terroir gin is made in Alameda and has strong flavors of douglas fir, sage and fennel. Uncle Val’s botanical gin comes from Sonoma, California and is extremely floral and fresh with notes of lavender, violet, verbena and citrus. If you want more of a classic gin flavor, like pine needle that comes from the juniper berries, try San Francisco’s Junipero gin. Hendricks gin (our GM’s favorite) is a very popular soft, smooth gin made with cucumber and rose petals. The key to finding the right gin for you, is paying attention to the list of botanicals they used to make it … that, and tasting as many gins as you possibly can!

I have put together a gin selection that I’m very proud of … come try one of our specialty cocktails made with gin or ask your bartender to create something just for you!

Cheers!

Danny

 This is the first in a series of posts about the history of our cottages. To start, I chose the first two waterfront cottages, “Al’s” and “Ruthie’s” which are named after the second owners of Nick’s Cove: Al and Ruth Gibson.

The Gibsons purchased Nick’s Cove in 1973 and although they operated the business mostly the same as it had been for the first 40 years, the couple did make a few changes: they remodeled the restaurant to give it a more nautical theme and they began renting the cottages on a nightly basis rather than month-to-month as had been the practice of the original owners. 

After Al passed away, Ruthie continued to operate the business on her own and encouraged her friends and family to come live with her and help her run the property.  It was even said that, for a time, while she was alone, she occupied a different cottage each night in an effort to thwart off crime.  Ruthie continued to operate the restaurant into the 1990’s; however, started shortening the restaurant hours more and more until it eventually closed.  The cottages remained available for lodging until 1999 when an upgrade to the septic system proved too costly and she sold the property and the business to Pat Kuleto and Mark Franz.

Ruthie’s Cottage is ADA compliant and both are pet friendly. Like all of our waterfront cottages, they boast large decks that overlook Tomales Bay.   Each cottage is furnished with a king bed and a pull out sleeper sofa.

Cheers!

Alyssum

On an overcast afternoon a few members of the Nick’s Cove Crew and I had the opportunity to experience Tomales Bay … on Tomales! The four of us boarded a sweet 32′ catamaran, ready and waiting with a gorgeous platter of locally produced artisan cheeses and a small glass of bubbles to toast our new partnership with Captain Brett  Miller and Tomales Bay Sailing. What better way to describe to our guests what they can expect on one of Brett’s tours than to experience it ourselves?

We sailed for about an hour; we saw oyster beds, the east side of Hog Island, While Gulch, Marshall Beach and a few seals swimming playfully next to us. Having grown up in West Marin, Brett brings a wealth of knowledge of the Tomales Bay area and his twenty-plus-year-long passion for sailing.

If you are looking for something fun to do on your next trip to Nick’s Cove, call our lodging office to reserve a spot on Brett’s boat … you will have an amazing experience on Tomales Bay!

Enjoy!

Many of you have heard that we hired a farmer and have begun the (huge) task of giving our once-forgotten garden on the hill a beautiful face-lift, complete with a new name: Frog Creek Farms.

With many hours of hard, physical work, the team has tilled, amended, weeded, planted and tended to several areas that are growing thick, rich, deep-green kale, lettuces, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, arugula, spinach (just to name a few). We have also begun planting flowers, lavender and ferns. We will be planting radishes and broccoli and cauliflower … all amazingly nutrient-rich food to serve YOU in our dining room! Needless to say, there’s a lot of good things growing out here in West Marin!

My favorite way to eat our lettuces is with tomatoes and maybe a little arugula and spinach … AND with a small drizzle of our delicious Herbed Buttermilk Dressing on it! Below is the recipe so you can make the dressing at home to enjoy with your family!

Nick’s Cove Herbed Buttermilk Dressing

1 cup chopped parsley
1/4 green onion, minced
2 tblsp. tarragon
2 tblsp. mayonnaise
2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste

Combine herbs, mayonnaise and buttermilk in blender; blend until smooth. Slowly add in olive oil while blender is on and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

And, boy do we love their cars! It really is a treat to drive up to work and see such a fine selection of cars parked out front: Ferrari, Audi R8, Maserati, Porsche, Lamborghini, Mercedes. And it’s not just the new models. We love the classics, too!

Whenever the car clubs are here, guests come out from their tables: cameras in hand they start snapping up-close shots of those much-admired and so-far-out-of-reach exotics!

The lucky drivers and/or owners of those lovelies thoroughly enjoy the twists and turns of Highway One … and stopping to enjoy lunch at Nick’s Cove is a wonderful place for a mid-way stop!

Until next time …