You won’t find the tourist classics at this longtime restaurant. And that’s what makes it so special.
Sonoma Coast restaurants often walk a fine line, balancing culinary creativity with tourist expectations. Many visitors come seeking the coastal classics: clam chowder, fish and chips, oysters and Dungeness crab — and, of course, a burger for the kids.
That’s why Terrapin Creek in Bodega Bay encourages first-time guests to peruse the menu before being seated.
“They expect fish and chips, and (if we don’t have it), they just get up and leave. We got tired of resetting the tables,” said chef Andrew Truong, who runs the 17-year-old restaurant with his wife, Liya. Both have pedigreed culinary backgrounds from former Michelin-starred Michael Mina and Ame restaurants in San Francisco.
Bodega Bay is a world away from that haute dining scene, and the couple’s cozy, sunlit dining room perched high above the marina draws a loyal crowd of locals and regulars who come — not for the accolades — but for dishes like Hokkaido scallops, Mediterranean fish stew and pan-roasted Pacific swordfish.
“A lot of people come here for seafood,” Truong said. “But the locals realize that we’re not necessarily sourcing from the docks.”
Gasp, what?
That might come as a shock in a fishing town like Bodega Bay, but Truong explains that California’s strict regulations have nearly wiped out the local crab and salmon season The commercial Chinook salmon season has been canceled three years in a row, and Dungeness crab harvests are frequently delayed to protect migrating humpback whales from crab pot entanglements.
As a result, the Truongs cast a wider net, sourcing sardines, Hamachi, octopus, rock cod or swordfish from on their own terms, not to appease tourist expectations — whether that’s Monterrey, Japan, Puget Sound or the nearby docks. “I just find whatever is out there that is good,” Andrew Truong said.
The Michelin curse
From 2012 to 2018, Terrapin Creek earned a Michelin star each year for its consistently thoughtful dishes, welcoming atmosphere, great value and coastal charm. As a surprise newcomer to the list, it was described by a leading Bay Area Michelin inspector in New York Magazine’s Grub Street as a simple café where “what’s on the plate is definitely one-star food, time and again.”
While the recognition was nice, it came with some unwanted scrutiny and unrealistic expectations, Truong explained.
“It was always hard to deal with,” he said. “Everyone was like, ‘How’d you get it?’ or ‘Why’d you lose it?’” We never went out hoping to get that.”
At the time, the couple was ran the kitchen by themselves, facing ever-increasing pressure. When they lost the star, life calmed down. They hired more staff, found a better work-life balance and focused on building the kind of restaurant that could stand the test of time.
Nearly two decades since opening their Bodega Bay restaurant, they’ve done just that — and all without fish and chips.
Fun fact: “We eat a lot of junk food. My wife loves hamburgers and I’m eating at Panda Express,” said Truong, who isn’t afraid to out his guilty pleasures. They also frequent Santa Rosa’s Hang Ah restaurant and Sebastopol’s Namaste Kitchen and Sushi Kosho.
The vibe: Describing the exterior of the gabled shopping center, home to Terrapin Creek and several other retailers, as “weatherworn” would be generous. Inside, however, the butter-yellow and ocher walls radiate warmth year round, with the seats by the massive hearth drawing visitors in during the colder months. The open kitchen, positioned at the center of the space, invites guests to watch as dishes come to life.
The food: Caesar salad ($14) is a mountain of greens with creamy, eggless dressing and a blizzard of grated Parmesan. Roasted Hokkaido scallops ($22) are sweet, perfectly seared and served atop sunchoke puree. Mediterranean fish stew ($36) is a hearty portion of fresh mussels, salmon, rock cod and calamari in a fragrant tomato and fennel broth.
The crab cake ($26) is steep for a single cake, but delicious. I’m also a fan of the perfectly cooked Pacific swordfish ($40) in lemon butter sauce. The lovely Hamachi Crudo ($18) was overpowered by basil and sesame oil — an easy fix. For dessert, don’t miss the passion fruit cheesecake or chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting ($14).
The tab: Coastal restaurants tend to be more expensive — you pay for the food and the setting. Terrapin Creek’s simple but elevated entrées run between $36-$48.
The service: Guillaume Pruniaux, a French Laundry alum, presented our dishes with the kind of flair and grace expected by chef Thomas Keller — exactly what this kind of dining experience calls for.
The spot: 1580 Eastshore Road, Bodega Bay, 707-875-2700, terrapincreekcafe.com
You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.
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