Insalata's
120 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo CA 94960Insalata is a gracious, comfortable restaurant that specializes in the genuine flavors and spices of the Mediterranean region. The complex Mediterranean food of Insalata has been made from locally sourced produce, meat, and poultry long before “locally sourced” was a standard of excellence in the restaurant industry. Owner Heidi Insalata Krahling became interested in food as a child in a food-intensive Italian family. She has expanded her Italian cooking heritage to include the cuisines of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cultures, and it is a wonderful adventure to dine at Insalata.
Insalata – Setting a Robust Mediterranean Table
Review by TableAgent
Insalata is located in San Anselmo, which is a lovely residential community in Marin County complete with tree-lined streets, local merchants, hiking trails, and upscale food markets. The San Anselmo lifestyle focuses on relaxed, healthy, family life; and a stroll through the center of town is a somewhat nostalgic walk past family-owned businesses and restaurants that are situated along the local creek. Insalata has its own small parking lot and, should the lot be full, there is abundant free street parking within an easy walking distance to the restaurant.
Insalata Owner Heidi Insalata Krahling began her white tablecloth restaurant career at Joyce Goldstein’s iconic San Francisco restaurant, Square One. Krahling comes from a food-loving Italian family that emphasized food as a creative force. The locally sourced products Goldstein used at Square One were a continuation of Krahling’s family cooking experience and encouraged Krahling to seek locally grown elements when she opened Insalata. Named for Krahling’s father, Insalata has received honorable mentions from the Michelin and Zagat travel guides, and has earned its title as a Marin County Neighborhood Jewel.
The building that houses Insalata is a nod to an earlier, gentler time. The restaurant has an ocher painted exterior covered with ivy. The sheltered entrance portico is complemented with weathered wood benches and a sparkling carriage house lantern to welcome all guests warmly. My dinner companion and I stepped into Insalata’s large open dining room and were welcomed by the enthusiastic staff. The small, central bar that divides the dining room into smaller spaces was directly before us. To the left is the “mezzanine” dining area and to the far right is a large room that can be used for private parties. The open kitchen is at the back of the restaurant with the busy take-out counter.
Insalata’s interior strikes the right note in recalling the colors and romance of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. The walls are painted a soft butter yellow; the ceilings are high and supported by wood-clad beams; and the lighting is soft, while still enabling diners to both see their companions and food. The tables are generously sized, the chairs are comfortable, and the murmur of dinner conversation flows around you softly. Guests are nicely dressed, and the tables are often made up of multi-generational families and friends.
The big surprise that catapults the dining room from comfortable to extra-special is the huge paintings of sensuous plums, persimmons, and lemons that hang on the walls. Looking at them in all their sumptuous glory, I concluded that San Francisco artist Laura Parker must have been in love with the Mediterranean region when she painted them. Take, for example, the painting of the persimmons, which measures roughly five-feet-high by fourteen-feet-long. Parker used all of that canvas to paint no more than eight persimmons, huge in scale, and opulent in shape and color. How lucky for diners that the art of the food at Insalata is equal to the art on the walls.
We moved from the bar into the dining room and took a look at the wine list. Selecting a wine was a challenge because the extensive by-the-bottle list covers the entire Mediterranean region of Italy, France, and Greece, while layering in wines from Napa and Sonoma Counties, Oregon, Germany, New Zealand, Chile, and Australia. How does anyone navigate a list this complex? Well, just ask the staff. Insalata’s general manager, Jim Warren, worked at San Francisco’s Square One restaurant for many years honing his encyclopedic knowledge of world-wines. The staff at Insalata spends a lot of time discussing and solving the question of which wine goes with what food, and welcome questions. I took cowardly refuge in a familiar glass of white wine, the Picas Negras Torrentes from Argentina, but in retrospect I recommend that you ask and explore Insalata’s adventurous wine list.
At the same time that our glasses of wine arrived, our server placed a bowl of what appeared to be hummus on our table. Having experienced our fair share of hummus-overload at friends’ dinner parties throughout the years, my dinner companion and I both had nothing but culinary scorn for hummus. After we had ordered dinner, I absent-mindedly picked up a warm piece of pita bread and dipped it into the bowl. The chick peas were smooth, comforting, and surprisingly flavorful. The green swirl that topped the hummus tasted of garlic with a subtle pepper after-shock. How could this be hummus? Astonished, I asked our waiter and, sure enough, it actually was hummus. Gone was the paste of our past and in its place was a truly delicious, spicy, silky, garlicky, and peppery delight.
The appetizer we ordered, Crispy Cigars, arrived with a little fan fare. Pastry had been spread with Feta cheese, squash puree, and Turkish spices. It was then rolled, hence the name Cigar, and fried. When dipped into their cilantro, cumin, and mint sauce, the Cigars were an unusual combination of crisp outer pastry accompanied by a spicy filling tempered by the mint sauce. It was a knowledgeable blending of textures and flavors that seemed just right for beginning dinner.
At a restaurant named Insalata, how could we possibly skip the salad course? We tried the Syrian Fattoush Salad, just because I love to pronounce “Fattoush.” This was a crisp green salad that combined tiny cherry tomatoes, black olives, onions, and pieces of toasted pita bread (the Fattoush part) with herbs of cilantro and mint. This tasty and refreshing salad got us ready for our entrees.
The Moroccan Lamb Tagine (pronounced with a soft “g”, tay-jean) was once called “$10,000 Lamb Stew” on the Insalata menu. This is a name I prefer to the more formal “Moroccan Lamb Tagine,” because it hints at a story. It goes like this: The folks at Insalata entered a lamb recipe into a contest sponsored by the American Lamb Board. The recipe won a $10,000 prize, thereafter being listed on the Insalata Menu as “$10,000 Lamb Stew.”
The Moroccan Lamb Tagine is a complicated recipe with a spice list that includes ginger, curry, coriander, cumin, cardamom, saffron, and cinnamon, plus lamb and another dozen or so ingredients – ordering this dish in such a restaurant is the preferred alternative to tackling it at home. And order it you must, because it is delicious and unique. Its spices meld seamlessly together; taste exotic with lamb; and result in sophisticated, wonderful comfort food.
The Yogurt-Marinated and Grilled Chicken was tender and moist with the crispest of chicken skins. It was served on a bed of bulgur and almond pilaf, which was a robust complement to the heartiness of the chicken. Bulgur is wheat that has been steamed, dried, and ground, and it has a slightly nutty flavor. The Yogurt-Marinated Chicken was topped with preserved lemons and watercress that tied the spices of the chicken together with the earthy flavors of the bulgur pilaf. Insalata has always searched out good, local, food sources and the chicken was so tender and flavorful that it reminded me of how good chicken can and should taste.
When dessert time approached, we took a look around and realized that we were surrounded by tables awash in plates of “S’morsetto,” which is the Insalata version of s’mores. The dish looked good, and from the sighs of the guests it must have been wonderful. But having decided that we wanted something other than chocolate, we tried the Ginger Pear Cake. The warm cake was more like a pudding than a dry cake, and was served in a bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream accompanied by spiced pears and a caramel sauce. It was flavored with the spices of the Mediterranean, transforming the Ginger Cake into a rich and luscious finale.
The Insalata dining experience is a creative interpretation of Mediterranean cooking. The flavors are complex and authentic, and they transport each guest to a warm, sunny, fragrant place. Dinner at Insalata is refreshing and relaxing as the knowledgeable staff will ensure that your wine selection will match the ambitions of Krahling’s food.
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Reservations
Business Info
- Address: 120 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo CA 94960
- Cross Street: Barber Avenue
- Location: Marin County | San Anselmo
- Cuisine: Mediterranean | Spanish |
- Cost: | Inexpensive
- Category: Casual Dining
- Star Rating:
- Reservations: Recommended
- Dress Code: Casual Elegant
- Meals Served: Lunch | Dinner |
- Parking: Street | Private Lot |
- Payment Options: VISA | Amex | MasterCard |
- Corkage Fee: Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies)
- Website: http://www.insalatas.com
- Phone: (415) 457-7700
- Features: Full Bar, Catering Services, Organic Ingredients, Private Room, Takeout Available, Personal Wines Allowed, Lounge / Bar,
- Occasion: Romantic Dining, Meet for a Drink, Quiet Conversation, Special Occasion,
Business Hours
Reservations Available
- Monday
- 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM
- 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM
- Tuesday
- 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM
- 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM
- Wednesday
- 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM
- 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM
- Thursday
- 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM
- 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM
- Friday
- 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM
- 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM
- Saturday
- 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM
- 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM
- Sunday
- 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM
- 5:30 PM - 9:00 PM
Menus
Dinner Menu
Tapas, Mezze, and Piccoli
- Hummus 5.00
- Hummus with warm pita
- Crispy Cigars 9.00
- Crispy pastry filled with butternut squash, feta cheese, spices, and served with cilantro chutney
- Trio of Dips 12.00
- Trio of Dips with warm pita
- Roasted Prawns 9.00
- Roasted Prawns, spanish romesco sauce, grilled cocodrillo
- Anchovey Stuffed Spanish Olives 4.00
- Anchovey stuffed Spanish olives
- Taramasalata 5.00
- with warm pita
- Melintzanosalata 5.00
- with warm pita
- Red Lentil Tarator 5.00
- with tomato-sumac relish with warm pita
- Cataplana 12.00
- manila clams, tomato, chorizo, grilled bread, rouille
- Lamb Merguez 8.00
- with tahini yogurt, pinenuts, and flatbread
Greens and Things
- Syrian Fattoush Salad 10.00
- Romaine, toasted Pita, feta cheese, onions, cherry tomatoes, olives,cucumber, cilantro, mint, lemon vinaigrette
- Today's Soup 7.00
- Insalata Mista 9.00
- organic greens, prosciutto, pickled red onions, pinenuts, grana, balsamic vinaigrette
- Citrus Salad 9.00
- with medjool dates, Laura Chenel Cabecou goat cheese, toasted almonds, champagne-blood orange vinaigrette
Pasta and Grains
- Middle Eastern Inspired Vegetarian Platter 16.00
- Lentils, acorn squash, curried spinach, tomato-pistachio relish, yogurt, couscous
- Pappardelle 16.00
- With slow braised pork and beef, porcini mushrooms, parmesan cheese
- Spaghetti 16.00
- grilled Monterey bay squid, sundried tomato and almond pesto, fresh basil
Meat and Poultry
- Porcini Crusted Filet of Beef 28.00
- roasted shallots, arugula, king trumpet mushrooms, fingerling potatoes, salsa verde, red wine jus
- Calabrese Style Braised Stuffed Pork Shoulder 19.00
- tomato, garlic and oregano over creamy corn polenta, salsa verde
- Roasted Honey Glazed Pomegranate Duck Breast 23.00
- spinach, farro and butternut squash pilaf, moroccan tomato jam
- Moroccan Spiced Braised Lamb Shanks 22.00
- with parsnip-cipollini onion tangine and parsnip skordalia
Seafood
- Grilled Filet of Salmon 22.00
- Risotto of faro, corn, chanterelles, King Trumpet Mushroom and herb salad
- Pan Roast Alaskan Cod Tagine 23.00
- over couscous with harissa, chickpeas, preserved lemon and cilantro
Dessert
- Triple Eight Layered Chocolate Cake 7.50
- Devil’s food cake, whipped milk chocolate ganache, white chocolate buttercream, bittersweet chocolate ganache and chocolate caramel sauce
- Kunafeh 7.00
- Spiced goat cheese and medjool dates in shredded phyllo with spiced orange blossom sauce
- Pumpkin Spiced Doughnuts 7.00
- with caramel and maple creamsauces
- Zinfandel Pear Polenta Tart 8.00
- with pistachio gelato
- Pigs in Mud 7.00
- rich chocolate pudding with shortbread
- Apple Dumpling 7.00
- with Tahitian Vanilla Gelato
- Biscotti Trio 6.00
- cornmeal-raisin, double chocolate-hazelnut, lemon-almond-fennel
- Ciao Bella Gelato or Sorbet 6.00
- scoop vanilla gelato or mango, or raspberry sorbet with shortbread 6. Duo of Sorbets 7
- Plate of Housemade Pecan Toffee 6.00
- Full Plate 6. 1/2 Plate 3.
Valentine's Day 2011 Menu
$48.00
Starts With
- Wild Mushroom Soup 0.00
- with Crème Fraiche and Chive
- Chilled Dungeness Crab and Asparagus Salad with Citrus Sabayon 0.00
- Trio of Citrus Salad 0.00
- Cara Cara, Navel and Blood Oranges with Laura Chenel Cabecou Goat Cheese, Medjool Dates, and Champagne-Blood Orange Vinaigrette
Main Course
- Duo of Lamb 0.00
- Roast Rack of Lamb and Confit of Lamb Shoulder with Wild Mushrooms, Roasted Parsnips, Caramelized Cippolini Onions and Salsa Verde
- Pan Seared Day Boat Scallops 0.00
- With Melted Leeks over Risotto, Zinfandel Reduction and Crispy Prosciutto Gremolata
- Roast Pekin Duck Breast 0.00
- with Farro, Brussel Sprouts & Duck Confit Bisteeya
- Middle Eastern Inspired Vegetarian Platter 0.00
- with Lemony Lentils, Acorn Squash, Curried Spinach, Turkish Yogurt, Tomato-Pistachio Relish, Couscous
Dessert
- Triple Chocolate Truffle Torte 0.00
- With Crème Chantilly, Caramel and Chocolate Sauce
- Meyer Lemon Coeur La Crème 0.00
- With Raspberry-Frambois
- Bag “O” my Heart 0.00
- Chocolate Shortbread Cookies(To Go if You Wish!)
- Duo of Sorbet and Valentine Shortbread Cookie 0.00
Lunch
TAPAS, MEZZE AND PICCOLI
- Hummus with warm pita 5.00
- Taramasalata with warm pita 5.00
- Red Lentil Tarator with warm pita 5.00
- Trio of dips with warm pita 12.00
- Marinated Olives with thyme and orange 4.00
- Anchovy Stuffed Spanish Olives 4.00
- Crispy “Cigars” filled with spiced squash, feta cheese, raisins, cilantro chutney 9.00
GREENS AND THINGS
- Today’s Soup 7.00
- Mista - organic greens, prosciutto, pickled red onions, pinenuts, grana, balsamic vinaigrette 9.00
- Syrian Chicken Fattoush Salad 14.00
- Citrus Salad 9.00
- with medjool dates, Laura Chenel Cabecou cheese, almonds, Champagne-vinaigrette
- Smoked Willie Bird Chicken Salad 14.00
- with fuyu persimmons, endive, blue cheese, and, toasted walnuts
ENTREES
- Middle Eastern Inspired Vegetarian Platter 16.00
- lemony lentils, acorn squash, curried spinach, Turkish yogurt, tomato-pistachio relish, couscous
- Grilled Angus Hamburger, roasted red onions, shoestring potatoes 11.00
- Grilled Lamb on House-made Grilled Flatbread 14.00
- zatar, lemony greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, sumac onions, cumin yogurt
- Steamed PEI Mussels, sweet herbs, shallots, white wine, shoestring potatoes 13.00
- Pappardelle 16.00
- pork and fennel meatballs, wild mushroom ragù, parmesan cheese
- Spaghetti 16.00
- grilled Monterey bay squid, sundried tomato and almond pesto,fresh basil
- Crispy Flounder Filet Sandwich 14.00
- cabbage slaw, preserved lemon tartar sauce, shoestring potatoes
- Grilled Filet of Salmon 16.00
- potato-celery root puree, caramelized butternut squash, fennel, chanterelles, bacon and crispy herbs
Brunch
TAPAS, MEZZE AND PICCOLI
- Hummus with warm pita 5.00
- Taramasalata with warm pita 5.00
- Muhammara Labneh with warm pita 5.00
- Trio of dips with warm pita 12.00
- Marinated Olives with thyme and orange 4.00
- Anchovy stuffed Spanish olives 4.00
STARTERS
- Spicy Bloody Mary 8.25
- Mimosa 8.50
- Virgin Mary 3.75
- Champagne Cocktail 9.50
- Spicy Bloody Maria 8.25
- Kir Royale 9.50
- Fresh Orange or Grapefruit Juice 3.75
GREENS AND THINGS
- Today’s Soup 7.00
- Housemade Honey Almond Granola with Skyhill Farms yogurt and seasonal fresh fruit 7.00
- Mista, organic greens, prosciutto, pickled red onions, pinenuts, grana, balsamic vinaigrette 9.00
- Syrian Chicken Fattoush Salad 14.00
- Split Fattoush, additional 2.00
- Add grilled filet of salmon 16.00
ENTREES
- Pecan Crusted Brioche French Toast, caramelized pears, applewood smoked bacon 12.00
- Two Eggs Any Style with choice of Hobbs bacon or Canadian bacon, home fried potatoes, toast 11.00
- Lamb and Spinach Hash, with poached eggs, bulgar, feta, pine nuts, cilantro 11.00
- Eggs Benedict 13.00
- two poached eggs, chive scones, spinach, wild mushrooms, smoked pork loin and lemon hollandaise, crispy potatoes
- Salmon & Crab Cakes, lemony aioli, arugula and fennel salad, shoestring potatoes 14.00
- Carnitas, with poached eggs, refried white beans, salsa ranchera, onions and cilantro 11.00
- Middle Eastern Inspired Vegetarian Platter 16.00
- lemony lentils, acorn squash, curried spinach, turkish yogurt, couscous
- Grilled Angus Hamburger, roasted red onions, shoestring potatoes 11.00
- Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Hobbs bacon, avocado, shoestring potatoes 12.00
SIDE ORDERS
- Shoestring Potatoes 4.00
- Hobbs Bacon 5.00
- Toast with Jam 2.00
- Hobbs Canadian Bacon 5.00
- Fresh Fruit 4.00
- One Egg any style 2.00
Children's Menu
Children's Menu
- Pasta with Cheese Sauce “Alfredo” or Meat Sauce 6.00
- Hamburger and French Fries 6.00
- Grilled Chicken Skewers 6.00
- Kid Scramble with One Piece of Bacon and Crispy Potatoes (Sunday Brunch Only) 6.00
- “Pigs in Mud” – Pig-shaped Cookie with Chocolate Pudding 3.50
Spirit's Menu
APERITIFS
- Dubonnet, Lillet, Dry or Sweet Vermouth 4.00
- Emilio Lustau “Los Arcos” Amontillado Sherry 5.25
- Emilio Lustau Jarana, Light Fino Sherry 5.25
- Churchhill’s White Oport 6.50
HOUSE SPECIALITY COCKTAILS
- Insalata Limonata 9.75
- Absolut Vodka, Lemonade, Cranberry Juice & Lime Soda
- Pomegranate Cosmopolitan 10.00
- Stoli, Cointreau, Cranberry Juice, Fresh Lime Juice & Pomegranate Nectar
- Premium Rita 10.00
- Sauza Hornitos, Cointreau, Fresh Orange & Lime Juice
- Sparkling Raspberry Kiss 9.75
- J.Laurens Champagne with a Kiss of Chambord
- Ipanema Breeze Brazilian Cachaca with Fresh Mint, House Made Raspberry Infusion, Soda 10.25
- Brazilian Cachaca with Fresh Mint, House Made Raspberry Infusion, Lime Juice and Soda
- Calypso Cooler 9.75
- Cucumber Infused Bluecoat Gin & Lemon Juice Shaken & Served Straight up with Cucumber Spear
- Ginger Lime Drop 9.00
- Fresh Lime Infused Seagram’s Gin, Ginger & Lime Juice, Shaken & Served Straight up, Sugar Rim
- Pimm’s Cup 8.00
- Pimm’s Cup No. 1, Lemon~Lime Soda, Cucumber Spear
- Side Car 8.50
- Brandy Shaken with Lemon Juice, Triple Sec. Served with a Sugar Rim
- Manhattan 8.75
- Bourbon Gently Stirred, Sweet Vermouth & Bitters, Maraschino Cherry
- Old Fashioned 8.75
- Bourbon Muddled with a Maraschino Cherry, Sugar & Bitters Topped with Soda Water
- Mojito 10.00
- Meyers Platinum Rum Muddled with Fresh Mint Leaves, Lime Juice Topped with Soda Water
- Passion Drop 10.00
- Square One Organic Vodka, Insalata’s Pear Infusion, Lime Juice
- Tibetan Thunderbolt 9.75
- Herradura Tequila, Fresh Orange & Grapefruit Juices & Crème de Cassis
- Lemon Drop 9.75
- House Made Lemon Infused Absolut, Shaken & Served Straight Up With a Sugar Rim
- The Van Gogh 10.25
- Absinthe, Chilled and Served up with a Fresh Lemon Sugar Rim