Small Marin Hotel with an Alpine Setting

By George Medovoy, Editor

In all my years of searching for romantic lodging to match winery tours in Northern California, I've found more than my share of special hotels.

One of my best finds is a small hotel with plenty of local color to make for a memorable sojourns.

It is located here in Mill Valley, the charming Marin County town 20 miles north of San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge. The other is in the heart of San Francisco itself.

The Mill Valley Inn takes its name from the town of Mill Valley, long known as a mecca for artists and writers and for good food and wine.

The town is also a base for bike rides and hikes through nearby national parklands and treks to wineries and beaches.

Located a block away from Lytton Square, the town's bustling town center, the Mill Valley Inn has 25 rooms in three separate settings: a distinctive Mediterranean building, a rustic Creek House – and two alpine-like cottages tucked away in a shady grove of California redwoods.

We opted for one of the inn's cottages and weren't disappointed.

The lodging offered all the rusticity you could wish for, including a
foot bridge over a creek just outside our front door, but inside were distinctive California furnishings, including a big, comfy bed, a TV, and a bathroom with shower.

In our cottage we could "escape," if you will, to the woods or, if we
preferred, walk a block away to Lytton Square, a lively place filled with small shops, restaurants and cafes, and the wonderful Depot Bookstore -- a town hangout with a cafe that fronts onto the square.

But as lively and as urbane as Lytton Square may be, there is the
ever-present feel of being in an alpine setting because of the
redwood-studded hills which surround the town.

One of the best times of the day at the Mill Valley Inn is morning, when complimentary breakfast is served on the Sun Terrace overlooking Mill Valley's rooftops.

There's fresh fruit, cereal and pastries, along with juices, coffee and
tea, plenty of sunshine -- and the morning paper.

You'll find a variety of good choices for dinner nearby. We tried Piazza D'Angelo, a big Italian place filled with people of all ages, including parents, children and grandparents, who gave the restaurant a nice, warm feeling.

We also liked where the Italian-accented maitre d' seated us: near the desserts, including a bevy of strawberry mousse topped with fresh strawberries.

The menu has everything from grilled monk fish medallion wrapped with panchetta in a lobster tomato sauce, to grilled rack of lamb, calabrian sausage and veal scaloppini in a demi glace sauce.

There is also an extensive wine list, including Italian and California
varieties.

For example, we found Italian reds like a 1994 Crociani Vino Nobile
di Montepulciano and a 1995 Ornellaia, Bolgheri; plus a sparkling wine like the 1993 Rotari Riserva.

We sampled a 1995 Sonoma County Golden Creek Reserve Cabernet and liked the distinctive plum and black currant flavors.
If you go in for French cooking, there's El Paseo – which is not to be mistaken for a Spanish restaurant.

Every June the annual Mill Valley Wine and Gourmet Food Tasting is held here, offering over 70 California varietals and tempting gourmet foods to sample.

With its reputation for the arts, the town hosts the Mill Valley
Fall Arts Festival in September at Old Mill Park. The event features arts and crafts, entertainment and food, plus a children's area.

And don't forget the annual Mill Valley Film Festival, which takes place in October, with a variety of film screenings and a children's film festival.

Mill Valley also offers a variety of great parks, including the Marin
Headlands to the south, Muir Woods National Monument on the west, and Mt. Tamalpais State Park and the Mt. Tamalpais watershed on the north.

Nearby is Stinson Beach, which lies to the west of Mill Valley. We took a drive there along a winding road that cuts through the Muir Woods.

It was a windy day, but still pleasant enough to walk along the shoreline and watch someone's kite catching the powerful wind drifts....

Information and reservations: www.jdvhospitality.com, or call 800-738-7477.