He’ll open a second location of his Napa restaurant Loveski Deli this fall- at the Marin Country Mart, located across from the Larkspur Ferry Terminal. This will be Kostow’s first Bay Area expansion beyond Napa Valley, where he currently operates three popular restaurants with his wife Martina: the Charter Oak, Loveski and Ciccio. (The three-Michelin-starred Restaurant at Meadowood was destroyed in the 2020 Glass Fire and remains closed.)
“I really like what they’re doing at Marin Country Mart. There are some very thoughtful and specific concepts going in,” said Kostow, who added that Marin’s greater population density compared to Napa is also “very attractive.”
The modern, open-air marketplace is constantly growing; it features high-end shops, fitness studios, a Saturday farmers’ market and more than a dozen eateries, such as Johnny Doughnuts, Hog Island Oyster Co. and Shake Shack. Frankie & Jo’s, a plant-based ice cream shop from Washington, moved in this summer. Fast casual Greek chain Souvla and Moonset, a Vietnamese noodle restaurant from Charles Phan, the famed chef best known for the Slanted Door, are expected to join the shopping center as well.
Famed chef Christopher Kostow and his spouse/co-owner Martina Kostow are opening their second Loveski Deli location at Marin Country Mart this fall.
Yalonda M. James/San Francisco ChronicleThe Marin Country Mart space will enable Loveski to expand its menu. As a standalone restaurant that’s twice the size of the Oxbow Public Market location in Napa, it’s better suited for sit-down dining. Expect to see a diner counter with bright red stools, plus additional seats at tables and banquettes inside and on a covered patio.
Loveski is best known for its flavorful bagels — made from a 30-year-old sourdough starter and then boiled Montreal-style — as well as pastrami and corned beef sandwiches with California influences. New Larkspur additions will include more “robust plated breakfast offerings,” said Kostow, such as a soft scramble with avocado and Everything Seasoning from the chef-favorite Jacobsen Salt. Expect new salads, including a smoked salmon chopped salad and an avocado green goddess salad, and the return of Loveski’s original whitefish sandwich served with crispy shaved onions, Thai chiles and horseradish mayo. Kostow hopes to attract more dinner business in Marin for hearty dishes like brisket with potato puree, chicken schnitzel and dumplings.
A Loveski Reuben, which will be on the menu at the restaurant’s new Larkspur location.
Yalonda M. James/San Francisco ChronicleThe new location will have a large grab-and-go grocery section, too, filled with schmears, seasonings, matzo, bagel chips and baked goods like babka.
The Kostows envisioned multiplying the Loveski concept from the beginning, and while chef Kostow said he’s not “barreling ahead into global domination,” more locations are likely.
Loveski. Opening fall 2023. 1813 Larkspur Landing Circle, Suite 18, Larkspur. loveskideli.com
Reach Jess Lander: [email protected]; Twitter: @jesslander
