Ali “Zoti” Turap, the owner and general manager of San Francisco’s year-old Cal-Italian restaurant The Rustic, saw an opportunity to bring his Mission Dolores neighborhood eatery to downtown Larkspur after Locanda Marin closed its doors in July. Last month’s opening marks a new chapter for the Magnolia Avenue space, which has seen several transitions since the New England-style seafood spot Yankee Pier closed in 2014 after 14 years. Since then, it has housed three Roman Italian restaurants, all originating from San Francisco, including most recently Locanda.
The Rustic trades in Old-World tradition for artisan pizzas and California-inspired seasonal dishes. This includes early girl tomatoes and burrata with basil pesto; a salad of radicchio, frisée, grilled nectarine and balsamic vinaigrette; linguini with clams, roasted red pepper and charred corn; butternut squash risotto; and a local vegetable tagine with fregola and dill yogurt. For brunch, you’ll find dishes like Italian pandoro French toast with chantilly creme and fresh fruit; slow-braised oxtail poutine; breakfast burrito with Italian sausage and tomatillo salsa; and breakfast pizza with wild mushrooms, pancetta, egg and arugula.
Complimentary house-made focaccia is offered upon request. Turap’s appreciation for seasonal ingredients took root at a young age in his homeland of Istanbul, where his family farmed produce. His passion deepened during his seven years at Berkeley’s famed Chez Panisse, where h.
