Lunch
11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Dinner
Sun-Thu 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Fri-Sat 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Saylor's Restaurant & Bar
2009 Bridgeway
Sausalito, CA, U.S.A.
Reservations and Orders: 415.332.1512
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News Stories: 2006
Dining review
Latest variant of Saylor's Is on the Mark
Leslie Harlib
Marin Independent Journal, 11/29/2007
Saylor's Restaurant and Bar is the newly evolved version of Saylor's South, which opened in September 2006 on the site that was formerly Guernica.
This restaurant had its challenges in its first year. Owners Sean Saylor, the executive chef, and his wife, Sonja, had also been part owners (with their family) of Saylor's Landing at the north end of Sausalito on Harbor Drive.
Following a four-year dispute with their landlord, the Saylors closed Saylor's Landing in August. Sean and Sonja Saylor turned all their energy to Saylor's South.
First they changed the name, to Saylor's Restaurant and Bar. Then came a menu makeover. The restaurant now offers an impressive range of California and American dishes with many of the specialties Saylor's Landing was known for as well as Mexican fare.
I think this Gemini approach is great. With two pages of choices on one large menu in addition to a daily-printed page of specials, there's so much to choose from that it's hard to decide what to have.
 (Left: Sonja Saylor greets Jim Hoffman (center) and D.J. Puffert in the main dining room.")
The decor stayed the same. Works for me; Saylor's is a pretty restaurant with cream and mango walls. While simple, its style also celebrates the best of Mexican folk design. Bright-colored hanging fixtures made up of tiny glass squares cast a
festive light. There are plump booths big enough for parties of six if you squeeze, as well as tables and chairs set far enough apart that you won't feel you're dining on top of strangers.
One of Marin's best selections of tequilas - about 100 - make the bar a destination on its own. Margaritas here are delicious, created with enough integrity so that you can taste the different components. Try the classic lime juice-based version on the rocks to see how different tequilas contrast with citrus.
 Ceviche (IJ photo/Frankie Frost)and salt. These potions are strong, so make sure you have a designated driver if you imbibe.
A combo of ceviche and guacamole ($8.95) was a bracing way to jump-start a meal. The guacamole contained a few chunks of avocado in the puree and had only enough seasoning to enhance the fruit's essential buttery charm. Ceviche presented plenty of chunks of chewy snapper zingy with lime and tomato, hits of jalapeno and too-potent cilantro. The chips, billed as "fresh," were forgettable, being all about crispness and little else.
Beef quesadilla ($13.95) was a good one. Tucked into a large spinach tortilla lined with mild cheese were many tender chunks of marinated carne asada made of top sirloin; it was one of the meatier versions of this flatbread pie that I've had.
We also liked a crab cake starter ($13.95). Two good-sized rounds of Dungeness crab were delicately spiced so the seafood flavor, sweet and subtle, was clear; in texture they were fluffy, which I found unusual. Chipotle mayonnaise, served on the side, helped them strut a little more of their stuff.
From the daily specials list, we dived into a pile of classic American barbecued baby back ribs ($17.95) served with a mild cole slaw and garlicky fries so low on the garlic they were more a concept than an experience. The ribs were tender, almost falling apart with each bite; I wish the sauce had more deeply caramelized. It was burnished red and too sugary for my taste.
Another special of mahi-mahi fajitas ($12.95) sounded wonderful. The kitchen was generous with big batons of fresh, sweet-fleshed fish. They were smothered in an assertive stir fry of red and green peppers and onions that drowned the delicate seafood character. There was no fault with the guacamole, sauteed vegetables, Mexican rice and refried beans that came with them - all textbook satisfying.
Saylor's Restaurant's menu is so extensive, I don't feel that one visit helped me come anywhere close to a conclusion about the food.
For instance, in addition to the daily specials such as grilled rib eye steak with mashed potatoes, vegetables, and dried cranberry port wine ($22.95) or chicken saltimbocca with prosciutto and Swiss cheese, mashed potatoes, vegetables and sage mushroom sauce ($17.95); there are dishes that you can get on varying days of the week. Wednesday features pot roast with mashed potatoes, vegetables and pan gravy ($14.95); Friday it's veal osso buco ($14.95); Saturday you'll find slow-cooked pork al pastor, rubbed with chili seasoning, pinto beans, rice and corn tortillas ($14.95). Then there are all those other standard menu items, such as chicken penne pasta with leeks, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, hazelnuts and feta cheese ($15.95); or chile relleno ($8.95) stuffed with ground beef, smoked cheese and queso fresco. The variety is dizzying.
Desserts were all made in-house, said our efficient server, a low-key, opinion-less fellow who said that everything was good. We went for a nightly special of seasonal apple crisp ($5.95) with caramel sauce and indifferent vanilla ice cream. There was plenty of it, but it had been nuked to the temperature of flowing lava, and the only thing crisp about it was the bowl in which it was served.
Overall, though, this was a pleasing meal. I liked the atmosphere, loved the bar selections and was intrigued by the variety. It makes a return visit to try entirely new dishes, a must.
REVIEW
Saylor's Restaurant and Bar
Address: 2009 Bridgeway, Sausalito
Phone: 332-1512
Web site: www.saylorssouth.com
Cuisine: California, Mexican, some fusion
Service: Good
Noise level: Very loud when crowded
Recommended dishes: Ceviche, beef quesadilla
Liquor selection: Full bar, more than 100 tequilas, beer and wine
Corkage: $10
Heart-healthy and vegetarian selections: Yes
Parking: Free rear lot or street parking
Wheelchair access: Yes
Hours: Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; dinner 4 to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays; 4 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express
Summary: Now in its second year of business, Saylor's Restaurant, formerly Saylor's South, offers Marin's most ambitious menu to combine California cuisine with Mexican fare. The wide range of choices in both categories means something for just about any appetite.
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