If enthusiasm about Souvla, San Francisco’s fast-fine Greek restaurant, hasn’t hit you yet here in Marin, it’s apt to soon. This week, cravings for its dependably satisfying menu can be satiated much closer to home with the micro-chain’s opening at Marin Country Mart in Larkspur. This is the sixth Souvla outpost and first outside city lines.
The core menu that is consistent among all locations spotlights three rotisserie-roasted proteins or sweet potatoes, each of which is prepared with a combination of ingredients to create a unique, Cypress-inspired fusion of flavors wrapped in a warm pita pocket or tossed with a seasonal salad.
Vande Rose Farms heritage breed pork is accompanied by minted Greek yogurt, cherry tomatoes, pickled red onions, cucumber and feta cheese; FreeBird natural chicken with fennel, navel orange, pickled red onions, pea shoots, mizithra cheese and “granch,” a Greek yogurt-based ranch dressing; Thomas Farms lamb with harissa-spiked yogurt, cucumber, radish, pickled red onions and feta cheese; and white sweet potato with garlic yogurt, chopped Kalamata olives, toasted walnuts, pickled red onions, pea shoots and mizithra cheese.
Add-ons include Greek fries, which are seasoned but not smothered by olive oil, lemon juice, parsley and mizithra cheese; potatoes doused with fresh oregano and rotisserie drippings; and avgolemono soup (egg and lemon with chicken and rice).
Dessert, that for some may be reason enough to make a Souvla stop, is frozen Greek yogurt served plain or with sour cherry syrup; Cretan wildflower honey; olive oil and flaky sea salt; or baklava crumbles and honey syrup.
Photo by Albert Law
Souvla in Larkspur offers indoor and outdoor dining.Souvla’s authentic and robust flavors raise it above the casual counter-service norm, which was the intention of its Greek American founder and chief executive officer Charles Bililies. He opened the first Souvla in Hayes Valley in 2014 to offer broader representation for the souvlaki street food of his heritage while leveraging his fine-dining background that includes a position as chef Thomas Keller’s (The French Laundry, Per Se) first culinary assistant and a stint with restauranteur-chef Michael Mina.
Souvla’s branding is rooted in versatility and presents the possibility of a snappy takeout or delivery meal, or an opportunity to dine-in and pair it with a glass or bottle of private-label, exclusively Greek bubbly, white, rosé, orange, red or retsina wine, or a lager from Septem Microbrewery in Avlon, Greece.
Souvla Marin has visual appeal in keeping with the crisp and airy style of the mart overall, and in character with the San Francisco locations, all of which were designed by Bililies. This time around though, the team worked with Matt Winter of Los Angeles-based interior design studio M. Winter Design to expand the footprint and evoke the sense of a true Old World Greek village.
The textured white plaster interior with rustic wood ceiling beams complements stone pebbled flooring in shades of gray, custom wrought iron chairs and vintage lighting. An all-season, pergola-shaded patio that extends into the central courtyard of the alfresco shopping and dining complex provides added room for 60 diners.
This fully reimagined section of the Marin Country Mart that previously housed Marin Brewing Co. will be shared with Loveski Deli, which will open its second location in Larkspur soon (the first is at Oxbow Public Market in Napa), and another to-be-named tenant.
Souvla is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily at 1805 Larkspur Landing Circle in Larkspur. To learn more or find information about the Hayes Valley, NOPA, Mission, Marina and Dogpatch neighborhood locations in San Francisco, go to souvla.com.
Leanne Battelle is a freelance food writer and restaurant columnist. Email her at ij.lbattelle@gmail.com with news and recommendations and follow on Instagram @therealdealmarin for more on local food and updates on the launch of The Real Deal Marin restaurant search guide.
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November 08, 2023 at 06:57AM
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Souvla brings its tasty Greek fare to Marin Country Mart - Marin Independent Journal
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