Here, guests are greeted with all the trappings: a blazing fire in every hearth, cozy leather chairs, and vintage fishing gear. For many visitors, a weekend at Manka's is the ultimate retreat, the kind of gift you'd like to give yourself. But during Christmas, it's the restaurant that shines.
The dishes served here are sophisticated, yet created from local, organic offerings. In fact, all of what chefs/owners Margaret Grade' and Daniel DeLong make is raised, foraged, and fished within 15 minutes of the inn. Manka's location, between the wilderness and the sea, provides a variety of fish and birds, rabbits, lamb, abalone, and oysters. The greens, fruits, and olives are grown near the lodge's property, and the restaurant hires foragers to gather wild mushrooms and buckets of huckleberries. But beyond the ingredient choices, it is also the quirky manner in which their selections are described that sets this restaurant apart. So while guests will not find "roast pork" on the menu, they will find "Parts of Dr. Pasternak's pig cooked around the clock.
The Manka's property includes eight guest rooms and two cabins nestled into a landscape of misty hills in the village above Inverness. Or guests can stay at water's edge of the blue Tomales Bay in a restored 1911 boathouse with quarters above. Each room is appointed with Margaret's impressive collection of camp antiques. Her maxing of timber-post beds and down comforters, roomy clawfoot tubs, and elegant French fixtures leads to a tactile experience that's both rustic and luxurious.
During the holidays, Margaret brings in touches of the outdoors with boughs of greens and clusters of pinecones. Wool from a nearby sheep farm makes for plenty of knitted stockings, caps, and coverlets to drape about the lodge. "Margaret has always had a hotel fetish, and I thing that comes through in her decorating," says co-manager Sally Dobbins. "She aspires to return the lodge to its former beauty, but she is also committed to outfitting it with fine modern amenities.
(HOW TO WELCOME HOLIDAY GUESTS, THE MANKA'S WAY)
Drape doorways, mantels, and rails with garlands. Hang a wreath over your bed and a branch bearing mistletoe in the bathroom for an unexpected touch. Display woven wool stockings, mittens, and hats on doorknobs and hooks. Stock your guest bath with fluffy white towels and woven straw slippers. Make your bed with layer of down, quilts, and throw. Pack a variety of snacks and leave them at your guest's door.
1 comment:
Sounds too good to be true [tempting] not that I doubt your veracity. Pity I have to stay here and be my own household manager. It would be great to opt out for an afternoon.
Best wishes
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