Point Reyes Farmstead Cheeses had been on my radar for a number of years after buying their…read moreaward-winning Quinta at the San Rafael Farmers Market. I'd seen their signage on my way to the Marshall Store a number of times and read about their farmstead tasting room. We drive across the spine of the hills in their verdant pasture to their farm operations with barns of Happy Holsteins up to their farm store and tasting gardens. We had booked a tasting ahead of time and were greeted by Mathilde upon arrival who escorted us to a beautiful garden setting with a sofa and chairs around a table overlooking Tomales Bay and right next to a newborn Holstein Calf. The cheese array is truly generous and lovingly prepared with edible flowers from their gardens. There are also chocolates, dried fruit, spreads, and jams. We purchased a few beverages, salamis, and prosciutto to round out our tasting. They took such good care of us and the setting was magical. This is a wonderful place for a picnic. I can't wait to return to Point Reyes Farmstead Cheeses!

I've heard people ask a lot of different questions about the ranches leaving Point Reyes, such as,…read more"Why are the ranchers leaving? What will happen to the buildings? What will happen to the cows? What will happen to the families who lived there?" My first question was, "How will this affect my birthday cheese?" Point Reyes Original Blue Cheese has been my favorite cheese for many years, ever since the first time I tried it, which was presumably at Gott's Roadside Deli around 2014. For a few years in a row, I drove all the way to Napa to have my "birthday burger" at Gott's. After that, I just started buying the cheese every year before my birthday, and calling it my "birthday cheese." Fast forward to 2026: all of the historic ranches moved out of the Point Reyes National Seashore, except for two. One of those two was Farmstead Cheese Co., which produces the aforementioned cheese. The farm is located just around the corner from Point Reyes Station, three miles up Highway 1 on Tomales Bay. The Marketplace and tasting room are located deep within the farm, at the end of a one-lane road, which is maybe about one-mile long. Like many of the other sketchy old farm roads in Point Reyes, you have to drive very slowly, and may need to back up if a big truck comes along. The road takes you through active farm work, past some very robust, healthy looking corralled cows, to a parking lot with enough room for a couple dozen cars. The Marketplace itself was only about one room, with two fridges full of cheese, a center table full of merchandise, and several more tables full of merchandise around the room. The inventory included jams, crackers, shirts, sweaters, cheeses (obviously), and various other gifts and picnic necessities. Aside from Bay Blue and Original Blue, I was excited to see a third flavor of blue cheese I'd not yet seen before: fennel blue. This turned out to be my favorite of all three, and I left with a small wedge of it, and a magnet. On my way in, I noticed a poster which I had seen in a history book full of national park posters in Golden Gate Park. While the artist in question (whose name I can't remember) never made a Point Reyes National Seashore poster, he made one for the Farmstead Cheese Co. I inquired if the posters were for sale, and found out that they normally are, but they are out of stock. When I said that I would come back to check for them in a few weeks, I was given a local's discount on my purchase. Sweet. In addition to the Marketplace, they also hold tasting events, which are listed on their website. Most of them are alcoholic events, which are of no interest to me, but I wish they would bring back cheese bingo before I leave for the summer. Would anyone come to a Cheese Bingo Unofficial Yelp Event?

Love this place. Got so many little gifts. Buy got myself a long cardigan by Look Cape. So many…read moredifferent art designers. A must visit and shop!

I hadn't been in a few years, but drove through on my way back from Inverness. The outside looked…read moreso inviting, people sitting outside enjoying their morning. I went inside to look around. As I walked up to the cashier area, no one else was around. The young man and girl working were pleasant at first. The had my vase I was buying from the art gallery already wrapped up. The young man started helping me, then a lady came in with her dog raising her voice high asking where the line was. Very rude. By then there were two other people in line behind me. She again asked where the line was once again very loud. The young man stopped helping me and took this very rude lady in the side, though he was already helping me and two there were in line before her. Seemed strange. The girl started ringing me up only I had two separate transactions because I purchased the vase, & wanted it separate. She wrung my other things without giving me a receipt, so I asked for one. She seemed bothered. I spent $112 while there! Your employees need to know to tell people where the lines are, stay with the ones they're already helping and give a recipe unless otherwise told.

We stopped by Palace Market around 2pm and it was still relatively busy with a line of about 4…read morepeople in front of us to order at the deli in the back. There are two self service ordering screens, and the orders were ready about 15 minutes after ordering. The soft serve does get prepared quicker and they call your name only once or twice before setting it down on a cone holder on the counter so stay nearby to make sure you can hear your name get called! Same goes for the sandwiches, one of our sandwiches was done for a while but we never heard our name and had to go up and ask. The soft serve is made with jersey cow milk now - I never got the chance to try it when it was still buffalo milk but the soft serve was rich and creamy and the perfect cold treat after a hike at point reyes. We took our sandwiches to go and enjoyed them outside - I got the Foggy Garden which is a veggie sandwich with pesto and a basil and garlic soft cheese; it was tasty and large but I do wish there was a bit more roasted veggie. It was still quite filling because of how much soft fluffy focaccia there was but as a veggie sandwich it' would be nice if it was a little more substantial. Overall, a nice quick stop to grab some tasty bites on your way to or from Point Reyes! I'd definitely grab the soft serve again.

Great town. Needed some items for a small picnic. Got everything I needed. They had everything I…read moreneeded and so fresh too. All th employees were very helpful. A must stop in and shop here.

Dropped in for a light breakfast…read more Black Coffee Breakfast Sandwich Kale Salad It was all so fresh and made perfect. All tha employees were very nice and so quick on service. The deli had everything on the menu. Setup was very portioned and market carried a bit of things everyone needed. It is so clean. It is a must stop in.

My fiance and I came here on a weekend getaway 3 years ago for their birthday and we have not…read morestopped talking about the Reuben sandwich since!!! I told my bestie from Sacramento about how fantastic and life changing the sandwich was and we instantly planned a trip out to Point Reyes!!! The food was so good. It was even better than I remember! I got the Reuben and my fiance got the cubano. WOW! That was TOO good! 10/10+ We are planning our next trip out here already. I just cannot get enough of these sandwiches. The guys at the counter were nice and the service was quick! We were in and out in less than 10 minutes. I love the small shop they have in there. They have fun drinks and cute stickers. I hope this will always be a destination option for us when we visit!

Sip, savor, and enjoy the incredible flavors of the cheese Trail…read more The California Cheese Trail features 46 artisan cheesemakers in 24 counties who welcome visitors to their farms, cheesemaking facilities and retail shops, offer farm tours, cheesemaking classes and events. Before you embark on a cheese adventure, download the latest Cheese Trail Map, and pick 3-4 stops. These are my favorite three cheese makers. But honestly - I love all the cheese! Every cheese shop offered wonderful service. - - Marin French Cheese Co. offers classic, delectable cheeses, local wines and ample lunch options which you can enjoy in their beautiful picnic area. Nicasio Valley Cheese offers a delightful variety of handcrafted cheeses and local wines. Wm Cofield Cheesemakers offers a beautiful selection of handcrafted artisanal cheeses, local wines, and perfect charcuterie lunch boards.

The Cheese Trail has been a fantastic gift to send during the holidays. The Grilled Cheese, Please!…read moreAnd Cows & More Cows have been the favorite hits. It comes with a kooky cow tea towel that makes the experience complete! The cheeses are fresh from the farm and feel like a unique gift of love rather than a box of something I can pick up from Costco. Plus, it felt good to support small businesses who were hit hard with Covid. You can put your mind at cheese. Thanks for the smooth ordering and delivery Cheese Trail. Nothing gets feta than this!

Light lunch again today…read more Side Street Kitchen Server - Kevin, he was great. Chardonnay - Monterey County Rosda Devil's Gulch - IPA Smoked Pacific Oysters Buffalo Cauliflower "Wings" Falafel on Pita Lots of employees here and all ver nice. Service is so quick. They check on you and clean up too. The deco has a theme of orange color and lot of natural plants. Very clean. A must visit.

Stopped by for some apple fritters after a hike in point Reyes!…read more They come in a pack of 3, are perfectly not too sweet, and have a lovely cinnamon batter. They came with a huge cup of whipped cream for dipping. The apples could have been cooked a bit more before being adding to the batter. The frying got them to the raw side of al dente. Logistics: - indoor and outdoor seating - Small dirt parking lot to the left of the restaurant

The "Pioneer" digestive enzymes Eden sells and recommended for my post-food poisoning (binge) and…read moreindigestion TOTALLY healed it in 1 day! (she has also sold me some salve she herself makes and given me great free consultations!) (re: review below, I got great results from ear candles!--)

This is a fun little herbal shop in Point Reyes Station. The selection of herbals and botanicals…read moreis incredible with a ridiculous number of herbal teas and extracts and every kind of organic, homeopathic cure for what ails you. Being totally clueless to what helps what, the owner Eden is incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, and very patient in answering any questions you may have. They've also got some nifty little stuffed animals and books about herbs too, so you can learn yourself all about herbs. Now, I'm not a huge herbalist, but my date is and was digging the whole experience. Right after we left the store, Eden chased after us because we forgot to buy the tea bags for the herbal tea, she made an extra $3, I was out another $3, and my date was happy. One could call that some superior customer service right there.

Great walk on the dairy farm with Sammy learning about their sustainability. Newborn calves…read moreeverywhere, but the 'extra' was talking to Danny, the horticulturist who entertained our inquisition as he tried to work....beautiful groundswork!

Most of us know that happy California cows make better cheese, but until I visited the Robert…read moreGiacomini Dairy in nearby Point Reyes, I had no idea those same happy cows made the pungent smelling moldy looking cheese known as blue cheese. Mostly because of its odor and yes, I'm admit those funky blue and green veins bothered me as well, blue cheese had always been the one cheese I had stayed away from. That is until this opportunity to tour the dairy and cheese plant came about. So armed with packets of Lactaid this lactose intolerant individual decided this would be my chance to finally toss aside my fear of blue cheese and confront it face to face once and for all. On our itinerary was a tour of the cheese plant, the farm, a visit with the happy cows, a cheese tasting followed by lunch featuring what else, grilled cheese sandwiches. The Robert Giacomini Dairy sits high on a hilltop overlooking the beautiful Tomales Bay. I was a bit nervous sitting in our big luxurious tour bus as it maneuvered its way up a steep, narrow and winding road to the visitors center at this huge 714 acre farm, but at the same time I was excited seeing literally hundreds of cows grazing on the hills beside the road. The new visitors center completed in 2010 is called The Fork. Once inside the building we were greeted by members of the Giacomini family. We were led out to The Fork's beautiful patio to assemble and admire our beautiful surroundings. We donned protective plastic covers to slip over our shoes as to not track anything harmful into the cheese plant. Robert Giacomini and one of his four daughters, Jill, introduced themselves and gave us an overview of the dairy farm and cheese plant. After a brief welcome we were led into the Tasting Room where we viewed a short video showing the main steps in the production and aging of the farm's signature blue cheese which is sold under the brand name, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese Co. The Robert Giacomini Dairy has been in operation here since 1959, but in 2000, the family decided to add a signature product to their dairy line. Their first blue cheese was born in August of that year, and to date they are the only blue cheese maker in California. It takes about a gallon of milk to make a pound of cheese. Combining fresh raw milk with cultures, enzymes, kosher salt and mold the resulting curds are formed into wheels weighing about 6-1/2 pounds each. Each wheel is conditioned by hand and aged in a temperature controlled room for up to 6 months. Once inside the actual cheese plant we viewed production workers behind huge glass windows going through the final process of packaging and labeling the blue cheese in entire wheels and wedges. All the work is done by hand. We exited the cheese plant to learn more about the farm. Most of the 300 cows on this farm are Holsteins. The female cows are often impregnated in order to produce more milk. The cows at the Giacomini Dairy average 9 gallons of milk per day with some producing as much as 16 gallons. They are milked twice a day at 2 AM and 2 PM with each session lasting about 4 to 6 minutes. A healthy cow on this farm can produce milk for up to 5 years. Milking is discontinued on pregnant cows about 60 days prior to the day it will give birth. At that time those cows are given a special diet and are paid regular visits by veterinarians. Milk not used in the production of cheese is sold directly to commercial dairy, Clover Stornetta Farms. We walked out to meet the cows then learned about their diets which consists of 100 percent organic feed. The farm, by the way, is certified organic and kosher. They recycle their water, produce their own methane gas and even produce their own electricity using cow manure to keep operations costs lower. After meeting with all the momma cows we were led out to the nursery to meet with the shy baby calves some as young as one day old. Meanwhile back at The Fork, our cheese tasting was set to begin. We sat down to ice water, tart lemonade and a plate of five cheeses created by the family farm. On our plates were the Original Blue, a Mozzarella created on the previous day, the Toma, a mild white cheese, The Mountain available only to farm visitors, and the New Blue which is less pungent than the Original Blue. While I'll admit the odor wasn't very appealing I found myself liking the two blue cheeses very much. My favorite, however, was the Toma. For somebody who takes part in lots of farm tours this tour was easily one of my favorites. Thank you to the Giacomini Family and their farm staff for their hospitality. I'm no longer afraid of blue cheese thanks to you. I've posted a pictorial history of my visit in the photos section. To learn more about events at The Fork, please visit www.theforkatpointreyes.com.

My partner and I made a cute date of of picking up two dozen oysters from Tomales Bay Oyster…read moreCompany and shucking them ourselves. We could buy the cooler, sauce, shucker, lemons, and gloves all there! They have a display stand that shows you the different types of oysters and their sizes, as well as a paper that clearly explains the price. The service was very friendly and willing to answer our questions. I thought the oysters were delicious! You can't picnic at the venue but I would recommend driving to Alan Sieroty Beach which is just a few minutes away with a 1-2 minute walk to the beach.

My boyfriend and I stopped by on a Saturday to pick up three dozen oysters, and it was absolutely…read moreworth the trip! We got Kumamoto, Pacific, and medium oysters--all super fresh and reasonably priced at under $3 per oyster. Some were sweet, others had a nice salty brininess, and every single one was delicious. A quick tip: bring your own cooler (or you can purchase one there). They also sell shucking knives and gloves if you need them. Since picnicking isn't allowed on-site, we took ours down the street to a nearby public beach and enjoyed them with a gorgeous view of the bay. For the price, quality, and experience, this spot is a gem. Definitely worth it--we'll be back for more!