leslie b./Yelp

Theresa & Johnny's: Going MSF-style edgy.

​Next week, Marin dwellers will be able to sample a take on the Mission Street Food concept amid the leafy comfort of the 'burbs. An MSF-style pop-up called Night Kitchen will unfold in San Rafael next Wednesday, August 19, starting at 6 p.m. at Theresa & Johnny's Comfort Food restaurant (817 Fourth at Lincoln, San Rafael). By day, Theresa & Johnny's serves up American comfort food in a relaxed, eclectic setting (think Ella's but waaaay better). Chef-owner Leslie Burnside told us by phone she's planning to go for it at next week's pop-up, with small plates of Chinese food priced at $4 to $9. Future events will feature different cuisines.

The Theresa and Johnny's site explains the event this way: "We are going for a chef's night out kind of vibe. We are hoping to entice a wide range of cooks, chefs, and other like minded folks to come and cook for you, for us." Expect 10 savory and two sweet dishes next week. Highlights include Not Your Mothers Foil Wrapped Chicken ($5), duck taco with pickled veggies and hoisin aioli ($7), and nine-mushroom ginger soba salad ($8). The peach ice cream for one dessert is reportedly coming from Humphrey Slocombe, and Burnside said she's planning to use custom-made soba and potsticker wrappers.

Guests are asked to pay with cash only; corkage is $5. Profits benefit the Ritter Center (each Night Kitchen will benefit a different nonprofit). Full menu at Theresa & Johnny's.

Point Reyes National Seashore is one of our area's great natural treasures. The park offers a diverse range of coastal terrains, including beaches, dunes, wetlands, streams, and forests, providing great opportunities for picnicking, hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding. It's also home to a wide variety of wildlife, from birds to elk to elephant seals to passing whales.

This being the Bay Area, there's also good food to be found. A fine place to pick up a picnic is Cowgirl Creamery / Tomales Bay Foods (80 4th St, Point Reyes Station, open Wednesday through Sunday). This little food court houses a cheese shop and an upscale deli with seasonal salads, sandwiches, and local charcuterie.

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