Dining review: Locanda Marin, a friendly neighborhood spot with great Roman-style pizza

In Italy, a locanda is a country inn where a traveler can enjoy a simple meal — not a restaurant per se, but a place with tasty food and wine. Locanda Marin has the name but goes beyond that. It’s familiar and welcoming with excellent Roman-style pizza and so much more.

The long, narrow space Locanda Marin occupies on restaurant-dense Magnolia Avenue in Larkspur opens to a front patio, followed by the dining room and then to a covered patio. Bare wooden tables and comfortable, padded chairs are set with blue-striped, oversized napkins. Large windows along one side of the dining room brighten the area.

Italian wines dominate the wine list ($11 to $18 by the glass, $38 to $330 by the bottle). There are many reasonably priced wines befitting a neighborhood restaurant. If you’d like some guidance, ask one of the knowledgeable staff. Roman-born Davide Tringali, who is part owner and the general manager of Locanda Marin, suggested a glass of Gavi Villa Sparina ($13) to my chardonnay-loving dining guest, saying it would remind her a bit of an un-oaked chardonnay. How fun to be introduced to something new, especially since she loved it. My Nebbiolo d’Alba, Scagliola Giacomo ($15), was equally enjoyable.

A basket of warm focaccia is generously presented and replenished. Don’t be tempted to eat too much of the bread since the portions of the menu items are quite ample.

Crocchette di Melanzane ($14) was a great way to start our meal. Roasted eggplant was mashed and mixed with ricotta salata, a dry-aged and slightly salty firm ricotta, lightly breaded and fried. The crocchette balls were served in a black truffle cream sauce with a scattering of shaved ricotta salata and a golden drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. These little balls have a delicious flavor and don’t need the sauce. The sauce was definitely gilding the lily.

All the pastas are made in-house and priced from $20 for the Cacio e Pepe to $29 for the Pescatore, a tonnarelli, an egg-based pasta typical of Abruzzi, dish served with a white wine and garlic fish sauce. Gnocchi ($22) were offered with a choice of sauce. We chose the pesto. The pesto cream-coated, soft dumplings were served in a deep, light gray ceramic bowl garnished with a single basil leaf. They were both visually vibrant and flavorful, but did not match my gnocchi benchmark I ate in Mendoza, Argentina, where many Italians migrated. But memory can be deceiving.

We had seen a couple of pinsas pass by on the way to other tables. They looked gorgeous. Pinsas are Roma-style pizzas and the name means both stretched and pressed. The dough is first stretched into an elongated oval and pressed with the fingertips, similar to making focaccia. The Pinsa Margherita ($18) and the Pinsa Tartufata ($24) are among the seven varieties offered. Pinsa Diavola ($21), topped lightly with tomato sauce, an abundance of spicy soppressata and dotted with creamy stracchino, was presented, precut, on a wooden paddle. The dough is light and crispy. The pinsas alone are worth visiting Locanda Marin.

Less traditional than most of the menu, the Salmone, an almond-crusted Alaskan salmon over beet puree ($34), was our secondi selection. The presentation was lovely. The magenta red beet puree lay under roasted whole stems of asparagus with a square of the crusted salmon on top. A few micro greens garnished the salmon. The salmon was cooked a little more than I like, but the flavors of the beets, asparagus and salmon melded well.

Other secondi options include Melanzane alla Parmigiana ($25) and at the upper range in cost, Saltimbocca alla Romana ($36) made with veal.

The kids’ menu features house-made pastas from simple Pasta with Butter and Parmesan ($8), Lasagna ($10) and Cheese Pizza ($10) plus drinks ($2.50) that would appeal to kids and Vanilla or Chocolate Gelato ($2.50).

Despite the generous portions, how could we pass on dessert — all made in-house — such as Tiramisu ($10), Strawberry Panna Cotta ($10) and even a Nutella Pinsa ($12)?  Our helpful server suggested his favorite, the Tiramisu. It was served layered in a wide-mouth glass with a dusting of chocolate. The Grandmother’s Cake ($10) looked good but that will have to wait until our next visit.

Locanda Marin is open daily for lunch and dinner. The menu for both differs only in paninis are available for lunch and more secondi, or main courses, are available for dinner. It’s a welcome, and welcoming, place

Ann Walker is a North Bay freelance food writer. Email her with suggestions, comments and questions at ijfoodwalker@gmail.com.

Locanda Marin

Address: 286 Magnolia Ave., Larkspur

Phone: 415-234-5024

Website: italianrestaurantlarkspur.com

Reservations accepted: Yes

Cuisine: Italian

Noise level: Can get loud when full

Seating: Covered patios and indoor dining

Liquor selection: Wine and beer

Gluten-free selections: Yes

Vegan/vegetarian selections: Yes

Dog friendly: Yes

Parking: Lot and street

Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays; noon to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays

Summary: Locanda Marin is an Italian-style, neighborhood restaurant with a friendly staff, a menu that would appeal to the whole family and easy parking.