I spent this past weekend at Point Reyes, which will now be my favorite weekend getaway destination. While there, my friends and I took the West Marin Food & Farm Tour.

The tour meets at Tomales Bay Foods which also is the home to Cowgirl Creamery - and we began with pastries, a history lesson on the area, and a cheese tasting. 

Cowgirl Creamery makes six different cheeses and the history of how the business started was inspiring (yes, I’m going to leave you hanging so that you sign up for the tour to find out!).

We got a little behind-the-scenes peek of the cheese making process. These are all Red Hawk cheeses in the making.

Just a short walk away was Bovine Bakery, where we tasted Chai and I bought a slice of the most amazing pie – blackberry, strawberry, peach, mango pie!

Our next stop was Marin Sun Farms where we tasted two types of burgers made from grass fed cows. I can’t remember what they were exactly, but I know Manchego cheese, caramelized onions and bacon were involved.

With our burgers we tried sweet potato fries that were fried in pork lard, the most heavenly and moist beef jerky (I bought 3 bags before leaving!) and grilled brussels sprouts with shaved cheese and garlic aioli sauce. 

*You may want to check your keyboard for drool now

After the burgers we headed to a small farm. Here we got to pick fresh strawberries, snap peas, potatoes, and a few herbs. There is nothing like picking something ripe from the vine and popping it in your mouth. The next best thing though, would be the Table Top Farm stand that sits just in front of the farm. Seasonal produce is placed at this stand and people who live in the area come to buy the fresh, organic fruits and veggies. Did I mention this adorable stand also runs by the honor system? That’s right, you weigh and measure out the produce yourself and place your money in a tin box.

Every prior stop was quickly out-shinned by Hog Island Oyster Co. If you are an oyster lover, this is an absolute must. 

We tried raw oysters and grilled oysters – grilled in a mildly spicy butter concoction that is.

As we sat by the bay enjoying our oysters we also had platters full with cheese, apple, homemade honey, peach chutney, freshly baked bread, heavenly olive oil and more.

Overall, the food tour was a great success. Elizabeth, the tour guide and owner of the Marin Food & Farm Tours was pleasant and knowledgable. I would recommend the tour to anyone in the area, as it was a fun all-day experience, the food was of high quality and everything was well-organized. The only reason I might hesitate to recommend the tour is the price, the $150 per person fee she charges seems too high, as the food stops are simply tastings.

Note: Not all the tour stops are listed above, as we also toured a private bakery and enjoyed a tour and tasting at Heidrun Meadery.