The Boutique Cafe, a charming addition to the San Anselmo atmosphere located on the corner of Redwood Rd and San Anselmo Ave, reopened October 11. The cafe closed at the end of September after first opening this past spring. It kept the same owner and staff but the cafe took a few weeks off to focus on chef and cafe founder Ryan Scott’s food catering business.
Open Friday through Sunday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the cafe serves delicious food and drinks. The welcoming staff and peaceful outdoor space create a relaxing atmosphere.
Scott, a cooking expert, has appeared on multiple TV shows, such as TODAY and Good Morning America, and Top Chef. Scott has also written two cookbooks, One to Five and The No-Fuss Family Cookbook, and opened 13 restaurants, seven of which he owns. He has also devoted his career to Ryan Scott 2Go, his food catering business that he started in 2004.
Scott moved to San Anselmo with his family in 2019 and lives down the street from the cafe. He is excited to begin his new adventure of opening a cafe, especially as the location will give him more time to spend with his kids. Scott opened the cafe because he felt like the Yolanda Station neighborhood of San Anselmo was missing something.
“I’m really happy that I could still be a dad and have this project,” Scott said.
The menu at the Boutique Cafe reflects Scott’s taste, as he believes everything offered should be “craveable food.” Scott’s idea of craveable food includes a vast assortment of sweet and savory options.
“Everything that’s on this trailer is everything that I wake up in the middle of the middle of the night craving,” Scott said.
The atmosphere of the cafe is appealing and natural, with the sides of the permanent food truck decorated with white lattices covered in green vines and purple and pink flowers. White planter boxes accommodate the overflowing vines, and complement fall decorations like mini pumpkins and purple corn husks.
On the hay bales and beneath the ordering window, an assortment of pumpkins welcome the fall season. During open hours, hula hoops, games, and dog toys are set out and available to customers. Music played through speakers adds to the lively atmosphere.
All sides of the cafe, excluding the front side with the ordering window, are covered in painted wood paneling. The whole food truck is painted white and light pink, giving off a pastel, almost whimsical aesthetic.
The San Anselmo Ave entrance is blocked off, allowing only one entrance on Redwood Rd in and out of the parking lot. Without any tables, it can be difficult for large groups to find a place to enjoy their food. However, the parking lot includes scattered chairs and four hay bales, which are positioned in an open-faced square, giving customers places to sit.
The Boutique Cafe offers two menus: a specials menu and a regular menu. The specials menu is dictated by seasonal fruits, produce, flavors, and trends.
The specials menu has unleashed an assortment of pumpkin delicacies, such as pumpkin pancakes, which feature graham crackers, crumble bacon marmalade, and warm maple butter, for 14 dollars.
The pumpkin pancakes have a fluffy, sweet, and moist base, but lack the expected pumpkin flavor. The bacon marmalade has a unique flavor that may not appeal to the average consumer, due to its thick consistency and floral taste.
Strawberry Field, a smoothie with local strawberries, avocado, banana, coconut cream, collagen, sea moss, and almond milk for 13.55 dollars, is deliciously creamy. The smoothie has a thick consistency from a combination of avocado and coconut cream, and the addition of the strawberry jam complements the fluffiness of the coconut cream. Noticeable hints of banana and a punch of ripe tangy strawberries make this smoothie a hit at the Boutique Cafe.
Ordering the Asian Crispy Chicken Salad from the lunch menu will not disappoint due to the variety of flavors it includes. The salad is a mixture of shaved carrots, radishes, cabbage, soba noodles, crispy sesame spring roll threads, and Scott’s famous peanut dressing, all for 15.60 dollars.
In addition to classic lettuce, a large serving of soba noodles with creamy dressing is mixed in with the abundance of greens. The peanut dressing is a thin, tangy, and sweet sauce packaged in a compostable container along with the rest of the salad.
The salad comes with a side of chicken breast strips with a crispy and surprisingly creamy cornflake crust. With the addition of three slices of sourdough bread, it provides a balanced and filling meal.
The cafe’s food is all locally sourced. The meat comes from the Golden Gate Meat Company, a Bay Area family-owned meat provider. Fruits and vegetables come from Draper Farm in Sacramento, which opened in 1994, and Clover Dairy and Eggs, established in 1916, supplies the cafe with their dairy products and eggs.
The Boutique Cafe offers an experience worth your while, with friendly staff and an award-winning celebrity chef who is the inspiration behind the craveable food. The cafe is a wonderful way to enjoy a weekend morning, whether you’re stopping for a quick bite or having a family get-together. The Cafe Boutique earns four-and-a-half out of five feathers.
Looking toward the future, next to the cafe lot lies an empty building, also owned by Scott. While he isn’t ready to release his plan for the space, stay on the lookout for a follow-up to learn about how he will transform the building.
