A Blue Barn...
Brimming with Goodness
in Corte Madera's Town Center
M
alls are evolving way past their
stereotype as destinations for
chain retailers and corporate fast
foods.
Take Town Center Corte Made-
ra. With the debut of Blue Barn Gourmet in October
2012 on the site of the former Bryan's Fine Foods,
Town Center now has a restaurant serving Marin with
some of the best-quality salads, soups and sandwiches I've tasted, enjoyable on-site or perfect for packing
in a picnic.
Blue Barn Corte Madera is actually the second
Blue Barn Gourmet restaurant for a trio of partners
— Nate Valentine (Berkeley), Stryker Scales and Sam
Josi, both of Kentfield. The three are the backbone of
the Sustainable Restaurant Group, which also owns
and operates several San Francisco-based eateries
including Mamacita, Umami, the Tipsy Pig, Blue Barn
Gourmet on Chestnut Street (this first one opened
in 2007) and another Blue Barn that just opened on
Polk Street.
What makes Blue Barn so special is its simple concept: creating fresh, seasonal, healthful food out of
natural ingredients produced locally by artisan farmers, for people on the go.
Sam Josi explains that he was influenced by places
offering quick, high-quality food such as Comforts in
San Anselmo and Woodlands Market in Kentfield.
He and his partners believed there was a niche for
a fast-casual restaurant that could take care of people's growing needs to eat what would be considered
slow food.
"Putting Blue Barn in Corte Madera Town Center
was the right business decision," says Josi. "It's an opportunity for us to show people that fast food could
also be good food, in a mall setting that's easy to
reach from all over Marin. We have an opportunity to
educate by demonstrating [our philosophy], in how
by leslie harlib
we look and in what we serve."
There's much to appreciate about Blue Barn.
The majority of the produce comes from Sonoma's
Oak Hill Farm, owned and operated by Josi's step-
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FLOURISH • SUMMER 2013
