SPRING 2014 • FLOURISH 29
W
hen Christian Caiazzo debuted his 60-seat
Osteria Stellina five years ago in Point Reyes
Station on the site of a former Mexican
restaurant, he was a culinary pioneer. The
West Marin chef was one of the first North
Bay restaurateurs to focus almost exclusively on serving farm-to-
table cuisine.
He worked closely with Marin-based farmers, making sure that
just about every dish on his constantly evolving menu had not
only a description of what was in the dish, but where the compo-
nents came from.
"We wanted people who visited our area as well as local
residents, to get a taste of what's growing around us," Caiazzo
explained. "Wherever you go in Italy, you don't expect to be
eating food from regions 500 miles away. We wanted to create
that same experience here."
Making the menu as pedigreed as an organic heirloom veg-
etable, paid off. Caiazzo's restaurant is now open six to seven days
a week for lunch and dinner. With write-ups that have gained him
national recognition, Osteria Stellina (named for his older daugh-
ter) has become almost as much of a West Marin destination as the
region's beaches. It has a loyal following for dishes such as local
oyster and creamed-leek pizza, BN Ranch bone marrow with ca-
pers or deeply braised Rossotti ranch goat and polenta.
Being committed to a farm-to-table concept — and now run-
ning several businesses with this intention — may be even more
work than maintaining a good marriage. On his biggest order-
ing days, the chef has to phone 14 or 15 purveyors as opposed
to a more typical 2 or 3 (for restaurants that use industrial supply
houses such as Sysco). He buys small amounts at a time. He's in
constant negotiations with local farmers as to what's seasonal. He
frequents local farmers markets, in particular the Marin Civic Cen-
ter Thursday market, and the Point Reyes Farmers Market, which
runs from the end of June through early November.
So committed is he to the farm to table concept, that Caiazzo
has created his own acre-and-a-half Stellina Farm in Tomales. It
supplies his food operations not only with a wide range of herbs
and produce, but also with fresh quail and quail eggs. "It's defi-
Farm-To-Table
Trailblazing
Chef Caiazzo of Osteria Stellina leads the way
by leslie harlib
photos by stuart lirette
Ranch Lamb Shoulder with Star Route Farms Green Garlic, Marin Roots Farm Kale and Soft Herb Polenta.