Mill Valley Beerworks Charms Bauer, Earns 3 Stars

[Photo: Chronicle/John Storey]

Michael Bauer heads to Marin to visit the recently remodeled Mill Valley Beerworks, and is smitten with chef David Wilcox's "ambitious" new menu. While he's not crazy about most of the meat preparations (an undercooked pork chop, "tough" Denver lamb ribs), the "imaginatively prepared" vegetable-based dishes strike a chord and "have enough heft to stand up" to the 60 beers offered.

The range of beers, from the "complex, almost wine-like" Botanical No. 3 to the "smooth" Treble Hook Rye, impress Bauer with their ability to match the cuisine. The "well versed" waitstaff led Bauer to award three stars for service. Overall, Bauer seems excited to welcome the revamped Beerworks to the "expanding cadre of beer-centric restaurants" across the Bay Area. [Chron]