Tag Archives: Mendocino inn

Mendocino Coast, Part II: The Little River Inn

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The new lobster mac on the menu at the Little River Inn should not be missed.
The new lobster mac on the menu at the Little River Inn should not be missed.

Mendocino, CA — In this day and age that values change and progress at the speed of light, it’s amazing to think that the Little River Inn has been owned by five generations of the same family who have welcomed legions of guests for the past 85 years.

The original house was built in 1857 by Silas Coombs. His descendent, Ole Coombs, turned the property into an inn in 1939, which is now run by his grand-daughter Cally Dym.

Although I’d driven past the inn over the years, it was only when I was invited to stay as a guest last month that I realized just how surprisingly sprawling it is.

The Little River Inn sits on a sweeping 225 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Not only are there 65 rooms, a spa, and a bar and restaurant, but two tennis courts and a nine-hole golf course with pro shop.

The Little River Inn on the Mendocino Coast.
The Little River Inn on the Mendocino Coast.
The "pianist'' in the main building.
The “pianist” in the main building.

Moreover, there are another five cottages just a half mile down the road, which is where my husband and I stayed in the Coombs Cottage, which was larger than many apartments I’ve lived in.

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Why Harbor House Inn Needs To Be On Your Radar

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Vermillion rockfish caught just off the waters at Harbor House Inn.

Vermillion rockfish caught just off the waters at Harbor House Inn.

ELK, CA — A good three hours drive north from San Francisco through winding roads of vineyards and redwoods, this place is definitely off the beaten path. But it is making quite the splash.

Built in 1916, Harbor House Inn reopened this spring with decidedly new life. New owners bought the 9-room inn in 2005, and have spent the past few years not only meticulously restoring but improving it — most notably, with the restaurant.

They doubled the size of the restaurant kitchen and managed to lure an incredible team to oversee it: Executive Chef Matthew Kammerer, former executive sous chef at Michelin three-starred Saison in San Francisco. Husband-and-wife, Sous Chef David Hopps, formerly of Saison, and Pastry Chef Elise Hopps, previously of Craftsman & Wolves in San Francisco. Chef de Partie Holden Tal from Michelin two-starred Commis in Oakland. And sommelier Corrina Straus, a veteran of both La Folie in San Francisco and Michelin three-starred Manresa in Los Gatos. Amanda Nemec, former program manager for media operations at Facebook and Kammerer’s partner, is the inn’s general manager.

The entrance to the inn and restaurant.

The entrance to the inn and restaurant.

The magnificent view from the back of the property.

The magnificent view from the back of the property.

Executive Chef Matthew Kammerer (right) in the kitchen that doubled in size.

Executive Chef Matthew Kammerer (right) in the kitchen that doubled in size.

A few weeks before it opened to the public, I was invited to be a guest to come check it all out. (Full disclosure: I was hired to write some of the inn’s marketing materials.)

The Mendocino Coast town of Ellk has all of 200 people, and this inn, situated on a bluff right over the ocean, really does make you feel a bit like you’re in the middle of nowhere. There’s little else directly around it, save for a herd of shaggy-haired Highland cattle across the road.

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