the_privateer_inverness
RESTAURANTS: The newly opened Privateer, which took over a long-vacant space north of Inverness, closed after three months. The owner is now in search of someone to sublet.   David Briggs

The Privateer, the restaurant that opened just three months ago at the Tomales Bay Resort, shut down permanently two weeks ago, and the owner is now seeking to sublet the space. A note taped to the window of a rope-encircled porthole in the front door said that it closed on Feb. 8, apparently due to a lack of business: “To all those who came to see the restaurant open, thank you for spreading the word that we were here. Unfortunately, we were unable to overcome a long closure period between incarnations of this restaurant space and must now cease operations… Thank you for all the memories!” Jeff Harriman, the owner of the resort, said The Privateer may also have faced some challenges with investors. It was opened in November by Bay Area chef Clayton Lewis and served breakfast, lunch and eventually dinner, with options like smoked salmon eggs benedict and a plate of eggs, fried oysters and bacon. The food elicited mixed reviews from locals, some of whom did not care for the restaurant’s version of just-cooked, onsen-style eggs, while others enjoyed the mussels, chickpea croquettes and fish and chips. (The fish, if fried rather than grilled, cost a few extra bucks.) Mr. Lewis, who previously was head chef at the Mayo Family Winery’s Reserve Room in Sonoma County, said in November that The Privateer would not be cheap, “but we will be the best.” But that may have been part of the problem; Mr. Harriman said The Privateer was originally supposed to offer both high-end and more modestly priced options. “Maybe it was a little too high-end,” he said. Mr. Lewis has a five-year lease, and on Tuesday he posted a notice on Craigslist seeking a subletter. Mr. Harriman said the space is ready to open as soon as someone comes on board. “From my standpoint,” he said, “I’m glad it’s fixed up and ready to go. The next person can take over quickly.” Before The Privateer opened, the space sat empty for roughly five years after a Thai restaurant closed; before that, it housed Barnaby’s by the Bay, which served classic American seaside fare.