Texas barbeque is coming to Point Reyes Station courtesy of Station House Café owner Sheryl Cahill, who plans to open the Blue Heron at the site of the shuttered Pine Cone Diner. Ms. Cahill is awaiting a county permit for interior remodels, and said she is shooting for a late-summer opening.
The Blue Heron will feature Texas-style barbeque comfort plates with an emphasis on beef and wholesome, vegetable options—though barbeque pork and rotisserie chicken will have a place on the menu, Ms. Cahill said. Texas style is unique in that its tomato-based sauce has a vinegary, spicy kick rather than the sugary sweetness you might find in, say, Kansas City. Beer and wine also will be served, and The Station House’s executive chef, Josh Calderon, will head the kitchens for both restaurants.
“It’s going to be somewhat simple, but delicious,” Ms. Cahill said. “And there will be a few surprises that you wouldn’t find on the Texas menu, so you can enjoy a meal even if you don’t like barbeque. The kind of food I wouldn’t mind eating every day.”
The idea for a barbeque joint began incubating last summer, when Ms. Cahill toured Texas locales like San Antonio and Austin—a personal favorite. Initially interested in Tex-Mex foods, she found herself drawn time and again back to the Lone Star State’s staple cuisine. Once she caught wind of the Pine Cone’s plans to close, she jumped on the opportunity to have a second restaurant in town.
Despite renovations to the building’s plumbing, electrical system and restrooms, she intends to preserve the same small-town, cozy atmosphere that made the Pine Cone unique. “It just seemed like the perfect spot,” she said. “I knew I wanted a casual spot with a simple but wide appeal.”
The Pine Cone closed suddenly in October, leaving only a notice of thanks to its dedicated patrons as explanation. A popular breakfast spot for locals and visitors alike, owner Joanie Kwit and four partners launched the Pine Cone in 1998 and ran it as a classic diner where ranchers would stop by for a morning cup of coffee and a hearty breakfast.
Though she’s ditching breakfast, Ms. Cahill plans to keep the Pine Cone’s dog-friendly patio. “Even though it’s not a breakfast place, we still hope it’s a comfortable spot for friends we know in town and visitors,” said Ms. Cahill, an Arcata native who started working as a server and manager at The Station House in 1990, taking over ownership from Pat Healy in 2005. “I see fresh, wholesome food and friendly service as being two of the most important components of a small-town restaurant.”
Ms. Cahill aims to keep her hotly anticipated barbeque spot locally owned and staffed during a time of economic and social change in West Marin brought about by booming tourism and slim pickings for long-term housing.
“I really love this community,” she said over a cup of coffee at The Station House on a busy Tuesday afternoon. “And I’m planning to stay.”