Floodwater: A New Tavern in Mill Valley
A bar-forward eatery from renowned Marin restaurateur Bill Higgins.
With atmospheric rivers and king tides as Marin’s new normal, the name Floodwater seems apropos. The new tavern from renowned Marin restaurateur Bill Higgins (Buckeye Roadhouse, Picco, Bar Bocce, Bungalow 44) and his sons Tyler and Henry Higgins is adjacent to the Holiday Inn in Tam Junction, where Floodwater’s brightly lighted sign shines like a beacon in heavy rain or dense fog.
Step into the foyer to see Mount Tamalpais inlaid in the wood floor. Look right for a TV-free room with banquette seating in the booths. Turn left to see the room-length bar, oyster shells and sea glass peeking out from the poured-concrete counter and TVs set high enough to watch the game or ignore. Uplighting draws your eye to the vaulted ceiling; a roaring fire in the pizza oven is a sweet carryover from the former Frantoio days. Open the sliding barn door to a private dining room or grab a seat in the opposing nook, where dark brown tufted leather couches are designed for rearranging.
As for what to eat, the Vietnamese chicken wings, pork belly steamed buns and vegetarian cassoulet already have ardent admirers. A limited late-night menu is served until midnight, a boon for weary travelers and everyone else in southern Marin.
WHO
Owners Bill Higgins and sons Tyler and Henry Higgins
WHAT
Floodwater offers a new take on a favorite Marin dining spot
WHERE
152 Shoreline Highway, 415.843.4545
For more recommendations for where to eat, check out our Food & Drink pages.
Christina Mueller is a long-time Bay Area food writer. She hails from the East Coast and has spent way too much time in South America and Europe. She discovered her talent as a wordsmith in college and her love of all things epicurean in grad school. She has written for Condé Nast Contract Publishing, Sunset, and the Marin Independent Journal, among others. She volunteers with California State Parks and at her child’s school, and supports the Marin Audubon Society, PEN America, and Planned Parenthood. When she is not drinking wine by a fire, she is known to craft excellent edibles and spend time with her extended family.
