As we arrived and parked across from Golden Gate Bistro, a man in the car next to us was pulling out a musical instrument from his car’s trunk. I asked if he would be playing at the restaurant.

“Sure will be,” he said.

“What time and what kind of music?” I asked.

“A bit of rock, starting at 6:30 p.m.,” he said.

Great!

We went through the front door and into the main dining room: a large open room with a bar down the right side and an open kitchen straight ahead.

We chose to sit outside on the covered patio. The band was setting up at the far end of the patio in front of an area left open for dancing.

Wood tables with surprisingly comfortable metal chairs and white paper napkin-wrapped flatware didn’t exactly set the stage for what was to come. But, in a way it did, since we weren’t really prepared for how good the food would be.

The first incarnation of Golden Gate Bistro opened in Richmond in 2021. Conceived by Victor Viera, a former cook at the now-closed Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, the Novato restaurant opened last year. Like its sister restaurant, the menu centers around American Italian cuisine.

We explained to our server that we wanted the food to arrive at our table just a couple of items at a time — and they did!

First, we selected our beverages. The beverage menu consists of bottled and nonalcoholic beer ($6), draft beer ($8), wine-based cocktails ($10), a few wines by the glass ($11 to $15) and a couple of wines by the bottle ($45 to $65). It’s a list that would appeal more to a beer drinker.

My friend had the La Crema Chardonnay ($12) and I got the Justin Cabernet Sauvignon ($15). Both wines were standard fare, but it would have been great to have had wines that matched the food.

Our first appetizer was the Mushroom Arancini ($14). Four arancini balls sat in a tangy tomato sauce in a rustic bowl. One bite and our eyebrows shot up. The risotto balls were crusty on the outside, creamy on the inside, with long strings of melted mozzarella pulling out with each delicious bite. Sometimes arancini are referred to as “supplì al telefono” because of these “wires” that connect them to your mouth. We would have been delighted with a second order of them, but we moved onward.

I had my doubts about the Crab Toast ($19), but when the plate arrived, it came with a generous amount of sweet Dungeness crab atop slices of toasted country bread. It came garnished with fresh herbs, a garlic aioli and avocado.

Everything about this appetizer was an exercise in doing something correctly that could have been easily mishandled. The bread texture was ideal for taking a bite of the toast and still leaving the remaining ingredients in place; it was toasty on the outside but soft on the inside. The crab was wonderfully fresh as was each component of this dish. And there were four hearty pieces on the plate. I’ve had main-course crab salads with less crab.

The seasoning on the Brussels Sprouts ($12) made it a must order. Capers and a house-made preserved lemon dressing were tossed in with the Brussels sprouts, which were a little less hard fried than I’ve had before. It worked so well with the dressing, it made me think I was eating something a little healthier. Perhaps “fried” and “ healthier” don’t belong in the same sentence?

These appetizers alone could draw people in to hear some music and share an evening with friends and family. The music was building and a few people were dancing. The man playing the saxophone was really excellent.

I’ve been wanting a burger recently, so I chose the half-pound Akaushi Beef Burger ($17 without cheese, $18 with cheese). “Akaushi” was a new term for me. Our server said they get their beef from Texas. I did a bit of research to see if it was the same thing as the wagyu beef mentioned on many menus that has come to be synonymous with quality flavor and tenderness. Wagyu just translates as “Japanese cow.” Akaushi is a specific breed of small Japanese beef cattle.

My cheeseburger came with thick skin-on fries. Big, fat and fully garnished on a brioche bun, it quickly satisfied my burger craving. I do wish the out-of-season tomatoes would not have made an appearance, but I just removed them. There are others who might take umbrage by a tomato-less hamburger.

My companion ordered the Carnitas Tacos ($15). A metal cradle held three corn tortilla tacos that were generously filled with flavor-packed pulled pork. A salsa verde moistened the meat and cilantro stems garnished on top. The flavors were both earthy and lively.

Golden Gate Bistro is the sort of place that offers a haven. It has a diverse menu that will please many palates, making it a great place for friends and family to gather comfortably.

Ann Walker is a freelance food writer. Email her with suggestions, comments and questions at ijfoodwalker@gmail.com.