The Sensuous Sanctuary: The Cavallo Point Lodge at the Golden Gate

Perhaps it’s the unmistakable, clean scent of mature Eucalyptus combined with bay laurel, mingled with rosemary. Or, maybe it's the sense of well-being emitted in the warm, oval Meditation Pool prior to, or immediately following, an organic massage at the Healing Arts Center & Spa at Cavallo Point. Or, it could be doing meditative Yoga in the renovated Army Chapel. Or, simply seeing, from almost every vantage point, the northern end of the Golden Gate Bridge. The guest experience at the Cavallo Point Lodge is singular, a sensual organic melding of past and present, topped with a well-deserved, Michelin-star-rated restaurant, Murray Circle.

As for history, the Lodge was established on the grounds of the 100 year-old Fort Baker, just a few miles from the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge. The Fort was built around a natural inlet called Horseshoe Cove, a small protected body of water that has been inhabited for hundreds of years; Before the U.S. Army, there were French and Spanish settlers, and before them were the Miwoc Indians. The little inlet provided a climatic sanctuary from the wind, fog, and turbulent seas, and also afforded a perfect view of the land on the other side. This was a very important security dimension to the Indians, then the settlers, then the Army in the early 1900’s, as it was the only way into (and out of) the San Francisco Bay.

The Officer’s Quarters, constructed in 1900-1902, were originally built in the style of Colonial Revival architecture, and due to the Cavallo Point’s meticulous restoration, the quarters are now 74 new guest residences, situated near groves of ancient Monterey Cypress and California Eucalyptus. Each guest room has unimpeded views of the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge, with the city beyond. On the hills close by are the Lodge’s more contemporary suites and rooms, closer to hiking trails, all leading around the area, and one trail leading to the bridge itself.

A clear sense of history pervades, yet a sense of eco-sensitive contemporaneity does also. On the long veranda of the Lodge, guests can sit in over-sized rocking chairs, and watch the bay and the city beyond. On the Lodge property is The Healing Arts Center and Spa at Cavallo Point which specializes in organic massages, soaks, wraps and facials – as well as in acupuncture, personal fitness training, herbal consultation, nutrition and hypnotherapy, the last applying to addictive behaviors, weight control and anxiety.

The Cavallo Point area lies close to the Marin headlands, with its great abundance of sea life, eel grass and rare blue Mission butterflies. The Lodge is part of the Golden Gate National Parks, and is the newest in the National Park system, having opened in July of last year. As the area abounds in wildlife, fruits and vegetables, it is not surprising that Chef Joseph Humphrey, founder and creator of the great dishes at Murray Circle, showcases the bounty of local and organic produce, seafood, cheeses and wines of Northern California. On the menu, Chef Humphrey lets you know the origin of his dishes – a few examples (not everything!) from the entree menu –

Vegetables:

Heirloom tomatoes, Verdure farms, Healdsburg

.. in a salad with compressed watermelon, steamed brioche, tomato jam

Baby beets, County Line Harvest, Petaluma

…roasted in coals, crisp quinoa, fresh ricotta, sherry vinegar, truffle

Fish & Shellfish:

Baby red abalone, Monterey Abalone company, Monterey

…from the plancha, suckling pig confit, fresh crowder beans, salted plum

Wild day boat Halibut, f/v Midnite Charger, Puget Sound

grilled in fig leaves,sassafras,hazelnut,sea urchin emulsion

prices range from $13.00 - $19.00 each.

Meats:

Quail – Wolfe ranch, Vacaville

….with romesco, swiss chard ravioli, dry cured olive

Peking Duck, Liberty Farms, Penngrove

Slow roasted breast, fennel confit, turnips cooked in caramel, licorice

(prices range from $14-$29.00)

These entrees change regularly, as do the tasting menus. The grand tasting menu has eight tastings with wine pairings to match, and the simpler tasting menu has three entrees and a dessert. In addition, the wine list for Murray Circle is in the process of becoming one of the largest and varied in the state: 13,000 bottles and counting from California, France, Australia and New Zealand.

All the taste dimensions, though diverse, work together to create the most memorable of gustatory experiences. Indeed, the wide variety of flavors at Murray Circle seems to underscore the multiple sensuous threads of guest experiences at the Lodge at Cavallo Point. The area’s colorful history melds into the present as naturally as the day boat Halibut blends with the fig leaves and sassafras emulsion, or the Quail with the chard ravioli.