Page 82 - Blues Festival Guide Magazine 2015

What’s Cookin’ dinner. Many of the diners and music lovers travel Strehli’s “Blue

Highway” north from San Francisco or west from Sacramento to
enjoy Rancho Nicasio. The menu is extensive, the meals hearty.
“This is not California cuisine. There is nothing dainty about
Blues and BBQ on the California Coast it,” Strehli laughed.
Oysters are in season a long time due to the West’s cool
By Angela Strehli coastal climate, and Strehli shares the formula for the Rancho
Angela Strehli, “the First Lady of Texas Blues,” now lives BBQ Oyster Sauce, as well as the recipe of a menu favorite, the
in Northern California where she can be found in a tiny and Rancho Burger.
historic central Marin County town as one of the proprietors of a To find out more, visit www.ranchonicasio.com.
roadhouse diner and blues venue, Rancho Nicasio.
“We bought it 16 years ago,” Strehli told Blues Festival RANCHO BBQ OYSTER SAUCE
Guide. “My husband’s (Bob Brown) son is a chef and they always 1 tbs. butter 1/3 cup horseradish
wanted to have a little place together, but this is not a little place.” ½ tbs. chopped garlic Pinch of salt and pepper
Rancho Nicasio sits upon 4.5 acres along with a church, 1 cup ketchup Touch of cayenne
general store and post office. As an outside summertime music 1 cup cider vinegar
venue, it hosts a barbecue series featuring Strehli’s longtime Sauté garlic in butter, then add rest of ingredients and simmer
Southern friends Marcia Ball, Asleep at the Wheel, Paul Thorn for 15 minutes. Spoon over shucked oysters and convection
and The Subdudes, along with Marin neighbors Elvin Bishop and bake in oven at 400° for 7-8 minutes.
Tommy Castro. In the winter, there is music RANCHO BURGER
indoors with a large dance floor and some 2 lbs. ground beef ½ tsp. garlic powder
booths. Rebuilt in 1941 after a fire, Rancho 1 egg 1.5 oz. Rancho BBQ
Nicasio is a true destination roadhouse ½ tsp. salt oyster sauce
because it is the only commercial location for ½ tsp. pepper
several miles. It is open daily for lunch and Mix all ingredients with ground beef, form patties, grill and serve
Angela Strehli is the proprietor of Rancho Nicasio with grilled hand-sliced sourdough bread topped with grilled
Photo courtesy Rancho Nicasio onions, lettuce tomato and pickle.

80 Blues Festival Guide 2015